The rules of golf do not allow for relief from a divot in the fairway. It is the most annoying non-rule in golf! I rarely hit my ball into a divot, but when it happens I find it very disturbing, frustrating, and downright unfair! As a matter of fact, I think all golfers should band together and lobby golf’s governing bodies to change the rules to include relief from a divot.
->The R&A and USGA have decided in their infinite wisdom to address the length of shafts on golf clubs. Specifically, the new rule allows tournament organizers to implement a local rule restricting the length of drivers to no longer than 46 inches. It is interesting that the governing bodies have decided to use the Model Local Rule approach instead of changing the rules of golf permanently. This change approach does make me wonder why and does this mean that any tournament hosting a professional or elite amateur event can impose local rules they may deem important?
Continue readingDuring the past few Ryder and Solheim Cups, the controversy of conceding short putts makes the news. For some reason, players think that putts of certain distances should be given regardless of the situations. Or golfers thought the tap in putt was conceded, when in fact it was not. Of course anytime a golfer breaches a rule there is a cost and in Match Play it usually results in the loss of a hole. Therefor, conceding a putt is a big thing and is at the sole discretion of the person or team not putting.
Continue readingIn 2019, one of the major rule changes dealt with an embedded ball. Many players still do not understand this rule, but it is important to navigate what a player can and cannot do when their ball is embedded. I came across a great video involving Patrick Cantlay which goes through the steps required to take relief from an embedded ball. This rule is very important in my location because of the wet conditions in the spring and fall. I might be of help to you.
Continue readingHave you ever had your ball sit on the edge of a hole hoping it would drop? This probably happens about 5 times a year and those few seconds of anticipation can be filled with elation or sorrow. I am not sure if you know, but there is a rule in golf that outlines the process or procedure you follow when waiting for your ball to drop. To highlight my point, Si Woo Kim lived this scenario recently and I think we should see what happened because I do not agree with the ruling!
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The Grateful Golfer 