FROM THE TOUR
Insight on happenings on the PGA & LPGA Tours and relating it to recreational golf !
The “ Rules of Golf ” - For the Recreational Player
At the PGA Tour event in January at Torrey Pines , a hot topic that weekend surrounded an embedded ball & the rules of golf . Each year at the Orlando City Amateur , hosted at our very own Dubsdread Golf Course , I serve as the tournament ' s rules official . In a highly competitive event like this , following the USGA Rules of Golf is especially important to ensure we have a deserving winner .
But what does that truly mean to the recreational golfer ? I always tell my recreational students the most important thing you can do on the golf course is have some fun . So why not incorporate some general rules , that may not go over well with the USGA , but can certainly make the recreational golfers experience much more enjoyable and at times even safer ?!
Here are a few I would suggest :
Only Take 3 Putts on A Green Sure , putting out on every hole is ideal ! But at some point , picking the ball up and moving on to the next hole is okay , too . Taking too many putts will just lead to greater frustration that bleeds over to the next hole . I suggest limiting yourself to only 3 putts per hole . At that point you can pick up your ball and move on to the next hole . Use the 3 putts to add to the other shots you hit on that hole to determine the score you enter on your scorecard .
Play “ Winter Rules ” In the Rough “ Winter Rules ” is a phase used to describe using your club to give yourself a better lie in the rough . If there was “ one ” fundamental rule in the game of golf it would be “ play the ball as it lies ”. The problem is as you learn the game , gaining confidence to hit shots can be difficult in the beginning . So , hitting the ball out of thick grass will only be more of a struggle for newer players . So just move the ball a little to give yourself a better lie , then make your swing .
Move Your Ball Off a Tree Root Remember earlier when I said using some general “ Recreational Rules ” could also be safer ? Well this is a fitting example of that . You have done a respectable job of hitting a solid
8 | February Newsletter