Quote:
Originally Posted by GolfSavage
And now back to the original topic, the Rules of Golf:
The USGA and R&A claim joint ownership of the Rules of Golf. The spend a bit of money every year printing copies of the rules, making decisions, doing revisions, etc. But who says we, as amateurs and non-tournament casual players, are bound by "their" rules? If you play in a YMCA basketball league, do they follow all the rules of the NBA? Does a bunch of kids playing sandlot baseball follow MLB rules? Who decides if they get a DH or not? Are there any other sports, whether team or individual, where the amateurs feel so compelled to follow the exact same rules as the professionals, and where a governing body basically "owns" the game?
As far as I'm concerned, when I play a round of golf, as long as everyone I'm playing with agrees to abide by the same "rules" and the same allowances (clean and place, mulligans, etc.), I don't care if it's true "kosher golf" as approved by the USGA. "Fair and equitable" is the standard that matters most of all.
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You are right in that within your group of friends you can play anyway you want. But, if at some time in the future you decide you want to play in organized competitions, that can hurt you. You will be so used to playing by
your rules that you will accidentally make mistakes in procedure, but the guys you play with in competition will call you on them. Not out of spite, but because that's just how it's done. The easiest way to protect yourself is to simply decide to do it right in the first place, make it a habit. It really isn't more difficult, it WILL make you better player in the long run. Then when someone asks "What's your best score?", your answer will have meaning in the world outside of your friendly group.
I play with guys who take all sorts of liberties with the rules... but I still play by the book regardless. When I say I shot 84, I really shot 84. When one of them says he shot 84, all I can do is bite my tongue and smile.
