From: "James F. Tims" <p00168@psilink.com>
Subject: Re: Golf Etiquette Part 1/5
Organization: Semper Excelsior
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 05:50:39 GMT
X-Mailer: PSILink (3.2)

>DATE:   7 Jan 93 02:51:49 GMT
>FROM:   Isaac Kim <kim@guppy.uucp>
>
>In article <2934738421.3.p00168@psilink.com> "James F. Tims" <p00168@psilink.com> writes:>>DATE:   29 Dec 92 14:53:25 GMT
>>>FROM:   Mark Bisgeier <mdb@netcom.com>
>>>
>>>I'd be interested in your analysis of etiquette vis-a-vis the Rules of Golf...
>>>is there an instance where etiquette is inconsistent with the Rules (e.g.,
>>>the common practice of a player off the green putting or chipping first
>>>even though someone on the green may be further away from the hole and the
>>>away player has not really given his consent to let the off-green player
>>>play)?
>>>-- 
>>Good etiquette also implies the observance of unenforced rules, but I 
>>can think of nowhere that the rules and golf etiquette collide.
>
>Jim,
>
>I was just wondering if you play strictly from the rule book when
>you are playing a non-competative casual round.  I agree that in

I stick exactly to the rules until the round gets out of control. 8^)
Never know when that course record's gonna crop up!

>competative golf, the rules and etiquette do not conflict.  But
>what about in a casual round where the emphasis in etiquette 
>should be speed of play?  What if you have just teed off from an 

Absolutely.  I pick up after I lie bogey, for example.  
>extremely elevated tee on a busy weekend (ie. the group behind 
>you is also with you on the tee), and smashed it right down the 
>middle.  After walking up to where your ball should lie, you find 
>it is no where in sight after the alotted 5 minutes of searching.  

We lose balls all the time in the fairway.  They plug.  I only look for
a ball if it really matters, unless it's not my own.  If I lose a ball
I usually just take a double bogie and bag it, even in money games.

>If it is a competative round, there is no question about the next
>step (you hike back up to the tee to hit your 3rd shot).  But
>what about in a casual round which you want to finish in 5 1/2 
>hours?  Would you just drop a ball and proceed to hit your 4th

If a round takes 5 1/2 hours, I usually would need a sedative on the
back nine, say about a six-pack.

>shot?  I would (and it's not because I don't wear golf shoes - 
>it's because my main interest in playing casual golf is 
>speed of play).
>
>I know that the golf traditionalists would never go for this, but
>I think, for the sake of fast play, that the golfing community should
>seriously question the need for the time consumming punishment of 
>stroke-AND-distance for lost balls, out-of-bounds, etc.  I know

The first (of two) time I broke 70 at Rome CC was about 7 years ago. I played
with the Italian Contingent as a fifth.  They were all over 60, and
2 were over 70.  We all carried our bags except one guy with a bad
leg in a cart.  We finished in 3:15.  I obeyed all the rules, and 
nobody bothered me at all.  It can be done.

>that in most questionable situations, the astute golfer will hit
>a provisional.  But this also takes up time (as well as looking for
>the provisional if he or she happens to also hit it astray).
>We play a school tournament where any lost ball or out-of-bounds is
>treated like a lateral water hazard or losing your ball in GUR.
>Just drop your ball where you think it last lied in the golf course,
>add a penalty shot, and hit it.  The play seems alot faster.
>
>What do you think?
>
>Isaac (kim@bull.ucsd.edu)

Couldn't agree more.  All the leagues here play that way.  
-jim

Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf