Is it okay to play best ball golf when you’re not actually in a Texas Scramble tournament?
I’m going golfing with my hubby tomorrow. We used to go a handful of times a year (started about 6 years ago) but then I was pregant & it’s tough to get a sitter for a newborn early on a Sunday morning… so we never played for the past few years.
I’ve been 2x this year. I love it! I forgot how fun it was!! We were never GOOD (I only drive like 100-140 yds so we play the local par 3 courses mostly – usually 9-holes and we score like 45-50 with a 10-second rule in play and a couple mutually agreed upon do-overs when we both mess up I like the walk & being outdoors & the challenge of pulling the right club & then actually having a decent shot with it. I like the practice. In several years time maybe we WILL be better at it. We’re thinking we should both go take a lesson or two.
My question: if it’s just the 2 of us, playing for fun & we both agree, could we play a best ball game or is that weird? Would it be strange seeing 2 beginners playing best ball on a course?
what are the rules for match play? i mean how do you win each hole and all that. are all golf course par 70 or par 72 or how many pars are there on all golf course? for match plays, i would like to know how you can win a hole or lose a hole also. i am very confused about this. please help me . thanks a lot.
Match play selects a winner for each hole played. If both players have the same score on a hole it is a tie and no one wins. You can have 12 strokes on one hole and your opponent only 3 to beat you, but you just lose 1 hole. Usually you play an 18 hole match. First to win 10 holes will win the match. Many times a match will be won before hole 18. An example might be that you are 4 holes ahead going to hole 16 and there are only 3 holes left to be played, so the match is over 4 holes up with 3 to play.
The majority of golf courses are between par 70-72. Virtually all holes will be par 3,4, or 5. It is common to have 4 par 3’s, 4 par 5’s, and 10 par 4’s. This would be par 72. Remember all courses are different and you are playing against others at the same course. Everyone plays on the same course. Lot’s of sports will have different tracks, fields, etc. But as long as you play the same course, track, or field all have the same chance.
Golf rules demystified – finding the nearest point of relief
My opponent and I both tee off and sink our shots in the water hazard which is 10 yards from us (150 to get it over). I tee up again and claim it my 3rd shot under rule 26-1. He brings his ball up 110 yards to where the ball went into the water and goes 2 club lengths away from his point of entry and claims it his 3rd shot also. That doesn’t sound right…is this correct?
Also he shot a provision on a different hole. He found his first ball up against the fence. He said he didn’t like his lie so he said he would play his provision. a) can he shoot his provision even though he found his original ball? b) if so is that a one stroke or 2 stroke penalty?
OK obviously you and your fellow competitor need a rule book.
There are two kinds of water hazards. One is known as a “water hazard” and that sounds like what you were playing across. (They are marked with yellow stakes) When your ball comes to rest in a water hazard you must drop behind the hazard under a one stroke penalty and play from there. Or you can replay the shot which is what you did so you were within the rules. He was not, he dropped in the wrong place. The second type is a “lateral hazard” which is any hazard where it is not practical to drop behind it (ie a creek that runs parallel to the hole), marked with red stakes. If your ball comes to rest in a lateral hazard you drop within two club lengths of where the ball last crossed the hazard, (with a one stroke penalty) or on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant from where it last crossed.
As to the provisional, you have to play the original ball if you find it. If he didn’t like where it was he could declare it “unplayable” and proceed under the rules regarding that situation. So he basically played a wrong ball and that would be a two stroke penalty.
1) if using a provisional ball and you find the first ball in bounds, then you continue to play with the first ball, correct? Are you given a penalty stroke for have played the provisional ball?
2) Once you have addressed the ball do you have to swing in that stance? Can you check your swing and step back or is that a penalty for stepping back?
3) What does it mean if a ball is “lifted”
Thanks!!
1) Mary was mostly right, except:
If you find your first ball in bounds, you are not allowed to play your provisional ball.
If you have a really bad lie, you can declare the first ball unplayable. But you then have to proceed with the unplayable lie rules. You cannot use your provisional ball.
2) You can change your stance after you have addressed the ball. There is no penalty for stepping back.
You may want to change clubs, or change the direction of your shot, or hit it left-handed. You have the right to change your mind.
In fact, you can even stop in the middle of your swing.
The only thing you need to be aware of is, if the ball moves after you address it, it’s a one stroke penalty.
Remember also the definition of “addressing” the ball. It’s when you take your stance AND ground your club. It’s not a bad idea to get into the habit of not grounding your club, or waiting until the very last second to do so. In a hazard, addressing the ball is when you take your stance.
One other thing to be aware of is slow play. Don’t take forever to make up your mind.
3) When you “lift” a ball to get relief from an obstruction (free drop) or a hazard (one stroke penalty) on any other situation, you have several options.
You don’t automatically have to go back to where you hit the last shot.
Note to Sam:
1) You only get 5 minutes to look for the ball. You can hit the provisional a second time. If the drive with the provisional ball didn’t go as far as the first drive, you can hit the provisional ball again before searching for the first one. If you find the first ball, the first ball is in play.
2) What you said is correct. One additional bit: If you hit the ball with a practice swing when you’re not on the tee, there is a one stroke penalty and you have to replace the ball.
3) Your answer is not correct. See Mary’s answer for the correct meaning of “lifted”.
Golf Interviews – Barry Rhodes on The Rules of Golf
At Par3, if your ball went into water hazard at your 2nd shot, what is the golf rule?
Do we need to play from drop zone with 1 stroke penalty or drop the ball near water hazard area and play with 1 stroke penalty?
Bags is mostly correct, but didn’t point out how you tell the differecen between the 2 types of water hazards- either marked with red or yellow stakes.
Here are the differences between the 2 types of water hazards:
If in a yellow hazard you have 3 options:
1- play the ball as it lies- no stroke penalty
2- take a one stroke penalty and return to the place you originally hit the shot (for instance the tee box);
3- Take a one stroke penalty and drop it. Some courses are set up with drop zones, but most are not. You need to pay attention on where you drop it when you hit into a yellow staked hazard. When you drop it, I already mentioned that you can play from your original position. However, in most cases you wouldn’t want to do this.
So when you take a drop from a yellow hazard, you must drop at a position where the ball went into the hazard and your drop must be between this point and line to the flagstick.
When dropping from a red hazard (lateral hazard):
The main difference between a yellow and red is that when dropping from a red you must drop within 2 club lengths of where the ball went into the hazard. Also, when dropping from a red hazard, if you hit the ball over a red hazard and it roles back into the hazard, you can play to the side of the hazard and not necessarily have to carry the hazard again- contrary to a yellow hazard.
Remember- yellow you can drop as far back as you want- just keep your drop in line with the flagstick and point of entry. Red hazard, lateral hazard, within two club lengths of the hazard and not closer to the hole.
I like the walk & being outdoors & the challenge of pulling the right club & then actually having a decent shot with it. I like the practice. In several years time maybe we WILL be better at it. We’re thinking we should both go take a lesson or two.
