Which Rules of Golf would you change if you could?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Which rule of golf would you change? This has been a question asked over the years, and it looks like the USGA and the R&A are getting together to simplify a complicated process. I have always felt the stroke, and distance penalty for out of bounds has never made sense. So instead, I feel there should be a one-stroke penalty and drop the ball at the point it went out of bounds, just like a lateral hazard. Here are a few more from Josh Sens of GOLF.com for you to ponder!
You can’t argue with stupid, but you can complain about it. And in this game we love, there’s plenty of senselessness to go around. Witness the Rules of Golf, an encyclopedic catalog of dos and don ts that often fall beyond the bounds of reason.
For argument’s sake, here’s our take on eight of the stupidest rules of all.
1. The DJ Rule
This was such a debacle!
In the official ledger, it’s Rule 18-2. But ever since the 2016 U.S. Open, it’s more widely recognized as that *&%$!!!-ing Dustin Johnson Rule. You know, that nonsensical one under which the eventual tournament winner was slapped with a one-shot penalty for supposedly causing his ball to move a nano-millimeter on the 5th green. Never mind that he clearly didn’t intend to set the ball in motion, or that the micro-movement gave him no discernible advantage. The punishment stood. But we shouldn’t have to stand for it in the future. How about this? Next time around, no harm, no foul. Move the ball back, and play on.
2. No Relief from Sand-Filled Divots
Not sure which one is worse.
Let’s see if we understand correctly: if we spray a tee shot off-line and our ball winds up in ground under repair, we’re entitled to relief. But if we smoke one down the middle and it settles in a sand-filled crater left behind by another golfer, we’re doomed to play it as it lies. That ground we landed in was damaged. Someone tried to repair it. Sounds to us like… ground under repair.
3. Penalizing a Player Whose Ball Hits a Flagstick Lying on the Ground
The flag should never be laid down on the green.
We’re all for taking personal responsibility, but should it really be our problem if a putt rolls past the pin and rattles against a flagstick that our playing partner set down in the through-line? According to Rule 17-3a, it is. Worse still, it’s punishable with a loss of hole in match-play and a two-stroke penalty in medal play.
4. Dropping the Ball
The words every golfer likes to hear “Free Drop!”
You’d think that hitting a shot into a hazard would be punishment enough. But you’d be wrong. Under the Rules of Golf, the dogged victim then has to go through the tedious ritual known as the drop, which brings other potential rules infractions into play. If the dropped ball moves closer to the hole (as it so often does) twice, the player gets to place it. So why not just allow placement from the start? It would spare the player undue pain, and save the rest of us a lot of time.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The best thing about articles highlighting great courses in the pictures. Just looking at them makes your mouth drool at the thought of putting a tee in the ground on the first hole, getting ready to play an enjoyable round. Sometimes these golf courses are outside our budget, so Travelling Joe Passov of Golf.com has given you the Top 10 most affordable of the Top 100 courses you can play. So take a late fall trip or start planning for a spring buddy’s trip, so you have something to look forward to over the dreary winter!
Our latest ranking of America’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play has something for everybody. We’re well aware, however, that while every course is accessible, not all are affordable. To shine the spotlight on the top value courses, here are our picks for the 10 best bargains among the Top 100, based on where they rank overall and the price they charge for the market they’re in.
A little pricier, perhaps, than some on this list, it justifies its value status by being a fairly-priced layout that dishes out TPC-quality service, amenities and conditioning, together with a distinctive layout that was lavishly praised by 2003 John Deere winner Vijay Singh. No doubt past champions Jordan Spieth, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson feel the same. Twilight play starts at $69.
9. Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club [No. 34], Sandia Park, N.M.; $62-$117.paakoridge. com
Photo: YouTube
Situated between 6,500 and 7,000 breathtaking feet on the eastern side of the Sandia Mountains, 25 minutes from Albuquerque, Paa-ko dishes out a series of option-laden desert jewels that tumble through junipers, cedars and pines, forming a surprisingly green backdrop to many holes. In prime time of April to October, rates will save you some green — $92 weekdays, $62 after 2 pm.
8. The Golf Courses of Lawsonia (Links) [No. 87], Green Lake, Wis.; $35-$95. lawsonia.com
Photo: GolfWisconsin
It seems as if Wisconsin is vying for national supremacy as the state with the greatest public golf, but while many of the state’s top tracks are expense-account only, along comes sleepy old-timer Lawsonia Links, which blends prairie-style aesthetics with a Golden Age design that harkens back to Donald Ross and Seth Raynor, all at a Golden Age price. Find a nice day after October 3 and it’s $35 to walk.
Situated 45 minutes east of Columbus, the course formerly known as Longaberger is a 1999 Arthur Hills design that mixes open and wooded holes, all flawlessly groomed. The downhill plunge at the par-5 5th and the long par-4 8th that’s backdropped by a lake are two of the Midwest’s best. For $129 during the week, you can play all day long.
6. The Quarry at Giants Ridge [No. 54], Biwabik, Minn; $62-$89. giantsridge.com
Photo Giants Ridge
Some question whether the Quarry is even the best value on property, given the popularity of its younger sibling, the Legend, but slight edge to the elder statesman, a Jeff Brauer creation hewn from the remnants of a rock and sand quarry in an old iron ore mine. Highlights include giant boulders, massive sand waste areas and a price tag that’s been chopped to bits by a sharp pickaxe. Through late spring (May 26 in 2016), 36 holes would set you back $100.
4 Ways to hole those 4-foot knee knockers – Love #4!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
We all, including the Pros, get a little nervous over those 4-foot knee knockers, particularly towards the end of the round when money or a good score is on the line. Today, we have some hope for you. 4 things to do to make these putts a lot easier. Correct posture and technique, and you’ll be banging them in no time. Thanks to GOLF.com for sharing!
On average, PGA Tour players convert 92 percent of their putts from four feet.
Chances are, you fall far short of that figure. Why? Subtle technical mistakes can wreak havoc on your rolls, even from close range. Revisit these four fundamental setup keys. If you can make your putting address position consistent and automatic, you’ll gain more confidence in your stroke and turn four-footers into tap-ins.
THE QUICK WAY TO PERFECT POSTURE
Stand up straight and hold your putter out in front of you so that it’s in line with your forearms. Rotate your elbows inward until the underside of your forearms face the sky, then tuck your elbows in so that they rest against your rib cage. Now simply tilt forward from your hips until the sole of your putter rests on the ground. Follow these steps correctly and the four parts of a good putting setup (very bottom of page) will fall into place.
Photo: Illustration by Graham Gaches
If your putting setup is inconsistent, a four-foot putt can feel like a 40-footer. But a simple pre-putting posture tune-up can make you deadly from short range.
1. HIPS OVER HEELS: This allows you to distribute your weight evenly over the balls of your feet, which makes it easier to keep your lower body still and your entire body in balance throughout the stroke.
Never hit your chip shots fat again says Dave Pelz!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
We have all hit our chips shots fat at one time or another. This tip by short-game guru Dave Pelz helps you understand the chipping fundamentals, and if you follow his advice, fat shots will be a thing of the past! So head out to the range and get started today!
Hitting chip shots fat is a byproduct of your full swing.
Short game guru Dave Pelz explains that your club typically bottoms out near the front of your swing when you’re making a full move. However, the static nature of a short chip shot results in the club bottoming out further back in your stance.
As a result, Pelz recommends moving the ball closer to your back foot in order to counteract the club bottoming out earlier.
You Will Never Believe What Ben Hogan said about Putting!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Ben Hogan is one of my golf idols, as he is for many golfers. Of course, his career is legendary, with 63 wins in 20 years, despite being interrupted by World War II and a near-fatal car accident in 1949. The entire world considers Hogan to be among the greatest ball strikers ever.
But I’ve never heard that he said this to a reporter in 1957.
“If I had my way, every golf green would be made into a huge funnel. So that when you hit the funnel, the ball would roll down a pipe into the hole.”
What? Why would this Grand Slam Champion of golf (one of only 5 in history) talk about trying to eliminate putting? Blasphemous or understandable, given the circumstances?
Ben Hogan had just missed the cut in the very first Masters that ever had a cut, the 1957 tournament. He was in the Augusta National lockerroom, not happy over the state of his putting.
And that’s when The Hawk told UPI sportswriter Will Grimsley that we need to eliminate putting from golf.
Grimsley’s quote by Hogan in his article that appeared in newspapers on April 6, 1957.
Sayeth Hogan:
“I have always contended golf is one game and putting is another. One game you play in the air, the other you play on the ground.
“Every golf green should be made into a huge funnel. So that when you hit the funnel the ball would roll down a pipe into the hole.
“That way there would be no expensive upkeep of grass on the greens. And there would be much less misery among the golfers.”
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This fun article contains an accompanying picture showing PGA Tour players in ‘Bond Mode’ that makes us shout YES!
Josh Sens from GOLF Magazine used the poll conducted by the European Tour to ask who would make the best Bond, and then added his own take to it.
I think we’ll all agree that Jordan Spieth, “energetic, smooth and icy under pressure” could be Bond, but several choices by Sens for Bond and for Bond Villain raised my eyebrows. For example, which list would you add John Daly to?
Don’t miss Bond Villain Number 8 – Hilarious!
In honor of the new James Bond film, Spectre, which is set for cinematic release this Friday, the European tour conducted a poll to determine which player would make the best Bond. Henrik Stenson got the nod. But we think he should have to earn the role. Here are six other golfers who would make dashing 007s, along with another eight who fit the part for Bond villains.
6 NEW BONDS
Photo Jordan Spieth
1. Jordan Spieth
Energetic, smooth and icy under pressure, he’s everything Her Majesty could ask for. If only he’d stop pestering Q to design him a driver that can give him another 25 yards.
Photo Daily Mirror
2. Phil Mickelson
Baccarat? Please. This left-handed Bond with an aw-shucks grin that melts women and men alike gets his rush from NFL spreads. In the climactic scene at the Caesars Palace sports book, he and gold-toothed casino magnate Johnny Bling place a billion-dollar head-to-head wager on the outcome of the Super Bowl. Bond prevails, then celebrates by signing autographs on the cashier line. As the credits roll, he nods sheepishly at the camera and flashes a thumbs-up.
3. Ian Poulter
Like 007, he’s never better when serving Queen and country, but that’s not where the similarities end. He’s also fond of fast cars, fancy clothes and extravagant gadgets, which have helped him out of some tight spots but haven’t been much use in stroke-play events.
4. Nick Faldo
His name is Bond. Sir James Bond. And he’ll implore Jim Nantz to repeat it on the air again and again. Bonus points for being exceedingly British.
Photo Wikipedia
5. Tiger Woods
In Tiger’s first turn at the role, 007 sets off in search of his mysterious doppelganger, who went missing in action sometime around 2008.
OK, not really. But directors love him for his Deniro-esque ability to work at different weights.
Bees Can’t Fly and Justin Thomas Can’t Hit the Ball Far!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Say what? It is said that rookie PGA Tour winner Justin Thomas should not be able to reach the distance he gets off the tee, given his small’sh height and weight. That made me remember that science tells us bees should not be able to fly because their bodies are not aerodynamically designed for flight.
Don’t you love it when people and nature thumb their noses at ‘scientific facts’?
You’ll love this video where renowned golf physicist, Dr. Robert Neals, hooks Justin Thomas up to Neals’ Golf Biodynamics technology. The results are cool and demonstrate clearly the physics of a very effective golf swing!
Thanks to pgatour.com for sharing this video with us:
By normal standards, Justin Thomas’ height and weight should not give him the results that he has off the tee so we brought in Dr. Robert Neal, an acclaimed Golf Physicist and founder of Golf Bio dynamics to shed some light on the topic.
Let’s Do 10 More Wacky Petco Park Stadium Courses!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The temporary nine-hole course at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, has been a mega-hit.
This fun concept by Petco, in partnership with Callaway Golf, has players hitting from tee boxes in the upper deck, followed by shots throughout the stadium.
Green fees are $50, and since it opened Nov. 4, it has been sold out. (last day is Nov. 9 ’15)
Cameron Morfit at golf.com thinks there are several other famous venues that would make fun golf courses. I like the idea of setting one up at Churchill Downs and also at Mall of America. Creativity would reign supreme!
The San Diego Padres and Callaway have turned Petco Park into a nine-hole par-3 course called the Links at Petco Park, open Nov. 4-9. Greens fee: $50. Fun idea, and it got us thinking: What other parks, monuments and attractions could be converted into must-play courses? Here are 10 that came to mind.
Your New Family Friendly Golf Club …..in the Arabian Desert!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
A new sports development in Qatar aims to create new golfers by welcoming them to the Qatar International Golf Club.
This family-friendly golf club features an 18-hole course. Designed by Jose Maria Olazabal, 6 and 9-hole courses, a hotel, spa, shopping center, etc.
Instructional programs will be aimed at kids and women, as well as male golfers. Apparently, there will be special clinics designed for the Muslim woman..now that’s forward-thinking!
It will be fascinating to see how many new golfers this project brings to our sport.
The current number of native Qatar golfers is minuscule concerning the huge population. The opening date is 2016. Thanks to Josh Sens at golf.com for this story.
Photo: Courtesy of Duty-Free Magazine
Golf, we’re often told, is in a fraught position, faced with slagging participation, decried by critics as exclusionary, widely cast as an environmental blight. What to do? Maybe the answers lie in a far-flung country with a bone-dry climate, a tiny golf-playing population and a pock-marked record on human rights.
Introducing Qatar International Golf Club, a mega-golf development in the Arabian desert that aims to be an easy-access, eco-conscious playground for golf enthusiasts of all stripes.
The unveiling of the project was Tuesday at the Golf Business Forum in Shanghai.
Though the club won’t begin to open in phases until 2016, based on advanced descriptions it sounds like a panacea for golf’s myriad pains.
At its core, the development will have an 18-hole championship course, designed by two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal.
But because golf is a tough game, and 18 holes can be a time-sink, the club will also sport a high-tech driving range, an instructional center and two shorter Olazabal-designed layouts: a six-hole track, and a nine-hole par-three course. There will also be a hotel, a spa, a shopping center and assorted family-friendly diversions.
“I believe long term growth in golf can only happen if we make the game easily accessible and fun for the kids and that lies at the heart of Qatar International Golf Club,” Olazabal said in a prepared statement.
My favorite golfer of all time turns 80! A Talk with Gary Player.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I have been fortunate to call Gary Player a friend, but far more than that he was and still is a huge inspiration.
Gary has conducted his life with honesty and integrity and is a fierce competitor, but at the end of the day will shake your hand and say “Well played!” I was thrilled when Brendan Mohler interviewed Gary and published the outcome on GOLF.com because I think Gary always has interesting stuff to say!
My favorite golfer of all time turns 80! A Talk with Gary Player.
Deep Thoughts: Gary Player Recalls His Worst Golf Moment
Gary Player has had no shortage of career highlights, but ask him to pick a lowlight and one memory stands out.
Not many people have gotten more out of their lives than Gary Player, regardless of his nine major championship victories. A few days before turning 80 (which, if you’re Player, is closer to half-time than it is the end of the third quarter) the Black Knight spoke from his West Palm Beach home, reflecting on his life’s work and opining on anything from retirement (he doesn’t know what that’s like) to America (he talks like he’s running for office, which wouldn’t be a bad thing).
You’re a few days away from your 80th birthday. There must be a big party planned…
There is, but not until the 11th of November. I’m going to be on a flight to China on my birthday for a sight visit at a course we’re building. But on the 11th we’re throwing a party at Sun City Resort in South Africa. My friends are coming from all over the world and we’re playing golf the day before the party and the day after.
Considering what you’ve accomplished, what’s left for you to do that’s more exciting than what you’ve done?
What’s so exciting about turning 80 is that I have so much energy. I work as hard at 80 as I did at 25, and I keep telling people that retiring is a death warrant. People that retire, they sit around, they do nothing and they die within three years. You have to keep moving, you have to keep working.
Your intense workout regimen is no secret. But what’s your diet like?
I had nothing for breakfast this morning except a glass of pomegranate juice and some green juice—just a bunch of vegetables put in a blender. I’m not a big meat eater. I’m 70 percent vegetarian. I try to have a good breakfast in the morning and a good lunch. I try some nights to have no dinner. When I do, it’s a very tiny dinner. I don’t eat a lot of bread, alcohol, or things like that at night. They say that you don’t put gas in your car when you park it in the garage. You gas it up during the day. The same applies to your body.
In your travels, what place or person has influenced you the most?
[Former Prime Minister of Singapore] Lee Kuan Yew is probably the greatest leader I can remember in my lifetime. He passed away recently, but to take a country of such a small size that had virtually nothing and turn it into No. 1 in the world in education is impressive. Singapore has no killings of people, no graffiti, no garbage in the street. And he did it by enforcing the principles that are necessary for everyday living.
You’re as big of a supporter of America as a U.S.-born citizen. What can we learn here?
I’ve been reading one of Lou Dobbs’ books, and I learned that in math and science America is ranked 51st in the world. We’re rated 28th in overall education! We’ve got to get the young people to realize that they live in the greatest country in the world. America used to have a monopoly, but now you’ve got China, India, Africa and Europe as competitors. The young people have got to work harder to keep America as No. 1.
I’ll never forget having dinner with President Eisenhower. He told me that you need to have the strongest army in the world because you get peace through strength. He said, ‘It’s my job to make America safe. When you’re safe others around the world invest in you.’ He said, ‘We’ve got to have discipline. We have to get people to honor this great country.’
In your travels, what place or person has influenced you the most?