Here are 10 “Unwritten Rules” in Golf – How many do you know?
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!
There are certainly more than 10 “Unwritten Rules” in golf, but these will do for a start. For those of you who are learning the game, these etiquette tips are invaluable. You also want to learn some of the basic rules. The USGA puts out a beginner’s guide to the rules of golf. Check on the USGA website. Thanks to Andrew Tursky of Golf Wrx for this interesting list!
Raking the bunker might be an obvious thing to do, but don’t forget to hit the bottom of your shoes with the rake or a club to get the excess sand off before you walk onto the green!
Golf Course Etiquette.
There is certain etiquette all golfers are taught when first learning to play the game, such as not to step in another person’s line on the green and not to talk while another person is hitting. Those are the basics, but not what I’m talking about here. Instead, there are underlying rules of etiquette, ones that you may never even know existed.
You see, the mind of a golfer is very fragile and often irrational. But, it’s understandable since there’s a constant battle going on inside of it — juggling swing thoughts, demons, highs, and lows. At any point, a golfer’s patience can snap, and the last thing he or she needs is a push from a playing partner.
When you’re in a group with another golfer, your job is to be respectful, helpful, enjoyable, and sometimes just stay out of the way. Of course, you don’t want to unknowingly aggravate a player in your group (unless you’re playing match play, maybe), but that’s another discussion entirely.
Here’s a list of 10 unwritten, unspoken rules of golf etiquette.
10. Don’t talk to someone else’s golf ball.
I know; you’re only being polite. But when golfers spray a shot, and it’s heading for the water, you can bet they know it’s heading for the water. They don’t need you yelling at it or begging for it to stay dry. If they want to instruct their golf ball to behave a certain way, leave it up to them.
The last thing you want is for them to say GO as their ball flies toward a fairway bunker while you’re telling it to SIT… only to see it land in the sand. Awkward.
Your pleads to another’s golf ball can also come across as insincere or even disrespectful. For example, if the ball is clearly hooking left into the trees, and you yell, “spit it!” you’re basically saying that the golfer just hit a shot that needs to get extremely lucky. Surely the player doesn’t need to hear your confirmation that he or she just hit a terrible shot.
It’s their golf ball; they paid for it, they hit it, and they know best where it’s going. When in doubt, silence is always the best approach.
9. If you say “nice shot,” make sure it was a nice shot.
“Nice shot” is undoubtedly the most overused compliment in golf, so make sure to use it correctly.
Imagine you’re a scratch golfer, and your ball is in the fairway about 100 yards out, your favorite number. The pin is tucked back-right, but you’re eyeing it up and looking to attack in hopes of making birdie. You ended up tugging it and didn’t catch it cleanly either, so you let your hand off the club in disappointment. The ball lands on the front left portion of the green for an outside chance at birdie, and you’re heated. You slam the club back in your bag, upset at the missed opportunity, and another player in the group gives you a half-hearted nice shot.
Now, not only did the compliment go unappreciated, but the scratch golfer may now be thinking, “Are their standards so low of my golf game that they think that’s a nice shot?”
And this goes for any level of golfer. No one wants to hear nice shot when it was below their standards. So the point is, compliment a player on hitting a good one but make sure the player agrees with you.
8. Show some love.
On the flip side, if your playing partner is faced with a difficult shot — maybe they need to hit a towering shot over a tree to a green guarded by water — and they pull it off, make sure to say something more than “nice shot.” Especially if you’re the one who said “nice shot” when that same player hit a semi-chunk from 100 yards on the hole before.
Since a golfer’s mind is fragile, it doesn’t hurt to stroke their ego a bit when they hit an amazing shot.
The Lazy Mans 17 Rules of Golf that need to be Changed!
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!
My opponent hits the ball 20 yards off-line to the left and finds a lateral water hazard. He can drop where the ball entered the hazard and play 3 from there. I drive the ball 20 yards off-line to the right, and my ball goes out of bounds. I have to play 3 off the tee. Now that is just so unfair! We could all make a lengthy list of the golf rules we don’t like or would like to see modified or changed completely. Alex Myers of Golf Digest has created his own list. How many of these do you agree with?
1. Play OB as a lateral hazard
Hitting a ball out of bounds brings golf’s worst punishment: loss of stroke and distance. By playing OB as a lateral hazard, you can cut down on people going through their whole pre-shot routine before hitting a provisional ball that’s likely to suffer the same fate. You also remove the possibility of a real stickler for the rules insisting that the player walk all the way back to the tee to hit again after discovering his tee shot wound up out of bounds. Tell him instead to estimate where his ball crossed OB, take a drop in the rough and hit his third shot from there. The people playing in the group behind will thank you.
2. Move Your Ball Out Of A Footprint
A basic rule of golf is to play the ball as it lies, but why should you pay the penalty for someone else’s carelessness? Move the ball onto a smoother surface, hit your shot, and then take care of the mess made by both you and Bigfoot.
3. Play Winter Rules When Applicable
The sticklers call this “lift, clean and cheat,” but if even the pros do it from time to time, why shouldn’t you? If a course is really wet, has just been aerated, or just has spots where it’s in lousy condition, move your ball a few inches, no closer to the hole. And if there isn’t a huge patch of mud on it, don’t worry about going through the whole cleaning and dropping process. Just use your club to nudge it a few inches.
US Open Gear you can purchase whether you are there or not!
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!
Have you ever been to a US Open Championship? It is quite a spectacle, and if you wish to purchase some US Open memorabilia for Fathers Day, or anyone else, you need a plan. Andrew Tursky of Golf Wrx lays it out in a very neat and concise manner. If you are at Oakmont, make a list before you leave home and visit the merchandise tent at the end of your day, so you’re not burdened with swag all day! If you don’t get a chance to go, there is a link in the article below to head to their online store! Happy Shopping!
Happy Fathers Day!
The Players Championship is a celebration of Mother’s Day, while the U.S. Open is a celebration of Father’s Day As such, the best possible Father’s Day gifts (that aren’t on this list, of course), are in this order:
Winning the U.S. Open.
Having your father caddie for you while you play in the U.S. Open.
Attending the U.S. Open with your father.
Buying your father a gift from the U.S. Open.
Anything else.
The merchandise tent stands tall on top of the perch of the temporary U.S. Open town of pavilions.
Let’s assume you’ll be going with option No. 4 this year, and that’s where we come in. The merchandising situation can be a little overwhelming at the U.S. Open because of the sheer size of the tent, the number of choices to make and the ridiculous amount of people. Luckily, there are some standout candidates for purchase, whether they’re for your pops or not.
There are also plenty of options for women and children, which you should be sure to check out while in the tent. And if you’re NOT attending the U.S. Open, click here to browse the online store.
US Open Gear you can purchase whether you are there or not!
10 Necessary gadgets.
What’s something you use on nearly every hole of golf you play? A ball marker. Most golfers use a quarter or a type of coin. Why not use something unique, like these markers with the awesome Oakmont-U.S. Open logo on them.
Even if your dad doesn’t hit many greens in regulation, the divot repair tool can still help him repair the ball marks in his putting line from golfers who do. The repair tool sets are available for $32.
9 Coasters.
Dads drink beverages. Whether it’s coffee, tea, water, or something cold and frosty, they’ll want a coaster to keep from ruining their table. For only $13 dollars, these coasters are a steal, and they’ll always be put to good use.
8 Man Cave.
While the furry squirrels are cool, and so are the metallic U.S. Open at Oakmont signs, the star here is the hanging bottle opener with a bottle cap catcher. It’s well worth the $52.
7 Dad’s stomach is growling… for beers.
These are the most awesome growlers I’ve ever seen. The U.S. Open-Oakmont logo is on the front, and U.S. Open winners from Oakmont are listed on the back. They’re available for $75, while the Steins (bottom) sell for $22 each.
6 Hats, hats, and more hats.
There’s an entire corner of the merchandise tent dedicated to just hats. It’s a lot to handle, especially if you’re shopping for someone else. I’ve picked out my favorite, and what I believe to be the most unique, but you might be on your own trying to judge what dad will like best.
Are you a betting man – Here are tempting odds for the US Open.
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!
Joel Beall of Golf Digest has put together an interesting list of sleeper picks and the Under/Over for possible bets for the US Open. I think it will be fun to get a group of buddies together and take a shot at predicting these outcomes. Something to talk about on Monday morning!
OAKMONT, Pa. — We’ve produced our U.S. Open favorites and sleeper picks, but how about a list of side bets and wagers for the degenerate gambler in us all? Using odds from Top Bet Sportsbook, here are the 10 best props, wagers and odds for the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club:
What will the winner make on the first hole on Sunday? Par or better (-105), Bogey or worse (-130)
The 482-yard par 4 is one of the most challenging opening holes in the game. At the 2007 U.S. Open, the field averaged a 4.515 score on Oakmont’s first, the third-highest mark on the course behind the 18th and 10th holes. Figures like that would seem to indicate bogey is the prefered route.
However, there were more pars and birdies (230) than bogeys and higher (207) in 2007. Moreover, Angel Cabrera, the winner that year, recorded a par in his victory march, which is why we are going par or better for this bet.
Winning Nationality: American (-115), European (+220), Rest of the World (+275)
For those scoring at home, that “rest of the world” umbrella covers tournament favorite Jason Day (7-1), as well as Adam Scott (30-1), Hideki Matsuyama (30-1, and a guy a lot of people like this week) and Louis Oosthuizen (50-1). If you’re booking with Day or the aforementioned trio, include this prop as a parlay.
Will Jordan Spieth finish in the top 5? Yes (+125), No (-200)
Well, here are his last five finishes in majors: 1st, 1st, T-4th, 2nd, T-2nd. It’s an absurd streak, one that doesn’t seem sustainable…but I’m sure as hell not going against the Golden Child.
Will there be a hole-in-one? Yes (+240), No (-320)
There’s a 300-yard par 3, basically rendering the field to just three opportunities, and the last par 3 is a 231-yard bear. Wet weather on Thursday and Friday will give players a fighter’s chance, but Oakmont and the USGA have too much pride in this layout to bestow an ace. Circle “no.”
Winning margin: 1 stroke (+250), 2 strokes (+375), 3 strokes (+475), 4 strokes or more (+300), Playoff (+260)
Jason Day said Oakmont’s set-up could lead to a runaway victor. Far be it from me to question 1) The world’s best player and 2) An Aussie. Four strokes or more is our pick.
Will Rickie Fowler finish in the top 10? Yes (+220), No (-300)
Fowler’s 2014 campaign, one in which he finished in the top five in every major, seems long ago. Fowler’s best performance last season was a T-12 at Augusta. Worse, Fowler is not bringing his “A” game into Oakmont, missing the cut at the Masters, Players Championship and Memorial.
Fowler thrives on longer courses, but Oakmont is one of the few major venues that doesn’t cater to bombers. Add it up and the answer is “no” for Fowler this week.
Hole by hole flyover of the US Open venue Oakmont CC.
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!
Today is the start of the United States Open Golf Championship.
In my opinion, along with the British Open, these are the top two Championships in Professional and amateur golf! I say amateur because the word “Open” means that anybody can try and play and possibly win these prestigious tournaments! Yes, the Masters is a fantastic tournament, but it is an elitist group by invitation only. And the other major, the PGA Championship, is only for professional golfers. No amateurs allowed. So I hold these two Open Championships in high esteem. The US Open is run by the USGA, and it amazes me each year how they can set up the course so that even par is a good score. The competitors know they are in for a battle when they step to the first tee, and they had better be mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared, or the course will chew them up and spit them out like a bad-tasting lemon! Below is a hole-by-hole flyover of the Oakmont CC, host of this year’s tournament, to give you a good idea of what the players are about to face. Thank you so much to Golfweek for providing these superb videos of the course. Enjoy!
What is your take on the study on increased distance on Tour?
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 USGA and the R&A stated that there were no immediate plans to change the rules on equipment. Using the words “slow creep” regarding increased distance on Tour, the governing bodies see no need to panic at the moment. I completely disagree with that! At the current rate of a 1% gain in distance each year, it would mean that in 17 more years (not that long, considering this study is over 13 years), the Tour Pros will be hitting the ball over 400 yards! We’re talking average here. The longer hitters will be driving short par 4’s with ease. And turning 500-yard par 4’s into a drive and a lob wedge. The time to act is now. Not like the anchored putter debacle when they waited too long to change the rule. I agree with Jack. Change the ball for the pros, but let the amateurs play with regular balls to enjoy an extra few yards and thus increase participation in the game!
USGA/R&A publishes research on driving distance gains on PGA Tour
It seems that everyone, from media critics to former players, has a solution for the problem of distance gains in golf today, whether it’s to dial back the golf ball, change regulations on equipment or to continue to lengthen golf courses. Even Jack Nicklaus offered his advice: “Change the friggin’ golf ball.”
On Thursday, the USGA and R&A published research from a joint study on driver distance that may put those concerns to rest for the near future.
The study looked at data on driver distance across seven major professional golf tours — the PGA, European, Japan Golf, Web.com, Champions, LPGA and Ladies European. As presented in the research, distance gains are at a “slow creep,” as opposed to what some critics have suggested.
The chart below was used in the research study, showing yearly driving distance averages across the seven major tours — data for the PGA Tour dates back to 1980.
Also included is a look at yearly scoring averages, which the report also refers to as a “slow creep” downward.
One of the Oddest Rules questions ever asked of the PGA Tour!
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!
Jordan Spieth Question on the rules.
Recently Jordan Spieth stumped the PGA Tour officials with a rules question, asking if he could wet the bottom of his putter to gain better traction on really smooth greens where his putter tended to slip. This was a question the PGA Tour had never been asked before, so erring on the side of caution, they asked Jordan to refrain from doing this until they got an official ruling from either the USGA or the R&A, the two ruling bodies that determine the rules of the game. He recently got his answer. Thanks to Chris Chaney from Swing by Swing for this report!
What was the question?
The greens on the PGA Tour can get rolling pretty quickly. For Jordan Spieth and his trusty rusty Scotty Cameron 009 Prototype putter, that slick surface can cause his club to slide when the greens get extra slippery. As a result, Spieth liked to wet the bottom of his putter, either with his fingers or a wet towel, in order to gain more traction with the bottom of the club. But, is that legal?
During the third round of the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship at Doral, the greens were getting slick and Spieth called over a rules official to check on the legality of wetting the putter in order to create stability. The official was stumped. Although Spieth said he never resorted to wetting the bottom of the putter in competition, he wanted to know if he could do so legally under the Rules of Golf.
“I’ve spoken to commentators, players and nobody knew the answer if you can do it,” he said. “I didn’t know if it was legal so I’ve never done it on the golf course [during a tournament round], so I asked an official once I knew the course was like that [on Saturday].”
Spieth did approach a rules official on the third hole at Doral with the question, “What my intentions ws his question. I told him to make it easier to set the putter down,”
After a review of the question by the rules staff, the answer came back to Spieth on the eighth hole. “It is a split on the decision,”
“So they called the [U.S. Golf Association] and he said that the USGA was going to talk about it further but for now we’re going to rule that you cannot do it.”
Playing it on the safe side, Spieth said he refrained from wetting the putter until he received an official ruling, which he did prior to the Masters.
5 Things you do not know about the incoming USGA President.
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!
Diana M. Murphy, of St. Simons Island, Ga., has become only the second female President of the USGA, following in Judy Bell’s footsteps.
A huge congratulations must go out to her from my blog, as I think she truly deserves the honor. She was treasurer in 2013 and vice president in 2014 and 2015. With the face of golf changing at the speed of light due to new technology, Murphy will have a challenge reigning to ensure that current golf courses remain playable for Pro competition. I think she will do a fantastic job. Thanks to Golfweek Mag for sharing!
USGA president, Diana Murphy, reveals a few things you may not know about her. She’s only the second woman named as USGA president.
No Handicap – Get it Now for Free from Golf Digest!
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!
Everyone who golfs should have a handicap. I was surprised to learn that less than 20% of USA golfers have one.
Owning a handicap lets you play in tournaments, which brings a fun new element to your golf experience. It also stimulates your goal setting. Whether you are a 36 handicapper aiming to reach 29, or you’re a 15 trying to get to a single digit, the reward you feel when you reach your goal is fantastic.
Some people tell me they haven’t acquired a handicap because the USGA charges them for it and makes the process seem difficult.
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!
Continuing our series of “Women at the Helm.” we are happy to announce that #4 is the future President of the USGA, Diana Murphy.
She will officially take over the post in February 2016. Diana joins Molly Soloman, Condoleezza Rice, and Suzy Waley (who incidentally is now Secretary of the USGA and could be a future President in 2019) as another honoree to our “Women at the Helm” list! Thanks to Chris Chaney, Wrong Fairway of the Back9Network, for this interesting report!
Murphy has a long and encompassing résumé that includes her current role as a USGA vice president and Executive Committee member. She chairs the Championship and Compensation committees and serves on the USGA’s Audit and Corporate Partners committees. Murphy will be the second female to lead the governing body, joining Judy Bell, who served her term as president in 1996-97.
Murphy’s husband, Reg, served as USGA president in 1994-95.
