Just how far does the statement "rules are rules" go?

I was just reading the embarrasing shots thread, and like many others i was amused by George1507's post, which said;

"I played a course on the south coast a few years ago with a work colleague. He told me to tee off on the par 5 8th while he relieved himself in the bushes. So I teed off and smacked a beauty 300 yards downhill and downwind, right down the fairway.

He emerged from the bushes, and then proceeded to hit it in exactly the opposite direction.

I'd smacked it down the 18th fairway, 180 degrees away from the correct fairway. So I had to trudge off in entirely the wrong direction, and hit a three wood back in the right direction. I was playing my third shot still 100 yards from behind the tee."

George, i hope you don't mind me using your misfortune as a discussion point but this one i found very interesting.

By the sounds of things, this was a bounce game (and i guess George hadn't played the course before!), but none-the-less George and/or his playing partner decided that the shot should stand and so George was left with the rather difficult task of playing the par 5 with his second shot some 700-800 yards from the pin. Now, we have many discussions on here about the need to keep strictly within the rules of the game.

So, by using the poll function, which of you (if you were the playing partner) would have said:

I have to say i was a little surprised that George didn't say his friend had offered him the option of starting the hole again.

The ONLY reason i might make a friend play it would be because it was so funny. Once he got back to the tee i think i'd offer him the option of starting again. Even if there was money on it

I invited three friends down to play a course and on the 14th one of the guys played an exquisite shot to about 2 feet, he was beaming from ear to ear until I pointed out he'd played to the 11th green instead, which obviously we'd already played. You've never seen a face drop so quickly.

To be fair if your playing partner insists you have to play the ball you've hit what's the point of walking 300 yards in the wrong direction knowing that if you nail a 3 wood you're still in negative yardage having played 2 already ?
Time to scrub the hole as a blob, write off the golf ball, shake your partners hand and start looking for a new partner !

Grizzly wrote:To be fair if your playing partner insists you have to play the ball you've hit what's the point of walking 300 yards in the wrong direction knowing that if you nail a 3 wood you're still in negative yardage having played 2 already ?
Time to scrub the hole as a blob, write off the golf ball, shake your partners hand and start looking for a new partner !

Agree!

I'd like to vote twice.

Obviously 2nd option if playing in a competition but if it's just a bounce game, 1st option.

Although probably wouldn't be able to get the words out my mouth for at least 5 mins as I would likely be crying with laughter

drive4show wrote:I'd like to vote twice.

Obviously 2nd option if playing in a competition but if it's just a bounce game, 1st option.

Although probably wouldn't be able to get the words out my mouth for at least 5 mins as I would likely be crying with laughter

True enough D4S. You're absolutely right that if this were a competition then the shot would have stand. If so, you'd be praying it was a stableford comp and not a medal!

For what it's worth, I have friends who played in a league (amateur) cricket match recently and roadworks on the M20 meant that only 5 visiting players made the start time. The home captain insisted the game started on time even though the 6 inside the circle rule would have to be waived, they proceeded to score 340 (200 from 25 overs whilst only 5 players were present, including a maiden ! ! !), ended up drawing the game but the club have lost all credibility/respect from the reat of the league.
Unless someone is ridiculously thick skinned and deliberately wants to disrespect the opposition, the sport and the spirit of the game, I'd suggest the vast majority would find a common sense solution, be that Golf, cricket or just about any sport

Grizzy, that's just sad and i'm glad they failed to win

Can't stand people like that
I used to play badminton at a decent level and played one match against a real arrogant numpty who was probably a better player than me. A bit like tennis you're meant to play to the servers pace and on one of his service games we were both in position for the serve when i got some sweat in my eye. I stepped back, put my racket up by way of apology and went to grab a towel and wipe my eyes. Came back and the shuttle was in my service box. He'd served anyway and of course won the point. Umpire said that was his perogative (which i'm not sure is correct but hey...)
As sometimes happens in situations like that i was so wound up i went on to beat him. I'm ashamed to say i didn't shake his hand after either......but he derserved it!

MPB, it's awful when some people forget that sports are just games that are meant to be fun. Even if there is a competitive element to it, being a good sportsman should come first because who really cares if the best player is an bumhole?

On this topic though, I'd have to see a mate trudge down to his ball and play a couple back to the tee before letting him know that he can reload for free - wouldn't be a proper mate if I didn't get a laugh at his expense!

My dad has taken up the game in the past year and he now plays in our Society games at the par 3 course every week. The other week, he'd birdied the 4th hole and was happily chatting away, reliving the moment etc on the walk to the 5th (he's a 28 handicapper). The other players and i stopped at the water cooler and to our amusement watched my old man put his bag down at the ladies tees and then proceed to to take his address, still at the ladies tee. What made it even funnier was that after the birdie he was full of confidence, full of smiles and high-fives, and, for that moment at least, he basically thought he was a pro.

We were giggling uncontrollably and most of me wanted to let him hit, but right the last second i did call a stop to the comedy/tragedy that was unfolding in front of us. After all, he is my dad and more than anything i didn't want him to knock one close only to have to tell him he was at the ladies tees!

If in a bopunce game would have allowed him to re-load personally, but begs the question why he did not declare an unplayable and play three from the tee.

As usual, I voted before I'd read the thread

If I'd read it, I would have voted for the first option, as it looks to me as though it was a friendly game and not a serious competition. If it were the latter, then obviously the "sorry mate" option would stand.

Even if I was playing in a matchplay event against someone who had not played the course before, I would have said genuine mistake reload, after all no one would have done that intentionally

bluefoxgolf wrote:If in a bopunce game would have allowed him to re-load personally, but begs the question why he did not declare an unplayable and play three from the tee.

Yeah my thoughts exactly...

In the original situation, surely, even if it was a comp, 3 off the tee has to be the option to go for. A driver in the right direction has to be closer to the destination than a couple of three woods from 300 yds in the wrong direction?

What's so ironic is to hit your Sunday best off the tee; all those topped ones you could have done with..... you almost need a reverse Mulligan in that situation. Not wishing to be facetious, but were the ladies' tees nearby and wouldn't that have given a clue as to which direction you were hitting?

super_realist wrote:I invited three friends down to play a course and on the 14th one of the guys played an exquisite shot to about 2 feet, he was beaming from ear to ear until I pointed out he'd played to the 11th green instead, which obviously we'd already played. You've never seen a face drop so quickly.

Other than when Shane Lowery gets to the roadside burger van just after they have finished for the day....

I was involved in a similar situation to the one eldestboy described. I was in the Algarve in March with the wife and another couple, playing Piheros Altos. After putting out on one particular green, we waddled off to the next tee which was around a water hazard. I stood on the tee and cracked a belter up the fairway and over the brow of the hill, when the other bloke (A mate) said that I had gone up the wrong fairway. The tee was facing the fairway I had aimed for, but on looking closely another fairway ran paralell with it, but was over a wall onto the correct fairway. Even his wife thought I had played the correct fairway, as it was a bit confusing, the way it was set up. He insisted that I played my ball, so angrily I walked up the wrong fairway only to discover that the seperating wall ran all the way up, and even worse trees were also in play. My approach shot was impossible so had to carry on down the wrong fairway and then had a 8-iron left which needed to clear trees and up onto a green that was some 70-feet above this fairway. I managed to scramble a 6, to his par as it was a simple hole. he thought it was funny, and it was a freindly game, but will not be playing with him again as he's such a pedantic Muppet

Noshankingtonite wrote:

super_realist wrote:I invited three friends down to play a course and on the 14th one of the guys played an exquisite shot to about 2 feet, he was beaming from ear to ear until I pointed out he'd played to the 11th green instead, which obviously we'd already played. You've never seen a face drop so quickly.

Other than when Shane Lowery gets to the roadside burger van just after they have finished for the day....