The Rules of Golf

Most golfers would like to know the rules better …or so you’d think. Do you think you know the rules of golf and do you think you play by the rules? I believe most golfers want to have a better understanding of the rules, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to play by them.

Why? I can tell you first hand that although most golfers wouldn’t call themselves cheaters, too many players cheat to satisfy their own interpretation of the rules and produce the numbers they expect to see on their scorecards. After playing the majority of 2009 on public courses for the first time in 24 years and seeing many different golfers, I’m shocked to see the liberties in the rules so many golfers take. For that matter, the previous statement also applies to people I’ve played with for many years.

On TV we see all the situations where the rules help tour players shoot lower scores, like when balls hit the gallery or grandstands instead of going out of bounds or into trouble areas. Remember when Tiger Woods hit a tee shot onto the roof of the clubhouse and received a free drop, then made par? Or who could ever forget when the fans moved a boulder that was blocking his shot in the desert? After watching these events the announcers point out how the rules were meant to help players, not penalize them.

Golf is a unique game where during the course of every day play, rules are enforced and self-policed by the individual player and not referees like in other sports. That’s both the good and bad news. I’m all for taking advantage of the rules, but when taking advantage means consistently posting lower scores than a player deserves, I don’t know what else to call it except cheating.

A few of the most common and obvious examples of what I often see are these:

· More often than not golfers don’t finish a hole by putting out, but count the last putt as good, even if it’s several feet from the hole. Of course I realize that missing a tap-in of a few inches is uncommon, but if there ever was a game where you can’t assume anything, it’s golf.

· Playing preferred lies is a subject that can easily be debated. When I first started playing, the rule of thumb was that you could move the ball onto a good lie in the fairway, but leave it alone in the rough. This is referred to as winter rules. On tour when conditions are wet, the pros may play lift, clean and place. The key point in all cases where the rules allow the ball to be moved is this; IT SHOULD NEVER END UP CLOSER TO THE HOLE. I find it amusing when I see golfers trying to gain the advantage of inches or fractions of an inch.

· Other areas where golfers often take liberties and don’t play properly are: lost balls, hitting out of bounds, unplayable lies and hitting into water hazards. Where do you play the next shot from and how many strokes is the penalty? You’d be surprised to see how many different interpretations golfers play by, without giving it a second thought.

Regardless of whether you play by the rules or not, I still believe that most golfers want to know the rules better. If you’ve ever read the rules of golf book you’ve probably been frustrated because it wasn’t very user friendly. I know I have. Well that’s all changed thanks to Barry Rhodes and his book, '999 Questions on the Rules of Golf'. It’s filled with real-life situations, with answers conveniently located immediately beneath each question that directly reference the applicable Rule of Golf, or decision on the rules.

Bobby Jones once said there’s golf and there’s tournament golf; and the two are not very much alike. Simply put, if you’re a serious tournament golfer, '999 Questions on the Rules of Golf' is a must read. The book pays attention to the many rules that differentiate stroke play, match play and stableford events. It’s one thing to want to play by the rules and another to need to play by them. This assures you don’t suffer costly penalties or a disqualification that could have easily been avoided during tournament play.

Barry Rhodes makes it easy to learn and remember the rules, by repeating many common questions, answers and explanations to the myriad of situations on the golf course that golfers may encounter. Regardless of whether you play in tournaments or recreationally, '999 Questions on the Rules of Golf' creates a user-friendly environment for golfers of all levels of skill and experience. The questions are tiered into three knowledge levels:

· There are 333 simple questions that every golfer should be familiar with

· There are 333 more difficult questions relevant to both casual golfers and Golf Club Members

· There are 333 advanced questions for those seeking to expand their knowledge of the Rules

For variety, the questions are subdivided into three formats; true or false, open answer and multiple choice. A detailed index provides an easy way for readers to reference specific situations as they arise. There are multiple questions on every one of the 126 sub-sections to the 34 Rules of Golf.

I give '999 Questions on the Rules of Golf' my highest recommendation. After reading the book I found it much easier to navigate through and now have a better understanding the rules of golf book. Priced at $19.99 (US), '999 Questions on the Rules of Golf' can be purchased on all the popular online bookstores. With the holiday season coming, it makes an ideal gift that any golfer would enjoy having. For a value packed gift idea that can’t be beat include a copy of ‘Thumbs Downâ, Golf Instruction Made Simple’, priced at $12.95 and available at all the popular online bookstores. Here are links to Amazon http://golftwitt.com/jjww, Borders http://golftwitt.com/7v2, Barnes and Noble http://golftwitt.com/7thm.