My PGA Golf Coach

I will never forget a ruling I made about 10 years ago in a major amateur event to a young man on the putting green. I had volunteered as a PGA rules official and was assigned to a medium length island green par three hole. This young man hit a great iron shot to the green and had left himself about a 20 footer for birdie. He marked the ball and tossed it to his caddy who missed it and the ball rolled off the edge of the green and into the water. They could not retrieve the ball from the lake and substituted another ball, then the young man made the putt for what he thought was a birdie. I had to be the bearer of bad news and inform the young man that rule16-1b does not permit substitution of another ball, accordingly there is a penalty of 2 strokes and his 2 is now a 4. Sometimes the rules don’t work in your favor.

Unlike many sports, golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire. The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules. All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be. This is the spirit of the game of golf.
I thought this was a great time to bring up the true “spirit of the game of golf” , with all the rules violations lately and all the complaining we have to remember that the rules are the same for all players and are in place so everyone can compete on a level playing field.

Years ago I made a ruling at a Member Guest event that I have to share with you. Bill was teeing off on a par three using his driver, when he swung at the ball he hit it off the hosel of the club and it hit his opponents golf bag sitting on a cart near the tee. When I arrived I told Bill that rule 19-3 states if a player’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by an opponent, his caddie or his equipment,there is no penalty.The player may, before another stroke is made by either side cancel the stroke and play a ball without penalty as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. Bill goes back to the tee and hits his driver into the hole and wins a two year lease on a 5-series BMW. Yes miracles do happen and sometimes the rules can be used to our advantage !

Don’t you just hate it when you chip up or make a beautiful putt – aimed dead at the center of the cup and the ball is literally hanging over the hole… and it won’t go in?! I’ve seen people do some really strange things when this happens. They jump up and down, as if they can move the earth. Golfers yell at it, hoping to frighten it and make it jump in. They cover that stubborn golf ball with their shadow so that it won’t be afraid of the depth of the cup…! But there actually is a USGA rule for this situation. Sorry, it doesn’t include jumping or yelling! Read more…

So why do people tee the golf ball up on certain sides of the tee box – instead of the middle? Lisa from Arizona sent me this question, and it’s a good one. I have been golfing for so long, frequently I don’t think of these things anymore. Well, Lisa, in a nut shell, when you are teeing up the golf ball, as long as you have the ball between and behind the imaginary line that connects the tee markers, you are within the rules. You can even stand outside these markers – as long as the ball is within these parameters. Good players use this latitude to have a better angle to drive the ball down the fairway. Take me for example, I hit it straight or draw most all of my tee shots. So I will frequently line up from the left side of the tee, aiming down the right side of the fairway. No matter how I hit it, it’s a good shot. With my normal ball flight, if I teed it up on the right side, I would have a more difficult time driving the ball into play.

Take notice of your drives from the tee. After a while, you will notice a pattern that will help you decide from where to hit the ball to your best advantage. Thanks for the great question, Lisa! Now go out, have fun and let it rip!