Preferred Lies - What's Fair?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Preferred Lies - What's Fair?

The Rules of Golf rest on the fundamental principle of ‘playing the ball where it lies’.

However some golfers now feel they have an entitlement to a perfect lie. But it's a fundamental principle that golfers have to accept good and bad lies as part of the game.

Prolonged wet conditions and a general lack of growth during some seasons can render a course less than satisfactory. To help promote fair play and protect the course, a committee can introduce Local Rules to counter these conditions.

Only when a committee has introduced a Local Rule for preferred lies, or winter rules, is a player entitled to prefer the lie of their ball.

Decision 33-8/34 of the Rules of Golf removed the authority for a committee to make a local rule “providing relief without penalty from a divot hole or a repaired divot hole (i.e. filled with sand or seed mix)”. Divot holes are not abnormal to a golf course and are considered part of the game.

There are other issues related to the ‘preferred lies’ strategy.

• Lower scores and consequently handicaps result.


• Golfers being are disadvantaged and less competitive when playing when they cannot improve the lie of the ball.


• Players may not understand the need to mark the ball before lifting or become confused about the allowable distance within which they must drop the ball.


• The marker of the player should be consulted before any relief is taken. Carrying out this consultation with virtually every stroke becomes impractical and time consuming.

On Thailand golf courses it is not unusual for there to be areas of the course, including on fairways where there is mud, particularly after heavy rainfall or even extensive hand watering.

When a ball has landed in, or rolled through, a muddy patch, mud may adhere to the ball and the next strokes affected. A Local Rule for cleaning the ball can then be useful. If there is such a Local Rule, the player is permitted to lift the ball, clean it and replace it on the exact spot where it originally lay.

The recommended wording for the Local Rule for preferred lies and/or cleaning the ball is contained in Appendix 1, Part B of the Rules of Golf.

FOOTNOTE:

Prior to completion a draft of this article was forwarded to SHONA McRAE, Assistant Director – Rules, the R&A, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. She added this comment: “the key is to only introduce these Local Rules when the conditions merit it and not on a full-time basis.”

-- Hua Hin Today 2014-03-03

[Thailand]

I often end up playing with people who play preferred lies all the time irrespective of conditions. If they don't like the lie they simply move the ball.

If it's on a path generally the ball is moved 4 -5 club lengths nearer the hole. If it's behind a tree, in a bush etc it is a free drop! There is one guy in particular plays 2 or 3 balls and plays best ball and has quite good scores.

I do try to avoid these people but often circumstances dictate with whom you play.

[MAMMartin]

my preferred lie is "that was a practice swing"

[Rob tay]

_{This rule is really good if playing conditions are bad but unfortunately this rule also helps many people to bend the rules and use whenever they want to do. Golf is a game of honesty and for the vast majority of people that play it like that it is very enjoyable.}

[scubascuba3]

Playing preferred lies is sensible. One IPGC bar I played with do this if the fairways had been heavily watered or there had been heavy rain.

[Guest]

Fair has nothing to do with golf, the rules however should be adhered to. If you are playing in a competition then the rules are all that count, if you are just playing with your mates , well whatever !!!

[lmaxv]

If I am not playing competitively and have no stake in another's score, they can walk their ball to the green for all I care. Why would I want to make it my problem?

[bluebluewater]

I've never had a bad lie and I don't intend to.

There was a well known golf course architect (whose name I don't recall and I can't be asked to look it up) who was once asked about how he played his golf and about one course in particular who said " I don't drive two hours to have a bad lie". I took that for gospel and now I don't drive even 20 minutes to have a bad lie.

Cheers!

[scubascuba3]

I've never had a bad lie and I don't intend to.

There was a well known golf course architect (whose name I don't recall and I can't be asked to look it up) who was once asked about how he played his golf and about one course in particular who said " I don't drive two hours to have a bad lie". I took that for gospel and now I don't drive even 20 minutes to have a bad lie.

Cheers!

Its fine doing that as long as you aren't betting on the game, unless of course the other guy does it too, then its fair

[manarak]

Same rules for all taking part in the competition is fair.

Otherwise, just do what's fun, but don't brag about playing par when using preferred lies.

[BadBouy]

One of our Sunday foursomes does all of the above, but he's funny, good company and only fooling himself. If there is a wager, league, or tournement it's different. Worst offense is slow play!

[diggledunc]

LOcal rules are often written in Thai on the cards here. When there has been four months with no rain parts of courses can become very sparse and then they are watered and the saturated sometimes muddy.

My view if you are not in a comp, do what is reasonable. Where I play because the growth isn't good the ball always settles down in the rainy season it wouldn't happen the same. I don't try to cheat myself but if course conditions are such that they are spoiling the game I will lift, clean and place within 2-3 inches unless there is no growth at all or mud and then move to a point equidistant where I can at least get a lie.

I tend to play NongSamRong in Udon Thani for anyone who's familiar.

[tgeezer]

Our course in England is very wet and several holes out of use because of the fear of damage, The question 'why' from the assistant pro. to a ruling that taking a drop outside a flooded bunker incurred a penalty was nicely answered with; " because you hit it there" . Preferred lies are not drops so the ball is as good as teed up, ok for competition but not a true return for handicap.

Are preferred lies to give a perfect lie or a clean ball?

Our course has preferred lies from date to date, except for the soaking we have now, when mats are required if one wants to play the full course. The ability to align the stance given by square mats is another factor which is likely to produce a false return.

Golf has become a serious business and I think that there is too much time devoted to removing the element of chance. Many golfers have trouble accepting "rub of the green" and think that golf is only a matter of skill, as seems to be the case of the young pro at our course. I accept that under commercial pressure many 'get out of jail rules' have been introduced but they have perhaps gone too far.

Many golfers in Thailand, famous for not following rules, have resorted to rounds where the ball is played as it lies without relief.

Does anyone remember what they call this form in Thai?

I like the idea because after all, is it bad luck or because you hit it there?

For those who say 'it is only a game', what is their motivation for cheating? Trying to improve your score is not consistent with that statement.

[Puyai]

I think they call it "Logan" or something like that.

I was playing with a group of Thais and they were playing this rule. The one guy who was adamant we should play this rule had a plugged ball in the fairway on the first hole. He hacked it out and left a shovel sized divot in the fairway. I wasn't a pretty sight.

[tgeezer]

I think they call it "Logan" or something like that.

I was playing with a group of Thais and they were playing this rule. The one guy who was adamant we should play this rule had a plugged ball in the fairway on the first hole. He hacked it out and left a shovel sized divot in the fairway. I wasn't a pretty sight.

Thanks, I checked at the army course (TorBor) to day. "Logan" spelled โลกันตร์ I think that it is the name of a part of hell where the punishment is greatest and from where you can't escape I think.

I like the idea, it should sharpen one's course management.

[GBHK]

Who cares what others do with their balls? I prefer to keep my eyes on my own stuff and I don't worry about what others do. Golf is only a game and I certainly don't like to play with people that take is so seriously that they can quote a rule book. Key ingredient is the word play which implies fun and enjoyment...Bet some of you would frown on giving three inches putt of if the tap in is done in an unruly fashion. As Shatner once said to some overly avid fans, some of you need to get a life.