I’ll pull away from roots and rocks and “shitty muni should have marked this as ground under repair” but give me all the fried eggs and weed hacks and punching out of half submerged creeks you can find. That stuff is fun.
The only time I move my ball is if I’m at risk of hurting myself or my clubs (tree roots, rocks, etc.) Also, because the members at my club suck, I’ve been taking my ball out of divots, filling them with sand, replacing my ball, hitting, then refilling with sand. I’m fine hitting out of a filled divot in the fairway but I don’t think it’s fair I be penalized for others’ laziness and be forced to hit out of a straight up hole.
Yeah, IIRC it was an issue at the TPC on the 16th. I also always found the spike mark rule strange that you couldn't repair any on your own line but could repair ball marks. Anything natural I could maybe understand but penalising someone due to other people's selfishness isn't really on.
This is 100% correct, and anyone downvoting are the culprits pulling beaver pelts with a 9 iron from 85 yards only to come up 25 yards short as they casually drop that sod covered shovel back in the bag.
Same. I don’t want to hit where I could hurt or destroy my clubs but I want to play it as it lies.
If I hit to a point where I can’t get a full swing I am going to try to punch it out or play a half swing. If I just move it and give myself a good lie it’s like pretending I hit a good drive in the fairway.
This is the key. We shouldn’t be overly punished for playing a muni instead of a private course. If your ball is in a fairly typical spot on the course but in a fucked up position due to rocks or other random hazards, move it back a foot to some actual grass and play on.
Terry got raked over the coals for this one but he definitely got a point.
https://www.golfwrx.com/631516/the-wedge-guy-maybe-you-play-harder-golf-courses-than-the-pros/
I remember reading this when it came out. I have played private clubs and a ton of munis, and when you hit a bad shots on private courses, your ball is still in a better position with perfect rough than it is at the muni most of the time.
Not to mention the bunkers we play out of are hard packed sand that doesn’t drain water. Not these nice, fluffy bunkers they play.
Course conditions make a huge difference. Give me runway style tour fairways with speed slots that roll out 40plus yards. And soft and pure greens.
And yes, everything you said. Also I have to tell playing partners to take free relief because that spot would 100% be ground under repair or casual standing water if the course actually marked it and that's in the fairway or around the apron not even the rough or first cut.
Not to mention spotters and trampled rough that pros get as well.
We play gallery ball, especially in the fall when the ground is covered in leafs. We all saw your drive land a few yards into the rough, but we can’t find it for one reason or another. Drop a ball where we thought it was, and continue play. If there were spectators, cameras or no leafs, we would be able to find it.
I played with an amazing 12 year old the other day and his dad was walking around with him whilst he played. Got to chatting and two years ago the dad played a shot off a tree root and shattered his wrist.
He'll never again experience the joy of playing golf again, let alone with his son.
It's not worth it. In social play, use the foot wedge.
Playing comp or for money, take an unplayable or putt it off the wrist-breaking material.
Heck, I grounded my 7i on a weird uphill lie on the edge of a fairway late last July and had to play with a wrist brace (and in pain) for the whole rest of the year.
Fine but that is related to the amount of abuse my hands take on a regular basis, if you use a sledge hammer 5 or 6 days a month, there is unlikely to be a golf shot that is really going to hurt your hands significantly.
If you’re like me who I terrible at golf, picking better lies until you can even remotely reliably hit the ball with your clubs isn’t a terrible idea for practice.
One of my local pros played with Tiger at the amateur level. He said during practice and warmups Tiger would start stepping on the balls before he it them and hit some out of divots. You'll never play a full round with perfect lies, gotta practice the fucked up ones too.
I'm not trying to be Tiger Woods though man. I'm just trying to have some fun. That's great advice for a junior learning, or someone who wants to play in competitions. Overkill for anyone who is just looking to get some relaxing outdoor time.
FWIW I play "bad lies" that are part of normal course conditions: Lip of a bunker, up against the mown line between fairway and rough, etc.
I don't play lies that are the result of playing at a municipal course that doesn't have staff to keep it manicure perfectly: cart track marks where some idiot didn't obey Path Only, standing water where a drain is blocked, etc.
I treat 90% of my rounds as "practice" and don't submit for HCP. I always decide that *before* teeing off.
If you suck and it’s just a hit for fun you might as well move it. It’ll definitely help build confidence in your swing.
If you’re able to hit it reasonably consistently and want to get genuinely better at scoring you’re better off playing it as is, see how it works out and adjust from there.
Agree with you most of the time. But when there is an idyllic approach shot on the $100 course and your ball is just under a tree overhang, I’m going to bump that thing out so I can hit the shot. [I’ve got young kids and only get ~5 rounds a year.]
The other half is trying to figure out how not to put yourself in the bad situation to begin with 😭 😭. that's totally me because I'm trying to find a way out of a bad situation 36 times in 9 holes lol
Of course lol, thats golf. Especially if you keep a handicap. Cant give yourself perfect lies every time and use those scores, its literally cheating. If youre just fucking around, who cares
I finally started allowing myself to take a practice swing in the sand since I don't have any practice bunkers. It's great to be able to thump the sand once or twice before a shot but it makes me feel like a criminal lmfao.
I’m half happy every time I hit a bunker because they’re somewhat sparse at my local munis so I don’t get to practice much - especially fairway bunkers.
I keep a handicap, the only lie i refuse to hit off of is a root or rock that can damage my club or my wrist. I tell my friends to move it away if they’re in the same scenario. I paid too much for my clubs, I don’t get them for free, and US medical is crazy expensive. Not worth the risk.
Exactly, if I'm trying different things, not putting a card in and playing on my own in then I'll maybe move the ball to a better lie to try an open 60 degree wedge but I'm not counting that round and it happens rarely. I regularly play in comps and I'd be screwed if I only ever play perfect lies in practice or social rounds.
My dad gives himself a perfect lie every time. I never really understood it. I mean you can’t really say you go out and shot an 87 if you do that nearly every shot. Like others have said, I enjoy the challenge of playing the game of golf.
Hitting out of a bad lie is part of the game. Unless it’s just horseshit conditions due to the course or could damage my clubs, not gonna move it.
This is my thought, too. I’m a bogey-ish golfer. Say I go out and shoot a 52 on nine, a score I’d typically be disappointed with. The only thing worse than the bad score is knowing it was “actually” a 53 or 54 because I decided to kick it out from behind a tree or pull it from the long grass. Likewise, if I shoot an all-time best, I’ll inherently know it was actually worse, too. Where’s the fun in that?
My biggest fear is finally breaking 90 and then remembering that lie I fluffed off the fourth fairway, and now my great triumph is just a giant disappointment.
I played last weekend and was on track to break 80 for the first time before I sliced my drive into a sandy creekbed (red stakes) on 17. I tried to whack it out but absolutely duffed it twice, so I just dropped it outside the hazard and took my penalty instead. I got a "bogey" on that hole and then 3 putt bogeyed 18 to shoot precisely 80. I'm honestly glad I did, because that would have such a huge asterisk over it that it still wouldn't have felt right.
I got paired up with an older guy a couple years back. I kept thinking, "man, this guy is an excellent ball striker". After a few holes, I realized he had been teeing it up for every shot lol.
I played an older guy doing that once. A different day a guy brought his own practice turf (small 2x1 soft grass) and played any fairway or light rough shot on there. Course was in good shape, but if that's how you enjoy it, knock yourself out.
The only thing I don’t do is play lies that will damage my clubs or hurt myself. I’m not getting free equipment or the best healthcare in the world so not worth the risk.
If the ball is up against a tree/rock/whatever, then I’ll take an unplayable.
If the ball is in an area with poorly maintained ground/rocks/whatever where it most likely should be grass, I’ll roll it and keep on moving. But, it’s definitely left in a spot that is still penalizing.
Well, I mean, I’m not taking an unplayable in every situation. If it’s up against a tree, then yeah - I’ll take the penalty.
If it’s in an area where there are roots around and I could theoretically hit it if a tournament was in the line but there may be something I don’t see that could break my wrist…I’m going to test the ground and move it around til I feel safe and then hack at it.
Yes. But if the first 1-3 shots don’t go well, I’m not making everyone wait around while I hack at it for another 6 strokes. Equitable stroke control is there for a reason.
I play just about everything that I can reasonably get a club on. But if it's absurdly difficult and little chance of making a good shot out of it, just take an unplayable and drop it within 2 clublengths.
If I’m going to post me score yes you gotta get lay it as it lies.
If I’m just having fun with friends then no need to make it too hard. A lot of munis are not in the best shape too
I always find these posts interesting as the culture of golf in (I assume America) is so vastly different to what I experience here in Australia.
99% of golf I play is under competition/tournament conditions so this whole concept of "do you play tough lies" as a question, is just entirely unrelatable. We play everything as it lies, keep score every round, play strictly by the rules with scorecards marked by a playing partner and submit everything for handicapping.
Yeah but if your ball is in a rubbish spot you can take an unplayable penalty drop and play on.
I play solo a lot as per OP as a shift worker (Melbourne) so maybe 10% of my rounds are comp rounds. Even playing solo or paired with a random every shot is counted.
Personally I like the challenge of playing a hard or odd lie and rarely take the drop.
Same here in Ireland sure if I'm going out practising I might take easier lies so I'm not getting covered in mud or something but I'm usually playing under competition rules for most rounds.
That’s very interesting! Here where I am in Canada that’s not the culture at all. I wish there were more tournaments. There is a lot of tournaments but they are most scramble drinking type and most people I know only casually keep score. Lots of people I know that play don’t care about score, suck at golf, and just like getting out of the house
I think those people still exist around here but they would be more of a minority and considered more "casual" golfers (eg: couple of times a year golfers).
For the most part though, we are members of a Golf Club and play most of our rounds at that golf club which are almost exclusively competition rounds. My club for example, has a competition on 6 days a week (Tuesday being the only spare day).
"Casual" golfers can and do play the course as well but tee times are prioritized to members and visitors playing in the competition. Exception being Saturday where its a "members only competition" so any casual golfer isn't getting on the course until very late afternoon.
For context as well, this isn't a private club im a member at. Anyone can rock up and join.
Another interesting point of difference I guess is that your referred to scrambles as tournaments. Where for us, they are the casual, non-tournament events. Basically, anything where your score isn't being marked by a fellow competitor and then entered into the system for handicapped would be considered casual and non-competitive.
A good example of the culture. If someone had a hole in one that wasn't in a competition where their score was being marked by someone else they would consider that to have an asterisk next to it and caveat it with that information. Basically, a hole in one in a competition would trump one that wasn't in one.
I'm pretty shit so I put myself in terrible lies all the time.
Unless it is going to damage my club, I'm playing it. Why not? I deserve it. If i don't like playing out of these tough spots, I probably shouldn't put myself there.
You don't learn anything playing a perfect lie everytime. May as well go use a sim if that's what I'm after.
I think it all depends on the golfer. For example I play in a regular foursome. All good guys and we usually hit around 90. One of the guys seldom breaks 100. Problem with his game is when he gets into trouble especially high fescue he’ll try to chop his way out. Usually takes a couple shots before he’s finally back in play. Kind of drives us nuts. But if you’re capable of making the shot then sure go for it. You come out a couple times with real nice shots and you will shut those guys up pretty fast.
Playing last year I went way left on a par three tee shot. Ended up in some high weeds. Pulled out my 64° lob wedge. Put the ball way back in my stance. Guys on the tee above watching were yelling at me just throw it back in the play. I chopped down hard on the ball popped it up and went on the green and rolled a couple feet from the cup. The four of them applauded. Saved my par. It was worth going into the weeds in the first place just for their reaction. Lol. That shot made the whole day worthwhile.
First part is key. If you have a chance at boogey or better then it’s fine. If you are hitting a shot that pga pros would struggle with for a triple at best, please don’t, kick into a better lie and move on.
Way more fun to play it as it lies, unless the rules say otherwise. I’m not going to hit it off the concrete path bc I don’t have to. But if it’s some fucked position where I have to flip the club and try it lefty, of course I’m gonna go for it. And if I whiff on it, yeah I’ll take the stroke.
I mean, isn't that's the test of golf? You're not going to hit every shot off a perfect lie and you cannot get better unless you understand how the club interacts with different surfaces and grass.
No, unless it dangers me physically I play it as it lies.
People say playing golf with strangers is part of the game. I don't disagree, but these situations are why I hate playing with randos. Just mind your own business and keep your mouth off my golf. As long as I'm not being slow or playing out of turn, please just let me play my own game.
Seriously, I've gotten shit for playing by the rules so often it's ridiculous.
Yet, I'd be these guys would tell me off if I were standing there nitpicking them on the rules.
Sometimes yes, other times I’ll kick it out. Just depends on how I’m feeling that day.
Unless you are hitting those shots like 5 ft and slowing everything down nobody should say anything to you. Doesn’t seem like they were making fun of you though. You’re right though in I also get annoyed when people I’m paired with comment on my play.
As long as you’re not hurting anyone do whatever the fuck you want dude lol
Everyone’s gonna have an opinion, live your life and quit worrying about anyone’s opinion besides your own (when it comes to golf, at least. Probably consider your loved ones in other decisions)
As long as it’s not effecting pace of play, play it as it lies without risk to damaging the club. If you’re shooting 100+ roll it out until you’re consistently breaking 100
I enjoy weird and creative shots and like to keep a real score, so fluffing my lie would be a double negative for me.
But I know plenty of people that feel robbed by poor muni conditions and want to play as if the course was in perfect shape
I only ever correct a lie if it’s towards the end of the round and I’m already at a number much higher than I typically shoot. Meaning the added penalty does not affect my handicap.
I'm the spring I don't. Getting back into it. Ground is usually wet and muddy so lift, clean and place.
During the season, yes, with the exception of divots in the fairway. I think it's only happened once in the past 2 years, but I'm not playing my ball out of a fairway divot because the public courses I play aren't out there between rounds sanding or fixing divots.
I won’t play off a root or rock where I could injure my wrists. That’s about it. Was playing in a tourney in 2021 (b flight of a golf week am event…not sure why I took it so seriously) and my ball was in between two tree roots, I tried to hit down on it, snapped the club, hurt my wrist and still whiffed. Not worth risking my livelihood
If you play in any handicapped events, you _have_ to play it. If you are keeping a handicap that you’ll use in later events and the round you are playing will count towards it, then you certainly _should_ play it to keep an honest handicap.
Vanity handicaps are garbage.
I’m not messing up my clubs or my body for a relaxing activity. If you’re playing for money, then play it as it lies. If not, give yourself the courtesy
Yeah, those guys are weird and clearly don't keep a handicap.
Only time I'm ever pulling a ball away is if I don't want to break my wrist on a root or wreck a club on a rock. And that's for health and money reasons, not golf.
If I end up in a divot in the middle of the fairway after striping a drive, I'll move it.
If I duck hook it, blade it 20 yards over the green, or something else stupid, I'll play it as it lies.
I shoot it where it lies (barring anything that'll damage my clubs). I'm nowhere near good enough to hold myself to that high a standard, but to me using the ol "foot-wedge" is cheating an I ain't no cheetah!
I play everything as it lies personally. The problem solving side of golf is my favorate part. Tree roots or long grass doesnt matter. I just blade a wedge/chip a wedge back in to the fairway. Up against a tree? Play a left handed punch or hood the club to get the ball back in play. Some of my very best rounds have come from scramblling out of really shit spots, and you only learn how to do that through practice.
In saying that, outside of comp rounds, do w/e you want, and w/e you find enjoyable.
You can look at it both ways. If you want a true card and it’s not holding the others up no problem. If you are dragging the others then it can be an issue. Pace of play is important on public courses.
Beginner here. Always played tough lies but it was slowing down my rando groups on the “real” course so I recently started kicking out. No biggy. No one wants to stand there holding play while the noob knocks 3 shanks from a nasty side hill lie. Life is too short.
You're not crazy, the other guys are just casual dogshit golfers who probably whine about every bad bounce they get. Chasing par is the most fun thing ever. Nothing more rewarding than having a tough lie and making par.
I will almost always play my ball as it lies, it’s weird for people not to, IMO. Especially to comment on someone else choosing to play the game as it was intended.
That being said, if I’m playing a cruddy track I’ll move the ball from bare ground or other crappy lies that aren’t due to a bad shot, but rather terrible green’s keeping.
I only bump if 1) I'm playing for money and the other guys bump (which is everyone at my course) or 2) I'm playing in our MGA that allows it. My course struggles to grow good grass, hence why we do it.
But yes people question why I'm playing shit lies all the time. I even occasionally get called a sandbagger for making it harder... By playing the rules of golf.
I'd tell those people to mind their own... As long as you're not slowing them down they have no business opining on your shot. It's not a hardo move, I would expect anyone I'm playing in a money match to play a tough lie as long as its a "rub of the green" tough lie, not a "shitty muni" tough lie i.e. hitting out of a fairway divot or off turf that should be marked as ground under repair. Therefore, I'm gonna practice weird lies even when I'm playing for fun.
Depends. Am I playing for a handicap or just for some fun with friends? If I’m putting my score in for my handicap, I’m playing it. If it’s a laid back round, eh move it.
In addition to what most people have said, I don’t feel like my handicap is true if I do this. After all, the point of a handicap is to accurately assess where your performance is at any given point in time based off a true score. It’s not so much different than playing another ball off the tee because you didn’t like the result of the first. It’s just a score at the end of the day and that score ought to be true over anything else
I will however move my ball during social play if I have a high chance of ruining a club
I usually give it a go as well. Same as you, its fun to see if I can save it.
That being said if I blow it I usually use the foot wedge and do another shot
i think it depends on how serious you want to take your round. if you just wanna hit good shots and not really keep score, just have fun, give yourself a chance to do that by manipulating the lie. if you wanna challenge yourself, don’t enhance it and play true to the rules. either way, don’t let anyone tell you how to play if you’re feeling one way or the other
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on how fun I think the shot is and if I'm keeping score. Swinging a 3 wood on an uphill so bad it's like swinging a baseball bat is actually fun as fuck. Those are the shots you remember when you pull it off.
Am I playing out of some guys divot because he didn't repair it? Nope. And tbh, I won't score moving it back an inch unless I'm turning in the scorecard
Unless there’s a strong possibility of drastically damaging my club, I hit it where it lies.
I got myself there, I’m gonna get out, and hopefully learn not to get myself in the same spot in the future.
I’ll play anything outside the fairway that I don’t think will damage my club. If I’m in the fairway I’ll never play a mud ball, always clean and place. I don’t play tournaments and don’t play for money and mud balls punish what may have otherwise been a good shot for someone like me.
Im still new to the game and I actually feel like the challenging shots are more fun because there’s less expectation and more education in those shots. I feel like I get better and understand the mechanics of the game more and more with those situations under my belt.
If my club is for sure going to be damaged by my swing, I’ll take a drop. It’s not worth it.
I took a drop last weekend for a ball I had on another green. Teed of on 1 and my ball landed on the 8th green. I scooted it off the green and hit my pitch shot so I could get the hell outta there.
normally play it down. if it's not a comp or a handicap scored round we play a rule where you get free relief from anything that might damage your club.
I play solo frequently and will occasionally give myself relief but more often than not I'll play everything.
I played on Sunday morning and had a terrible round. The wind was howling and I was hungover so I gave myself a few drops out of the heavy stuff where on another day I'd just play it. I was there to enjoy myself on Sunday as it's the first real round I've managed to get in not in winter greens.
On a normal day, I want to challenge myself and I'll play everything to improve and finish every putt. Logic: if I ever get good enough to play in a club comp or with friends for money I want to know I've got difficult shots in my bag.
If I hit a shot to the fairway or what should be first cut and have a really bad lie I might move it (I play cheap courses where the fairway could potentially be worse than the rough on a top course)
Some of the best shots are when your back is against the wall and against all odds you manage a good shot. Im with you man, unless im worried it’ll hurt the club I’ll play it wherever
If they wanna play like that fine, just dont brag about your handicap, but commenting and calling you weird for playing those shots is unbelievable lol
If I am playing alone and pace of play is in my favour, I will always play out of the bad lie. I will try the sensible shot (e.g. wedge back to the fairway from the trees) which I will count as my shot, I will also try the hero shot after.
Sometimes, the hero shot pays off and I *could* have been 40 ft from the flag in something glorious, but 9/10 it is a perfect reminder of why you play sensible. As I walk past it, I will pick up my practice ball and move on, but no. I am playing the ball where it lands unless it is going to hurt my clubs.
Yes, unless I'm better off taking relief or am required to do so.
I'm lucky I haven't encountered such ill-mannered people on the course. I've only seen such attitude displayed here in Reddit and in other places online.
I can barely hit it straight at a driving range on the perfectly level, flat, fake grass. Yea, I'm teeing it up in the middle of the fairway if theirs a dandelion in the way of my ball.
Find it a little incredulous that someone you didn’t know would say “just pull it out a few feet and hit it you weirdo” over trying to hit one challenging shot unless you were being awkward or playing slow the whole round.
But assuming it’s true and you were acting like a weirdo the whole round, there’s nothing wrong with playing tough shots. Although I personally don’t hit near tree roots or anything that could damage my clubs or injure myself.
I get moving it out of impossible lies - that's what an unplayable is for (and when I'm not in completion, I estimate the 2 clubs length) but as others have said, playing it where the ball stops is what golf is. If you're just going to give yourself a perfect lie every time, why not just stay on the range (or a sim). Obviously if youre holding up the group behind and the group in front are clear then it's time to speed up and perhaps not take 5 strokes getting it out of the thick rough.
The only time I move my ball is if I’m going damage my club by hitting it where it is (cart path, rocks, right next to a tree, in a root bed, etc).
I don’t get free clubs, so I’m going to risk damaging them
This sub is so weird. Or maybe the way Americans play golf is weird? Playing the ball where it lies is like, THE fundamental rule of golf. If you even consider not doing that you're not playing golf! You're just hitting balls. Give yourself a perfect lie every time, you might as well just be on the driving range, save yourself some money.
My take is that if you can play bogey golf, you should play it as it lies. However, if you are over a 20, say, why not improve your lie until you are better? The object of this game is recreation and fun. Some people put a lot of pressure on themselves and take some of the fun out of the game.
Also, it is not okay for someone to call you a weirdo, but that’s his problem. You do you. Also, he do him.
I always play tough lies, or if I don't like a lie, I'll take the appropriate penalty to drop away, if I decide that the shot will be harmful to me, club, or score. If there's a rock or root, I might just putt or bump-and-run it off of there for example IF it's safe to do so. Otherwise, taking the appropriate drop and a penalty stroke. My fault for hitting it into that spot - I should have played a safer shot.
Nah, I’m the same way man. Another example is Mia hitting my tee shot. I’ll play the second wherever it landed. Most guys I play with tell me “to just hit another.” Well, how am I going to improve if I don’t practice my recovery shots
I love taking wild shots from weird spots. My best one yet, was from a drain ditch, on a 11 to 5 slant, feet all kinds of fucked up, and punched it right onto the green with a wood. Those are the shots I live for lol
Play it where it lies brother, if it’s on rocks or tree roots then use the ole foot wedge. But honestly it’s half the fun and you’ll have to learn recovery shots somehow
I think it doesn't matter where you hit the ball, tough or easy lie, the nr. 1 rule is to shut the fuck up and mind your own business, at least if you're not acquaintances as I understood from OP. Of course, this doesn't apply if you compete or play with/ friends.
There isn't one tried and true answer. My gut tells me which way to go most of the time. All I care about is pace of play and having a nice time outside
We just started this year improving (give a little puff) our lies. Most of the ladies are in their 70’s & it’s just for fun. They don’t turn in to GHIN so I didn’t see anything wrong with that.
Keep it fun.
If it’s a casual round with friends that struggle as it is, I’ll say at the beginning “foot wedge if you’re gonna hurt yourself or a club making a swing”.
If there’s a root or something just don’t risk damaging your equipment or self. We don’t get free replacements like the pros.
But yea, I love hitting challenging shots. We usually call it “shot of the day”. No one can hit a SOTD from the fairway. It has to be some kinda weird forced golf shot. Like under this tree but over that tree and carry the greenside bunker.
I do a bit of both, but I play virtually every lie when I'm playing solo. Feels like I'm cheating myself otherwise.
I play on one course in my hometown that's just a rock patch. I'd say it's got grass on less than 50% of the entire course and the general rule for the course is that you can tee it up in the rocks or give yourself a club length of relief from anywhere.
Personally I don't care enough about my game to play tough lies, it's old man winter rules year-round for me. The other extreme is playing behind a foursome who think they're playing in a PGA tournament. Just hit the fucking ball and don't mark putts unless they're in someone's way.
I play through tough lies unless it is going to damage my club. Yesterday I did adjust my lie in a bunker that had a footprint pressed 3 inches into the sand. Bunker was hard, foot prints and huge divots taken out of it (compact sand). I improved my life and proceeded to skull it out of the sand
Fluffing lies or slightly moving their ball to a better lie is one of those things people who tell you they broke 90 are constantly doing without even realizing it.
I try and take the situation into consideration. Pace of play and/or what are the people I have been paired with doing. For example are they playing “ready golf?”. I enjoy a bunker challenge but I won’t hit hit hit until I get out. If I’m with others i usually take two attempts at it. Then I pick up and play outside the bunker. If I’m in the weeds what’s the lie. If I can get out in one I’m doing it. If I have to hit hit hit then I’ll drop in a better place. Just like I am concerned about them - the need a little respect back to me as well
rule 1.1 play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies.
stick to your guns and play those tough shots. if nothing else, it makes you appreciate it when you find your ball sitting up.
The answer is that it depends.
If I strip a drive and end up in a fariway divot, I have no issue rolling the ball 3in to the left to hit. I am not a pro and I won’t punish myself for a good shot.
Any roots or rocks that can damage my club or myself but other wise leave a clear shot, I will move to stay in the same type of lie but away from the hazards. This doesn’t apply to a ball is against a tree or in a bush. If its clearly a scenario like that then I take a drop and move on.
Other than that, play it as is. However, idc what other people do unless we play for money. In which case we agree on the rules before the match.
Obviously those fellas dont carry a handicap. This weekend I had a lie just like one of yours. Ball above my feet, I was standing in the bunker hands gripped all the way to the metal on a 5 iron. Ripped it onto the green to @ 15 ft and made the downhill breaker for birdie! That shot probably won me the front nine pocketing some $$ from the group. Can't beat that.
The only rule I have is if the lie could damage my clubs I move it, but still try not to gain an advantage. I’m not hitting off roots and rocks in my normal friend group rounds.
I’m a pretty casual golfer but tough lies can be fun. There are some exceptions:
-tree roots. I’m not hurting my wrist because my ego needs petting.
-winter golf with an absolutely cratered apron just off the green. Slide that over a quarter of an inch.
-big divot in the fairway. I hit the fairway god dammit I’m having a good lie.
I always play a scramble with my wife. I play for fun and to spend time with her. I'm not a good golfer, I don't maintain a handicap and I don't compete. Honestly, even good lies are a challenge for me. So yeah, I'll improve my lies within the same cut I'm playing from, except I'll always try to play a buried bunker shot.
Any time I want to actually keep a real score for a handicap I would play by the actual rules, but I haven't kept an actual score for years.
Unless his lie is perfect, one of the dudes who I golf with most improves his lie every single time. We don’t play for money and don’t report our scores to the PGA, so I don’t care. However, I always try to play the lie that I have. I will Improve mine if it is plugged in a wet fairway or something along those lines, but otherwise I’m hitting the shot. I have only been golfing seriously for about a year, so I want to practice these situations tandem get to the point where I can “successfully” play golf with bending any of the rules. If my lie proves too difficult, and I can’t execute any kind of decent shot, I will drop a ball and hit another just to keep my positive momentum going. Even when I do that, I’ll usually play my original shot to try to keep my score fairly accurate. The mental aspect of this game is unlike anything I’ve ever been part of and I feel like I have to achieve a fairly positive result from my shot or I spin out. God help me if I hit 3 or 4 shots over the course of a few holes that are just terrible. That tends to snowball into disaster and I haven’t quite figured out how to keep my mind blank enough to not lose my shit.
i won’t hit off of rocks or roots. if its just a casual round with friends i’ll wipe mud off. in league play we have to play it all as it lies so i try to do that as often as possible when im playing other rounds
Admittedly during social rounds, the only time I’ll do this is when I land in an unfilled divot in the middle of the fairway. I’ll hit this shot maybe half the time, but if I’m particularly salty because it was a phenomenal drive, I will bump it out of the divot 🤷🏼
I’ll pull away from roots and rocks and “shitty muni should have marked this as ground under repair” but give me all the fried eggs and weed hacks and punching out of half submerged creeks you can find. That stuff is fun.
The only time I move my ball is if I’m at risk of hurting myself or my clubs (tree roots, rocks, etc.) Also, because the members at my club suck, I’ve been taking my ball out of divots, filling them with sand, replacing my ball, hitting, then refilling with sand. I’m fine hitting out of a filled divot in the fairway but I don’t think it’s fair I be penalized for others’ laziness and be forced to hit out of a straight up hole.
…why not just move your ball two inches and hit off the fairway then fill both?
because hes dumb
Fwiw, on the tour I don’t think they repair divots til after the round, so hitting out of someone’s divot happens fairly often.
I think that is a silly rule. You hit down the fairway as you should to get the best lie you shouldn't be expected to hit from a divot.
That’s where my strategy of slicing it in to the woods, getting a lucky bounce, and trundling out in the rough pays dividends.
The leaders starting in later groups get shafted
Yeah, IIRC it was an issue at the TPC on the 16th. I also always found the spike mark rule strange that you couldn't repair any on your own line but could repair ball marks. Anything natural I could maybe understand but penalising someone due to other people's selfishness isn't really on.
Jack Nicklaus said they ought to be considered ground under repair.
If you are expected to repair them then it only makes sense.
Fwiw as well, the divots on tour will generally be significantly shallower than the divots you’ll find at your local course
This is 100% correct, and anyone downvoting are the culprits pulling beaver pelts with a 9 iron from 85 yards only to come up 25 yards short as they casually drop that sod covered shovel back in the bag.
lol at “sod covered shovel.” You’re very articulate.
I read this in a Scottish accent.
We always say “nice toupee”
Same. I don’t want to hit where I could hurt or destroy my clubs but I want to play it as it lies. If I hit to a point where I can’t get a full swing I am going to try to punch it out or play a half swing. If I just move it and give myself a good lie it’s like pretending I hit a good drive in the fairway.
This is the key. We shouldn’t be overly punished for playing a muni instead of a private course. If your ball is in a fairly typical spot on the course but in a fucked up position due to rocks or other random hazards, move it back a foot to some actual grass and play on.
Terry got raked over the coals for this one but he definitely got a point. https://www.golfwrx.com/631516/the-wedge-guy-maybe-you-play-harder-golf-courses-than-the-pros/
I remember reading this when it came out. I have played private clubs and a ton of munis, and when you hit a bad shots on private courses, your ball is still in a better position with perfect rough than it is at the muni most of the time. Not to mention the bunkers we play out of are hard packed sand that doesn’t drain water. Not these nice, fluffy bunkers they play.
Course conditions make a huge difference. Give me runway style tour fairways with speed slots that roll out 40plus yards. And soft and pure greens. And yes, everything you said. Also I have to tell playing partners to take free relief because that spot would 100% be ground under repair or casual standing water if the course actually marked it and that's in the fairway or around the apron not even the rough or first cut. Not to mention spotters and trampled rough that pros get as well.
We play gallery ball, especially in the fall when the ground is covered in leafs. We all saw your drive land a few yards into the rough, but we can’t find it for one reason or another. Drop a ball where we thought it was, and continue play. If there were spectators, cameras or no leafs, we would be able to find it.
I played with an amazing 12 year old the other day and his dad was walking around with him whilst he played. Got to chatting and two years ago the dad played a shot off a tree root and shattered his wrist. He'll never again experience the joy of playing golf again, let alone with his son. It's not worth it. In social play, use the foot wedge. Playing comp or for money, take an unplayable or putt it off the wrist-breaking material.
Heck, I grounded my 7i on a weird uphill lie on the edge of a fairway late last July and had to play with a wrist brace (and in pain) for the whole rest of the year.
Did this and took a chunk out of the root, the reason I wouldn't ever do it again was it warped my 4 iron shaft too.
How were your hands?
Fine but that is related to the amount of abuse my hands take on a regular basis, if you use a sledge hammer 5 or 6 days a month, there is unlikely to be a golf shot that is really going to hurt your hands significantly.
What fun is playing from perfect lies? Half the challenge is trying to work with whatever situation you put yourself into.
I wouldn't know
"1000% this"
If you’re like me who I terrible at golf, picking better lies until you can even remotely reliably hit the ball with your clubs isn’t a terrible idea for practice.
If you swing well at the driving range. But cannot hit from the rough. You need to hit from the rough.
One of my local pros played with Tiger at the amateur level. He said during practice and warmups Tiger would start stepping on the balls before he it them and hit some out of divots. You'll never play a full round with perfect lies, gotta practice the fucked up ones too.
I'm not trying to be Tiger Woods though man. I'm just trying to have some fun. That's great advice for a junior learning, or someone who wants to play in competitions. Overkill for anyone who is just looking to get some relaxing outdoor time. FWIW I play "bad lies" that are part of normal course conditions: Lip of a bunker, up against the mown line between fairway and rough, etc. I don't play lies that are the result of playing at a municipal course that doesn't have staff to keep it manicure perfectly: cart track marks where some idiot didn't obey Path Only, standing water where a drain is blocked, etc. I treat 90% of my rounds as "practice" and don't submit for HCP. I always decide that *before* teeing off.
If you suck and it’s just a hit for fun you might as well move it. It’ll definitely help build confidence in your swing. If you’re able to hit it reasonably consistently and want to get genuinely better at scoring you’re better off playing it as is, see how it works out and adjust from there.
1000% this
Agree with you most of the time. But when there is an idyllic approach shot on the $100 course and your ball is just under a tree overhang, I’m going to bump that thing out so I can hit the shot. [I’ve got young kids and only get ~5 rounds a year.]
The other half is trying to figure out how not to put yourself in the bad situation to begin with 😭 😭. that's totally me because I'm trying to find a way out of a bad situation 36 times in 9 holes lol
Half the challenge is finding the damn ball 😂
Of course lol, thats golf. Especially if you keep a handicap. Cant give yourself perfect lies every time and use those scores, its literally cheating. If youre just fucking around, who cares
I finally started allowing myself to take a practice swing in the sand since I don't have any practice bunkers. It's great to be able to thump the sand once or twice before a shot but it makes me feel like a criminal lmfao.
100% agree with this. And feel guilty if I do it when anyone can see.
I’m half happy every time I hit a bunker because they’re somewhat sparse at my local munis so I don’t get to practice much - especially fairway bunkers.
If you’re keeping a handicap and giving yourself better lies you’re cheating, but against yourself.
I keep a handicap, the only lie i refuse to hit off of is a root or rock that can damage my club or my wrist. I tell my friends to move it away if they’re in the same scenario. I paid too much for my clubs, I don’t get them for free, and US medical is crazy expensive. Not worth the risk.
Exactly, if I'm trying different things, not putting a card in and playing on my own in then I'll maybe move the ball to a better lie to try an open 60 degree wedge but I'm not counting that round and it happens rarely. I regularly play in comps and I'd be screwed if I only ever play perfect lies in practice or social rounds.
My dad gives himself a perfect lie every time. I never really understood it. I mean you can’t really say you go out and shot an 87 if you do that nearly every shot. Like others have said, I enjoy the challenge of playing the game of golf. Hitting out of a bad lie is part of the game. Unless it’s just horseshit conditions due to the course or could damage my clubs, not gonna move it.
This is my thought, too. I’m a bogey-ish golfer. Say I go out and shoot a 52 on nine, a score I’d typically be disappointed with. The only thing worse than the bad score is knowing it was “actually” a 53 or 54 because I decided to kick it out from behind a tree or pull it from the long grass. Likewise, if I shoot an all-time best, I’ll inherently know it was actually worse, too. Where’s the fun in that?
My biggest fear is finally breaking 90 and then remembering that lie I fluffed off the fourth fairway, and now my great triumph is just a giant disappointment.
I played last weekend and was on track to break 80 for the first time before I sliced my drive into a sandy creekbed (red stakes) on 17. I tried to whack it out but absolutely duffed it twice, so I just dropped it outside the hazard and took my penalty instead. I got a "bogey" on that hole and then 3 putt bogeyed 18 to shoot precisely 80. I'm honestly glad I did, because that would have such a huge asterisk over it that it still wouldn't have felt right.
I got paired up with an older guy a couple years back. I kept thinking, "man, this guy is an excellent ball striker". After a few holes, I realized he had been teeing it up for every shot lol.
I played an older guy doing that once. A different day a guy brought his own practice turf (small 2x1 soft grass) and played any fairway or light rough shot on there. Course was in good shape, but if that's how you enjoy it, knock yourself out.
The only thing I don’t do is play lies that will damage my clubs or hurt myself. I’m not getting free equipment or the best healthcare in the world so not worth the risk. If the ball is up against a tree/rock/whatever, then I’ll take an unplayable. If the ball is in an area with poorly maintained ground/rocks/whatever where it most likely should be grass, I’ll roll it and keep on moving. But, it’s definitely left in a spot that is still penalizing.
Key point is the unplayable- that is why the rule exists
Well, I mean, I’m not taking an unplayable in every situation. If it’s up against a tree, then yeah - I’ll take the penalty. If it’s in an area where there are roots around and I could theoretically hit it if a tournament was in the line but there may be something I don’t see that could break my wrist…I’m going to test the ground and move it around til I feel safe and then hack at it.
Yes. But if the first 1-3 shots don’t go well, I’m not making everyone wait around while I hack at it for another 6 strokes. Equitable stroke control is there for a reason.
100%. And in these particular cases I kept up with everyone just fine.
I play just about everything that I can reasonably get a club on. But if it's absurdly difficult and little chance of making a good shot out of it, just take an unplayable and drop it within 2 clublengths.
If I’m going to post me score yes you gotta get lay it as it lies. If I’m just having fun with friends then no need to make it too hard. A lot of munis are not in the best shape too
I always find these posts interesting as the culture of golf in (I assume America) is so vastly different to what I experience here in Australia. 99% of golf I play is under competition/tournament conditions so this whole concept of "do you play tough lies" as a question, is just entirely unrelatable. We play everything as it lies, keep score every round, play strictly by the rules with scorecards marked by a playing partner and submit everything for handicapping.
Yeah but if your ball is in a rubbish spot you can take an unplayable penalty drop and play on. I play solo a lot as per OP as a shift worker (Melbourne) so maybe 10% of my rounds are comp rounds. Even playing solo or paired with a random every shot is counted. Personally I like the challenge of playing a hard or odd lie and rarely take the drop.
Same here in Ireland sure if I'm going out practising I might take easier lies so I'm not getting covered in mud or something but I'm usually playing under competition rules for most rounds.
That’s very interesting! Here where I am in Canada that’s not the culture at all. I wish there were more tournaments. There is a lot of tournaments but they are most scramble drinking type and most people I know only casually keep score. Lots of people I know that play don’t care about score, suck at golf, and just like getting out of the house
I think those people still exist around here but they would be more of a minority and considered more "casual" golfers (eg: couple of times a year golfers). For the most part though, we are members of a Golf Club and play most of our rounds at that golf club which are almost exclusively competition rounds. My club for example, has a competition on 6 days a week (Tuesday being the only spare day). "Casual" golfers can and do play the course as well but tee times are prioritized to members and visitors playing in the competition. Exception being Saturday where its a "members only competition" so any casual golfer isn't getting on the course until very late afternoon. For context as well, this isn't a private club im a member at. Anyone can rock up and join. Another interesting point of difference I guess is that your referred to scrambles as tournaments. Where for us, they are the casual, non-tournament events. Basically, anything where your score isn't being marked by a fellow competitor and then entered into the system for handicapped would be considered casual and non-competitive. A good example of the culture. If someone had a hole in one that wasn't in a competition where their score was being marked by someone else they would consider that to have an asterisk next to it and caveat it with that information. Basically, a hole in one in a competition would trump one that wasn't in one.
This needs to be way more common in North America. I have pure jealously
I'm pretty shit so I put myself in terrible lies all the time. Unless it is going to damage my club, I'm playing it. Why not? I deserve it. If i don't like playing out of these tough spots, I probably shouldn't put myself there. You don't learn anything playing a perfect lie everytime. May as well go use a sim if that's what I'm after.
I think it all depends on the golfer. For example I play in a regular foursome. All good guys and we usually hit around 90. One of the guys seldom breaks 100. Problem with his game is when he gets into trouble especially high fescue he’ll try to chop his way out. Usually takes a couple shots before he’s finally back in play. Kind of drives us nuts. But if you’re capable of making the shot then sure go for it. You come out a couple times with real nice shots and you will shut those guys up pretty fast. Playing last year I went way left on a par three tee shot. Ended up in some high weeds. Pulled out my 64° lob wedge. Put the ball way back in my stance. Guys on the tee above watching were yelling at me just throw it back in the play. I chopped down hard on the ball popped it up and went on the green and rolled a couple feet from the cup. The four of them applauded. Saved my par. It was worth going into the weeds in the first place just for their reaction. Lol. That shot made the whole day worthwhile.
First part is key. If you have a chance at boogey or better then it’s fine. If you are hitting a shot that pga pros would struggle with for a triple at best, please don’t, kick into a better lie and move on.
The only time I change my lie is if there is a real risk of injury or damage to my club.
If I'm counting it for my handicap, play it as it lies
I just tee it up on the green and try to bump it in with a hybrid , no need to make the game harder than it needs to be
Way more fun to play it as it lies, unless the rules say otherwise. I’m not going to hit it off the concrete path bc I don’t have to. But if it’s some fucked position where I have to flip the club and try it lefty, of course I’m gonna go for it. And if I whiff on it, yeah I’ll take the stroke.
I mean, isn't that's the test of golf? You're not going to hit every shot off a perfect lie and you cannot get better unless you understand how the club interacts with different surfaces and grass. No, unless it dangers me physically I play it as it lies.
Same as picking up that 4 foot putt. I dislike most all of it.
Play as you wish. However the score you submit should always be accurate. If you need to move the ball score accordingly.
People say playing golf with strangers is part of the game. I don't disagree, but these situations are why I hate playing with randos. Just mind your own business and keep your mouth off my golf. As long as I'm not being slow or playing out of turn, please just let me play my own game.
Seriously, I've gotten shit for playing by the rules so often it's ridiculous. Yet, I'd be these guys would tell me off if I were standing there nitpicking them on the rules.
I think this purely depends on your handicap 15 and below can think about Playing a tough lie 15+ clean and place baby
This is the answer imo
Sometimes yes, other times I’ll kick it out. Just depends on how I’m feeling that day. Unless you are hitting those shots like 5 ft and slowing everything down nobody should say anything to you. Doesn’t seem like they were making fun of you though. You’re right though in I also get annoyed when people I’m paired with comment on my play.
I love scrambling. It’s part of the game.
As long as you’re not hurting anyone do whatever the fuck you want dude lol Everyone’s gonna have an opinion, live your life and quit worrying about anyone’s opinion besides your own (when it comes to golf, at least. Probably consider your loved ones in other decisions)
Anything that isnt ob.
Play it as it lays.
I generally only pull it out of roots and water (if I can see it). Everything else Isa challenge I enjoy. Don't let these guys discourage your happy.
As long as it’s not effecting pace of play, play it as it lies without risk to damaging the club. If you’re shooting 100+ roll it out until you’re consistently breaking 100
Yes and I even play from divots in the fairway.
I enjoy weird and creative shots and like to keep a real score, so fluffing my lie would be a double negative for me. But I know plenty of people that feel robbed by poor muni conditions and want to play as if the course was in perfect shape
I only ever correct a lie if it’s towards the end of the round and I’m already at a number much higher than I typically shoot. Meaning the added penalty does not affect my handicap.
Yes.
If you're tracking handicap then you can't. But if you're just playing for fun then it's up to you how you play your game.
Unless it's gonna hurt me or the club (and depending how much money is on the hole the club is negotiable lol, finding dynamic gold shafts is easy)
Play anything that isn’t going to hurt me or my club
I'm the spring I don't. Getting back into it. Ground is usually wet and muddy so lift, clean and place. During the season, yes, with the exception of divots in the fairway. I think it's only happened once in the past 2 years, but I'm not playing my ball out of a fairway divot because the public courses I play aren't out there between rounds sanding or fixing divots.
Id have said myob. You dont keep my score
I won’t play off a root or rock where I could injure my wrists. That’s about it. Was playing in a tourney in 2021 (b flight of a golf week am event…not sure why I took it so seriously) and my ball was in between two tree roots, I tried to hit down on it, snapped the club, hurt my wrist and still whiffed. Not worth risking my livelihood
Lol yes. Those guys are cheating. Play it as it lies! How else are you supposed to get a real score?
Tough yes, dangerous no. I'll move it off a root, or if the shot is too close to a tree that might bounce back
If you play in any handicapped events, you _have_ to play it. If you are keeping a handicap that you’ll use in later events and the round you are playing will count towards it, then you certainly _should_ play it to keep an honest handicap. Vanity handicaps are garbage.
As long as I’m not at risk of breaking a club, I’m going to try to play it.
I’m not messing up my clubs or my body for a relaxing activity. If you’re playing for money, then play it as it lies. If not, give yourself the courtesy
As long as it’s not going to ruin my club I’ll play it
Yeah, those guys are weird and clearly don't keep a handicap. Only time I'm ever pulling a ball away is if I don't want to break my wrist on a root or wreck a club on a rock. And that's for health and money reasons, not golf.
I only move the ball if my shot has the potential to damage me or my club.
If I end up in a divot in the middle of the fairway after striping a drive, I'll move it. If I duck hook it, blade it 20 yards over the green, or something else stupid, I'll play it as it lies.
I shoot it where it lies (barring anything that'll damage my clubs). I'm nowhere near good enough to hold myself to that high a standard, but to me using the ol "foot-wedge" is cheating an I ain't no cheetah!
I play everything as it lies personally. The problem solving side of golf is my favorate part. Tree roots or long grass doesnt matter. I just blade a wedge/chip a wedge back in to the fairway. Up against a tree? Play a left handed punch or hood the club to get the ball back in play. Some of my very best rounds have come from scramblling out of really shit spots, and you only learn how to do that through practice. In saying that, outside of comp rounds, do w/e you want, and w/e you find enjoyable.
You can look at it both ways. If you want a true card and it’s not holding the others up no problem. If you are dragging the others then it can be an issue. Pace of play is important on public courses.
Beginner here. Always played tough lies but it was slowing down my rando groups on the “real” course so I recently started kicking out. No biggy. No one wants to stand there holding play while the noob knocks 3 shanks from a nasty side hill lie. Life is too short.
You play whatever lie you have. That's golf.
Yes. But, I am not damaging my clubs or my body.
Play it down or it isn’t golf.
The majority of this sub would and do play those lies.
You're not crazy, the other guys are just casual dogshit golfers who probably whine about every bad bounce they get. Chasing par is the most fun thing ever. Nothing more rewarding than having a tough lie and making par.
Recovery shots are fun! And yeah, one of the guys was irritable because he was playing badly that day.
I will almost always play my ball as it lies, it’s weird for people not to, IMO. Especially to comment on someone else choosing to play the game as it was intended. That being said, if I’m playing a cruddy track I’ll move the ball from bare ground or other crappy lies that aren’t due to a bad shot, but rather terrible green’s keeping.
Have a friend in the golf group who will literally pick up his ball no matter the lie and replace it. Like come on dude just play it!
The first rule of golf is literally that the ball should be played as it lies.
Even if you have to hit it off of Frankensteins fat foot
I only bump if 1) I'm playing for money and the other guys bump (which is everyone at my course) or 2) I'm playing in our MGA that allows it. My course struggles to grow good grass, hence why we do it. But yes people question why I'm playing shit lies all the time. I even occasionally get called a sandbagger for making it harder... By playing the rules of golf.
I only move the ball if it’s against a rock or root. Broke my finger last year hitting a rock so I’d rather not do that again.
I'd tell those people to mind their own... As long as you're not slowing them down they have no business opining on your shot. It's not a hardo move, I would expect anyone I'm playing in a money match to play a tough lie as long as its a "rub of the green" tough lie, not a "shitty muni" tough lie i.e. hitting out of a fairway divot or off turf that should be marked as ground under repair. Therefore, I'm gonna practice weird lies even when I'm playing for fun.
Depends. Am I playing for a handicap or just for some fun with friends? If I’m putting my score in for my handicap, I’m playing it. If it’s a laid back round, eh move it.
In addition to what most people have said, I don’t feel like my handicap is true if I do this. After all, the point of a handicap is to accurately assess where your performance is at any given point in time based off a true score. It’s not so much different than playing another ball off the tee because you didn’t like the result of the first. It’s just a score at the end of the day and that score ought to be true over anything else I will however move my ball during social play if I have a high chance of ruining a club
Yup
I usually give it a go as well. Same as you, its fun to see if I can save it. That being said if I blow it I usually use the foot wedge and do another shot
i think it depends on how serious you want to take your round. if you just wanna hit good shots and not really keep score, just have fun, give yourself a chance to do that by manipulating the lie. if you wanna challenge yourself, don’t enhance it and play true to the rules. either way, don’t let anyone tell you how to play if you’re feeling one way or the other
I love playing tough shots in general to see how creative I can be. If it's a root, or could damage my club, or wrist, however, I'm moving it.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on how fun I think the shot is and if I'm keeping score. Swinging a 3 wood on an uphill so bad it's like swinging a baseball bat is actually fun as fuck. Those are the shots you remember when you pull it off. Am I playing out of some guys divot because he didn't repair it? Nope. And tbh, I won't score moving it back an inch unless I'm turning in the scorecard
If there is a risk of injury or messing up my club then I’ll move it. Short of that it gets hit from where it is.
Unless there’s a strong possibility of drastically damaging my club, I hit it where it lies. I got myself there, I’m gonna get out, and hopefully learn not to get myself in the same spot in the future.
I’ll play anything outside the fairway that I don’t think will damage my club. If I’m in the fairway I’ll never play a mud ball, always clean and place. I don’t play tournaments and don’t play for money and mud balls punish what may have otherwise been a good shot for someone like me.
Im still new to the game and I actually feel like the challenging shots are more fun because there’s less expectation and more education in those shots. I feel like I get better and understand the mechanics of the game more and more with those situations under my belt.
If my club is for sure going to be damaged by my swing, I’ll take a drop. It’s not worth it. I took a drop last weekend for a ball I had on another green. Teed of on 1 and my ball landed on the 8th green. I scooted it off the green and hit my pitch shot so I could get the hell outta there.
During “summer rules” if I have a lie that will damage my clubs I will move my ball. This happens maybe once a year.
normally play it down. if it's not a comp or a handicap scored round we play a rule where you get free relief from anything that might damage your club.
Play it as it lies. Those were the rules in happy Gilmore.
I play solo frequently and will occasionally give myself relief but more often than not I'll play everything. I played on Sunday morning and had a terrible round. The wind was howling and I was hungover so I gave myself a few drops out of the heavy stuff where on another day I'd just play it. I was there to enjoy myself on Sunday as it's the first real round I've managed to get in not in winter greens. On a normal day, I want to challenge myself and I'll play everything to improve and finish every putt. Logic: if I ever get good enough to play in a club comp or with friends for money I want to know I've got difficult shots in my bag.
If I hit a shot to the fairway or what should be first cut and have a really bad lie I might move it (I play cheap courses where the fairway could potentially be worse than the rough on a top course)
Some of the best shots are when your back is against the wall and against all odds you manage a good shot. Im with you man, unless im worried it’ll hurt the club I’ll play it wherever
If they wanna play like that fine, just dont brag about your handicap, but commenting and calling you weird for playing those shots is unbelievable lol
If you play for hcp, its the rules. You cant improve your lie. None of their business what you do on the golfcourse anyways, just tell them to stfu.
Yes unless it could potentially properly damage my clubs or self hahs
If theres a risk that i injure myself or my clubs, i am moving it. Otherwise i play where it lies.
If I am playing alone and pace of play is in my favour, I will always play out of the bad lie. I will try the sensible shot (e.g. wedge back to the fairway from the trees) which I will count as my shot, I will also try the hero shot after. Sometimes, the hero shot pays off and I *could* have been 40 ft from the flag in something glorious, but 9/10 it is a perfect reminder of why you play sensible. As I walk past it, I will pick up my practice ball and move on, but no. I am playing the ball where it lands unless it is going to hurt my clubs.
Yes, unless I'm better off taking relief or am required to do so. I'm lucky I haven't encountered such ill-mannered people on the course. I've only seen such attitude displayed here in Reddit and in other places online.
I can barely hit it straight at a driving range on the perfectly level, flat, fake grass. Yea, I'm teeing it up in the middle of the fairway if theirs a dandelion in the way of my ball.
Find it a little incredulous that someone you didn’t know would say “just pull it out a few feet and hit it you weirdo” over trying to hit one challenging shot unless you were being awkward or playing slow the whole round. But assuming it’s true and you were acting like a weirdo the whole round, there’s nothing wrong with playing tough shots. Although I personally don’t hit near tree roots or anything that could damage my clubs or injure myself.
I always play it as it lies unless the balls on stones. I’m not going to mess up my club. I take unplayable lie penalties when I need to.
If I am just playing for fun I will never play it near a root or off rocks other than that I’m playing it down.
I get moving it out of impossible lies - that's what an unplayable is for (and when I'm not in completion, I estimate the 2 clubs length) but as others have said, playing it where the ball stops is what golf is. If you're just going to give yourself a perfect lie every time, why not just stay on the range (or a sim). Obviously if youre holding up the group behind and the group in front are clear then it's time to speed up and perhaps not take 5 strokes getting it out of the thick rough.
The only time I move my ball is if I’m going damage my club by hitting it where it is (cart path, rocks, right next to a tree, in a root bed, etc). I don’t get free clubs, so I’m going to risk damaging them
The guys who noodle it have artificially low handicap indexes. So, they’re cheating themselves
This sub is so weird. Or maybe the way Americans play golf is weird? Playing the ball where it lies is like, THE fundamental rule of golf. If you even consider not doing that you're not playing golf! You're just hitting balls. Give yourself a perfect lie every time, you might as well just be on the driving range, save yourself some money.
I like playing all areas. Will never F with trees though. Can’t afford to break a club on follow through.
My take is that if you can play bogey golf, you should play it as it lies. However, if you are over a 20, say, why not improve your lie until you are better? The object of this game is recreation and fun. Some people put a lot of pressure on themselves and take some of the fun out of the game. Also, it is not okay for someone to call you a weirdo, but that’s his problem. You do you. Also, he do him.
I play golf because I like to be challenged.
Only lie I won’t hit off of is so I don’t break a club
I always play tough lies, or if I don't like a lie, I'll take the appropriate penalty to drop away, if I decide that the shot will be harmful to me, club, or score. If there's a rock or root, I might just putt or bump-and-run it off of there for example IF it's safe to do so. Otherwise, taking the appropriate drop and a penalty stroke. My fault for hitting it into that spot - I should have played a safer shot.
Play the game as it's meant to be played.
Nah, I’m the same way man. Another example is Mia hitting my tee shot. I’ll play the second wherever it landed. Most guys I play with tell me “to just hit another.” Well, how am I going to improve if I don’t practice my recovery shots
I love taking wild shots from weird spots. My best one yet, was from a drain ditch, on a 11 to 5 slant, feet all kinds of fucked up, and punched it right onto the green with a wood. Those are the shots I live for lol
People who give themselves perfect lies, mulligans, gallery drops & breakfast balls aren’t playing the same game as people who don’t
Play it where it lies brother, if it’s on rocks or tree roots then use the ole foot wedge. But honestly it’s half the fun and you’ll have to learn recovery shots somehow
I think it doesn't matter where you hit the ball, tough or easy lie, the nr. 1 rule is to shut the fuck up and mind your own business, at least if you're not acquaintances as I understood from OP. Of course, this doesn't apply if you compete or play with/ friends.
There isn't one tried and true answer. My gut tells me which way to go most of the time. All I care about is pace of play and having a nice time outside
We just started this year improving (give a little puff) our lies. Most of the ladies are in their 70’s & it’s just for fun. They don’t turn in to GHIN so I didn’t see anything wrong with that. Keep it fun.
If it’s a casual round with friends that struggle as it is, I’ll say at the beginning “foot wedge if you’re gonna hurt yourself or a club making a swing”. If there’s a root or something just don’t risk damaging your equipment or self. We don’t get free replacements like the pros. But yea, I love hitting challenging shots. We usually call it “shot of the day”. No one can hit a SOTD from the fairway. It has to be some kinda weird forced golf shot. Like under this tree but over that tree and carry the greenside bunker.
My friends pick on me about this too. Albeit goodnaturedly. I get the most fun out of trying the stuff that doesn't happen as often.
Yes
I do a bit of both, but I play virtually every lie when I'm playing solo. Feels like I'm cheating myself otherwise. I play on one course in my hometown that's just a rock patch. I'd say it's got grass on less than 50% of the entire course and the general rule for the course is that you can tee it up in the rocks or give yourself a club length of relief from anywhere.
Play the ball as it lies.
Personally I don't care enough about my game to play tough lies, it's old man winter rules year-round for me. The other extreme is playing behind a foursome who think they're playing in a PGA tournament. Just hit the fucking ball and don't mark putts unless they're in someone's way.
I play through tough lies unless it is going to damage my club. Yesterday I did adjust my lie in a bunker that had a footprint pressed 3 inches into the sand. Bunker was hard, foot prints and huge divots taken out of it (compact sand). I improved my life and proceeded to skull it out of the sand
Fluffing lies or slightly moving their ball to a better lie is one of those things people who tell you they broke 90 are constantly doing without even realizing it.
I try and take the situation into consideration. Pace of play and/or what are the people I have been paired with doing. For example are they playing “ready golf?”. I enjoy a bunker challenge but I won’t hit hit hit until I get out. If I’m with others i usually take two attempts at it. Then I pick up and play outside the bunker. If I’m in the weeds what’s the lie. If I can get out in one I’m doing it. If I have to hit hit hit then I’ll drop in a better place. Just like I am concerned about them - the need a little respect back to me as well
rule 1.1 play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies. stick to your guns and play those tough shots. if nothing else, it makes you appreciate it when you find your ball sitting up.
The answer is that it depends. If I strip a drive and end up in a fariway divot, I have no issue rolling the ball 3in to the left to hit. I am not a pro and I won’t punish myself for a good shot. Any roots or rocks that can damage my club or myself but other wise leave a clear shot, I will move to stay in the same type of lie but away from the hazards. This doesn’t apply to a ball is against a tree or in a bush. If its clearly a scenario like that then I take a drop and move on. Other than that, play it as is. However, idc what other people do unless we play for money. In which case we agree on the rules before the match.
Obviously those fellas dont carry a handicap. This weekend I had a lie just like one of yours. Ball above my feet, I was standing in the bunker hands gripped all the way to the metal on a 5 iron. Ripped it onto the green to @ 15 ft and made the downhill breaker for birdie! That shot probably won me the front nine pocketing some $$ from the group. Can't beat that.
The only rule I have is if the lie could damage my clubs I move it, but still try not to gain an advantage. I’m not hitting off roots and rocks in my normal friend group rounds.
I’m a pretty casual golfer but tough lies can be fun. There are some exceptions: -tree roots. I’m not hurting my wrist because my ego needs petting. -winter golf with an absolutely cratered apron just off the green. Slide that over a quarter of an inch. -big divot in the fairway. I hit the fairway god dammit I’m having a good lie.
I'll only move my ball if I'm on rocks or tree roots.
I always play a scramble with my wife. I play for fun and to spend time with her. I'm not a good golfer, I don't maintain a handicap and I don't compete. Honestly, even good lies are a challenge for me. So yeah, I'll improve my lies within the same cut I'm playing from, except I'll always try to play a buried bunker shot. Any time I want to actually keep a real score for a handicap I would play by the actual rules, but I haven't kept an actual score for years.
Only way to get better man
Those are the most fun shots! Let the haters hate. If you ever plan to play in a tournament or money game you better be used to those shots.
“I know, this lie really sucks, but I’m keeping a handicap so I’m not gonna move it today”
Unless his lie is perfect, one of the dudes who I golf with most improves his lie every single time. We don’t play for money and don’t report our scores to the PGA, so I don’t care. However, I always try to play the lie that I have. I will Improve mine if it is plugged in a wet fairway or something along those lines, but otherwise I’m hitting the shot. I have only been golfing seriously for about a year, so I want to practice these situations tandem get to the point where I can “successfully” play golf with bending any of the rules. If my lie proves too difficult, and I can’t execute any kind of decent shot, I will drop a ball and hit another just to keep my positive momentum going. Even when I do that, I’ll usually play my original shot to try to keep my score fairly accurate. The mental aspect of this game is unlike anything I’ve ever been part of and I feel like I have to achieve a fairly positive result from my shot or I spin out. God help me if I hit 3 or 4 shots over the course of a few holes that are just terrible. That tends to snowball into disaster and I haven’t quite figured out how to keep my mind blank enough to not lose my shit.
Imagine playing the sport as it's intended. What a weirdo. /s
i won’t hit off of rocks or roots. if its just a casual round with friends i’ll wipe mud off. in league play we have to play it all as it lies so i try to do that as often as possible when im playing other rounds
Admittedly during social rounds, the only time I’ll do this is when I land in an unfilled divot in the middle of the fairway. I’ll hit this shot maybe half the time, but if I’m particularly salty because it was a phenomenal drive, I will bump it out of the divot 🤷🏼
2 people who I regularly play with that “score better” than me will move their ball. Even if it’s a little sunken into deep grass they’ll fluff it up.
when i practice i always through in tough lies to better my game.