Hit Down Dammit! Golf Instruction

The Rules are the Rules

I played in a friendly match play event yesterday against another teaching pro from Seattle. Very nice guy and hits the ball a mile. But. More than once he commented on the rules. That he is a stickler for the rules, that he plays by the rules, that he doesn't like it when others don't play by the rules. He went on about a charity event he was in not long ago that featured a big hole-in-one contest. For thousands of dollars, or a new car, or a date with Natalie Gulbis, I don't remember.

I just remember he was equally enthralled with Natalie as he was the rules. But I digress. He was quite annoyed at the fact that a player in his group asked the rest of the group what clubs they hit on this particular par 3 with the contest. The act of asking what club another player used is known as "clubbing" and is, technically, illegal. (Mind you, it is not illegal to ask a teammate what club they used. Often these charity events feature four-person teams but I didn't get a chance to interrupt to find out.) Our pro was indignant that this fellow would stoop to this in order to gain an advantage in the hopes of making an elusive hole-in-one and win that date with Natalie Gulbis. Or was it Paris Hilton? I don't remember.

So he confronted him. This always makes for interesting personality dynamics on the golf course. The "offender' replied that our pro had been telling his girlfriend what club to hit all round long, including this hole. Pro's response was that was different, as she is a beginner. The question I ask is, is it?

The message I am hearing here is it is okay to cheat in certain situations, but not in others. That some people can cheat justifiably, and others not. I am a big believer in the saying "live by the sword, die by the sword". Or don't carry a sword. Is it reasonable to tell a beginner what club to hit when he or she is playing, in order to help them learn? Absolutely. I would. But, in so doing, I would not call another player on what he or she is doing.

Rules are rules are rules, and if you claim to be a rules stickler, stickle to them. Or be quiet. Play your own game, and let other matters take care of themselves. And most importantly, if you are going to claim to be a rules stickler, make sure you know the rules. This particular rules stickler broke the rules blatantly in at least two different situations in my match with him. As the match was a "friendly" and the rules violations did not alter the outcome, I remained quiet. But the violations did not help his credibility with respect to stickling.

Finally, going back to the actual incident in question, the pro's stance was that his girlfriend did not stand a chance of making a hole-in-one given her beginner status, and was therefore exempt from the rules. Interesting to note, however, that most holes-in-one come at the hands of beginners and high handicappers. You may ask why. The chances of a ball going in the hole go up dramatically when the ball is down and rolling (an important tidbit to remember when chipping).

Many beginners and high handicappers hit the ball along the ground (because they do not yet know how to hit down). Therefore they are more likely, when they hit a par 3, to have their ball low and rolling when they do so, and presto, "accidental" hole-in-one. A more accomplished player hits the ball in the air, and when it hits the green it bounces or sits, lessening the chance of rolling in. Sure we see holes-in-one on the PGA Tour often enough, but when we relate them to the sheer volume of rounds those players play, there really aren't a lot of holes-in-one in relation to opportunities.

(Ben Hogan, one of the greatest ball strikers of all time, was asked why he never made a hole-in-one. He replied that he never aimed for the hole. He aimed for the most opportune spot to putt from.) 

So, bottom line, know your rules. Second to bottom line, make sure you are beyond reproach if you are going to call another player on the rules. Now that's a good rule.