To roll or not to roll...

[dhayse32]

Curious on everyone's thoughts on rolling the ball.  I don't mean excessively or anything, just you basic winter rules roll (in the summer of course).  Courses I play on are not PGA caliber, there are often weird ruts, large grass areas, crappy bunkers etc... 

 

What is your stance on this?  Do you "frown" on those that do/don't? 

[Jmikecpa]

I play it as it lies unless we are playing winter rules at my club.  I don't care what others do unless we are playing a money match then we are playing it down.  I really have no issue if a higher handicap rolls the ball so they can hit quality shots as it makes the game more enjoyable for them.

[fozcycle]

The Weekly Saturday Game at my club (Pebble Creek) voted to roll it this past year due to the large number of un-repared divots and the wet fairways.  However, I usually play it down and do not roll it.  I know that gives the others an advantage, but I still would rather play it down....I guess I like the challenge.

[DaveP043]

We play it down pretty much all year, unless conditions get really wet.  That said, we have pretty good conditions most of the time.  I've gotten so that I feel uncomfortable rolling the ball, even in a scramble.  

[Bogey in The Woods]

I will roll it if it is in a horrid spot. I dont mean burried in rough, i mean horrid. 

 

Prime example, last week at ColaVista: the rains the previous night had runoff into a bunker. The water flow created a cavern right UNDER the lip of the bunker. I could have tried to dig it out and into the bunker with a shot, but just didnt see anything to gain from trying to play subterranean golf. I picked the ball and set it on the edge of the cavern and let it roll into the bunker. I played that shot like I would any bunker shot.

 

Like Jmikecpa said, I carry a 20 and didnt see any fun or learning from trying to make that shot...... so i rolled it.  

[Kenny B]

My practice course could be considered ground under repair... all the time!  There is also no rough off the fairways, just dirt, weeds and rocks.  When I play here, the ball gets moved all the time because I am really only out the have a good time and work on specific shots.  I will not damage clubs for the sake of golf rules when there is absolutely no reason to do so.  This is why I do not really post scores here.  

 

Any other course, either local or when I travel, gets played by the rules.  "Winter Rules" are applied locally after the GHIN score posting is closed for the season.

[PlaidJacket]

We play it down during golf season. That is after the fairways and rough have filled in nicely. During the dead of winter and early spring we move it. Of course I'm talking about non-tournament play.

[Kor.A.Door]

I had to vote for play it down, I particularly don't like to play it down all the time, first, we don't play on your level courses, although nice, they aren't prestinely maintained, second, there are. 2 times I feelthere should be a rule for amateurs in the rule book so we can all use it, in a divot that is in the fairway, the other is when you are in a foot print in the bunker, you get screwed in the bunker because of someone else's laziness, I feel you should be able to pick up the ball rake the area and place the ball back, the divot in the fairway is self explanatory.

[fozcycle]

I had to vote for play it down, I particularly don't like to play it down all the time, first, we don't play on your level courses, although nice, they aren't prestinely maintained, second, there are. 2 times I feelthere should be a rule for amateurs in the rule book so we can all use it, in a divot that is in the fairway, the other is when you are in a foot print in the bunker, you get screwed in the bunker because of someone else's laziness, I feel you should be able to pick up the ball rake the area and place the ball back, the divot in the fairway is self explanatory.

 

I'm with you Kor,a,door!  

[Undershooter]

I voted situationally. If it's a tourney, money game or means anything at all I'm playing it down of course. But if I'm just screwing around with the guys or having fun I will pull it out of a divot or something. Its played down most of the time though.

[revkev]

I prefer to play it down and of course always do in competition - generally the games I play in our reasonable and clear when lift, clean and place is in play - if it's cart path only, it's lift clean and place.

 

I don't get why the USGA hasn't done something about the divot in the fairway rule although I do so how it could become difficult when there are older divots that are almost repaired.  It just seems like there should be something. 

[Kenny B]

The divot probably gets the most votes as far as a rule change.  It's completely different for pros and amateurs.  When pros play, divots are usually replaced or sand-filled each day.  Maybe that happens at the really nice CC's, but that doesn't happen much on the courses that I play.  Consequently, it becomes a "penalty stroke" for me when I land in a divot created by someone with a 100+ mph swing using irons that are 2* upright; big deep divot!  All I can do is punch out of it.  It just doesn't seem right that I should be penalized for hitting a shot down the middle of the fairway.  But that's the way it's been for hundreds of years, so as long as everyone plays by the same rules, it's golf!  

 

My issue is when I play in a game; one time everyone plays it down and then another time people are bumping the ball.  Each time I play in a game, I have to ask what the rules of the day are because they keep changing.  Maybe that's one of the differences between a muni and a CC?

[dhayse32]

Great stuff here guys and also kudos for being about to talk about this without getting ripped by the "experts" on some other forums! 

 

My home course is basically a recovering cow pasture.  It has greatly improved but there are places where we use exceptions.  One is in the bunkers, which is they haven't been raked that day we allow a lift-rake-replace.  Also, lots of fieldstone up around me.  I am not ruining clubs. Money games/tourneys/etc... completely agree to play it down!

[mizuno_lover]

I have learned a new piece of golfing terminology with this poll and thread.  "Rolling" and "playing it down" were terms that I was completely unfamiliar with.  We simply call it playing it as it lies and preferred lies.

 

As to what I do, the vast majority of my golf is played in competition and for handicapping purposes so I am bound by the course rules.  My home club is a private club and we pretty much play it as it lies all year round unless it is a scramble or there is some ground under repair and most people are diligent when it comes to filling in their divots with sand and raking bunkers.  My Wednesday club plays at a lot of public course where the reverse is true so we play preferred lies through the green on fairways and in bunkers.  When we play at private courses we play it as it lies.

 

I must admit before I joined a private course I used to prefer my lies but since I joined my club I play it as it lies and I found it improved my game out of sight and I am much more able to handle whatever I am faced with in competition.  Not having a crack at anyone because I believe it is as much about fun as anything and if you aren't having fun why would you bother

[mizuno_lover]

Yes dhayse32 that is also what I love about this place the discussion is civilised and your opinion is valued as much as anyone's and you can put your opinion forward with out the  fear of getting the arse ripped out of your pants just for having an opinion.  Probably the best forum I've ever been on since I discovered the internet.

[Fireinthehole]

I play it as it lies unless it's winter rules. Considering the average age is 70 here at my course the average divot isn't too big and most get sanded daily.

 

I'm with mizunolover I've never heard of rolling the ball just playing it as it lies haha.

 

I tell all my playing partners to move it out of any rocky or rooted areas. No sense in ruining a club or worse hurting yourself. I myself will play it as it lies because I just keep it low and move out of danger. No hero attempts.

[kfilly20]

 Nothing worse than a rule nazi (within reason obviously) ... Golf is meant to be fun. If you nail a great drive there is nothing worse than it ending up in some BS hole or on a sprinkler head or something. I live and let live, do what you gotta do to make the game more fun for you. I prefer to play it as it lies because I like a challenge but I can totally understand someone wanting to not deal with it.

[mizuno_lover]

Do you ever have days when you just want to throw your lap top out the window.  My Broadband keeps dropping out and I tried about 10 times to like a post kfilly's actually and them the website tells me there was a problem storing the vote

[MattF]

I voted situational. I always try to play it as it lies, but I'm not Phil so I'm not hitting my ball off the cart path.

[sp0rtsfan86]

In NJ it's play it as it lies. I've swung against roots, bunker edges, in water... you name it. Down in Arizona the course we have is constant winter rules. I roll everything on the green stuff... mostly so I don't mess up my ball mark for putting. In the rough, it's also play it as it lies, unless it's in rocks where I don't want my club to get screwed up. I've even hit from spots where I should get free drops to make up for my rolling.

 

 I have to vote situational, because I do both, however when push comes to shove, I always prefer to play it as it lies...even if it's from a divot. there's nothing better than hitting out of a divot and making a great shot when you got unlucky to start with. 

 

all those that talk about sprinkler heads and cart paths... you do know it's a free drop nearby. That doesn't count for a roll in my book, but rather allowing yourself a break from bad luck. 

[sp0rtsfan86]

Also footprints in the sand are the worst. I've gotten pseudo fried egg lies from them. Depending on the situation and how deep the footprint is, sometimes I will give myself the easier shot but if it's not too deep, I don't mind hitting out of a footprint. The amateur vs pro and tournament vs GHIN round probably should be changed for the reasons we all noted. Not all courses are maintained, and for some of us that leads to really unfortunate and crappy situations.