Debate: Golfers Don't Deserve Free Relief from Fairway Divots

[GolferXY]

You know, every time I read that title I think of the line in "Unforgiven".

Little Bill, looking up at the business end of a double barrell shotgun:  "I don't deserve this"

William Munny, pointing said shotgun: "Deserve's got nuthin' to do with it".

[Imp]

On 5/10/2024 at 9:59 AM, DaveP043 said:

I wouldn't say that these Local Rules are in effect in "most" jurisdictions, I simply don't know, and I'm pretty sure you don't either.  E-2 and E-3 are specifically intended to be used sparingly, and in my experience that's how its used in my region.

Allow me to re-phrase: For committees that implement MLR E2/E3 when necessary, most jurisdictions will allow the posting of the score for handicapping purposes. That was the intent of my original message, but I can understand how it can be read multiple ways.

[Imp]

On 5/11/2024 at 3:40 AM, GolferXY said:

The game is not merely hard.  It is diabolical!  I swear it was invented just so we could laugh at each other over a shot of whiskey.

"A" shot? Singular? Oh, dear boy...

[Javs]

Golf isn’t always fair. Take the good and the bad. Have any of you seen this shot and result? Prime example of nicely struck shot and bad result.

 

[Stuka44]

On 5/10/2024 at 9:04 AM, sman3115 said:

This is such a good argument.  And coming from someone who is still bitter that I had to play out of a monster divot in a greenside bunker on 11 last night that cost me a hole in my match I agree with you 100%.  Thank you for nicely raking where you were standing, oh BTW you are also supposed to rake where you dug your ball out and your footprints walking into the bunker.

Honestly this all stems from what I've argued in other threads is these people who think everyone needs to play by the same exact rules and there cannot be different variations of rules based on the level of competition.  The general public does not have the same level of course maintenance a Tour stop or a high-end country club does.  Divots go unrepaired, bunkers go ungroomed or even sans-sand.... obvious GIR doesn't get marked, etc.  You are lucky if the grounds crew can keep up with mowing and watering.  Let's get real, its barely the same game.  Take it out of the divot.

This is my own opinion, but lets not forget balls lost in play(not in pond or OB), that is a rule that,  to the level of "statistical insignificance" doesn't apply to professionals, because fans or marshals find their balls for them.   "Hey you're not a professional, so because of that, you deserve to have to take a penalty stroke, for the blind tee shot over the hill, with no OB, or water within 3 miles, into rough 12 inches deep, because it hasn't been able to be mowed yet, and its the end of May."

It's fair because we only really care about the professionals, and we expect everyone who wishes to participate in our game who is not a professional, to blindly follow our rules, and consider yourself less deserving, because we the people who make the rules already believe this.

[DaveP043]

7 minutes ago, Stuka44 said:

It's fair because we only really care about the professionals, and we expect everyone who wishes to participate in our game who is not a professional, to blindly follow our rules, and consider yourself less deserving, because we the people who make the rules already believe this.

In spite of this diatribe, I challenge you to come up with a set of rules for us "common folk" that can be consistently enforced across all but the highest levels of golf, but which don't completely compromise the basic principles of golf.  Play the course as you find it, play your ball as it lies.

And to be "fair", I've never said golf is "fair", there are many many situations where you don't get the result that your shot deserves.  Perhaps you can promulgate rules that are more fair, where you discard good breaks and bad alike, and somehow always get what your shot deserves.

[bens197]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. 
 

Golfers should not be penalized for hitting a fairway. 
 

Especially at the expense of someone else’s laziness. 

[chisag]

19 minutes ago, bens197 said:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. 
 

Golfers should not be penalized for hitting a fairway. 
 

Especially at the expense of someone else’s laziness. 

 

... Such an interesting subject and quite frankly I am a little conflicted. I tend to agree with you that a fairway hit with a good drive should not be penalized but I also understand that is the perspective of a spoiled golfer in the USA. Watching The Open and seeing bad bounces on great drives, balls rolling forever and hitting that one bunker after a bad bounce or slopes that takes their drive into the fescue while an errant drive hit some bump in the rough and bounced into the fairway. Home of golf and play it as it lies nobody ever said golf was fair kinda thing. 

... That said, US fairways tend to be much softer and some trenches can be excavated from the fairway and the lazy or selfish or both don't bother to replace their deep divot or fill it with sand. Nothing worse than rolling into the front end of a deep divot with the top half of the ball below the surface and you see several pelts lying in the area where most end up but couldn't be bothered to replace them. We are a product of our own making because most courses here are much more manicured than those in the United Kingdom. I doubt they even have this discussion on sea side links courses. 

 

[downlowkey]

1 hour ago, Stuka44 said:

This is my own opinion, but lets not forget balls lost in play(not in pond or OB), that is a rule that, to the level of "statistical insignificance" doesn't apply to professionals, because fans or marshals find their balls for them.

I think this is the point in the conversation that Tiger would tell you “Then play better”. But that’s just Tiger’s tough love take, so please don’t come at me swinging

Anyway, back on subject, I can clearly recall each of the last 3 divots my ball found; two in the same round in 2017 and the most recent in 2022. All were deep fresh doozies with no sand fill - none of them ruined my day. Because it bears repeating, I play a lot of golf and have to go back 7 years to account for 3 divots.

IMO finding a divot is like getting a flat tire. It’s sort of annoying but doesn’t happen very often and it’s not the end of the world, especially if you’re prepared to deal with the situation. Those overly concerned with fairness pull out their AAA card (or complain to the USGA, sub: Golf Gods). Others, who relish a chance to practice their grit and don’t mind getting their hands dirty, get to work and then go about their day a little more prepared for life. I’m half-assed looking forward to the next opportunity, but I’m also a sicko for a challenge.

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, Stuka44 said:

This is my own opinion, but lets not forget balls lost in play(not in pond or OB), that is a rule that,  to the level of "statistical insignificance" doesn't apply to professionals, because fans or marshals find their balls for them.   "Hey you're not a professional, so because of that, you deserve to have to take a penalty stroke, for the blind tee shot over the hill, with no OB, or water within 3 miles, into rough 12 inches deep, because it hasn't been able to be mowed yet, and its the end of May."

It's fair because we only really care about the professionals, and we expect everyone who wishes to participate in our game who is not a professional, to blindly follow our rules, and consider yourself less deserving, because we the people who make the rules already believe this.

I have people looking for my ball when I play. They watch the ball all the way, help find it when possible and vice versa do the same for them. 
 

The rules of golf apply equally to everyone who plays under them. That’s what’s great about golf, doesn’t matter what level you are at the rules are the same, the equipment is the same.  
 

I never understood the complaining that pga professionals have some advantage because of how their tour runs a tournament. They are putting on a show for their audience. Everything they do is for tv and to put the players and event in the spotlight. It’s all for show. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

In spite of this diatribe, I challenge you to come up with a set of rules for us "common folk" that can be consistently enforced across all but the highest levels of golf, but which don't completely compromise the basic principles of golf.  Play the course as you find it, play your ball as it lies.

And to be "fair", I've never said golf is "fair", there are many many situations where you don't get the result that your shot deserves.  Perhaps you can promulgate rules that are more fair, where you discard good breaks and bad alike, and somehow always get what your shot deserves.

Its easier to claim things aren’t fair and use the so I’m not going to follow their rules when I play and the ones I don’t like need to change to make the game easier for me.

Many times it comes down to the score on the card and people not wanting to sacrifice a stroke or two because of some rule 

[The 300 year old golfer]

Don’t forget, if you take relief from a bad lie in the bunker, a bad lie in the fairway, or a lost ball your score will be lower. So will your handicap. As long as you play with the same people and you all play by the same rules you would be fine. But what happens when you play against people that follow the rules. Their handicap will be higher than yours. You will lose every time because they will not let you take relief and you don’t get as many strokes as they do.

[Stuka44]

On 5/16/2024 at 5:37 PM, bens197 said:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. 

 

On 5/16/2024 at 6:08 PM, downlowkey said:

so please don’t come at me swinging

 

On 5/16/2024 at 7:38 PM, RickyBobby_PR said:

Its easier to claim things aren’t fair and use t

bens197 these are the arguments that are constantly thrown at you in defense of the sacred rules, the unquestioning belief in which,  allows you to think you are a "better" class of golfer than others, but requires that you not EVER acknowledge ANY valid point by ANYONE who questions the rules of the SACRED GAME!   To do this means you become one of the COMMONERS.

This includes as you and I have continually pointed out, the QUALITATIVE, ACTUAL, AND DEFINITIVE  DIFFERENCE, between something that is a RANDOM EVENT, and something that is CAUSED BY(SOMETIMES PURPOSELY)  the  IGNORANCE, INDIFFERNCE, OR MALICIOUSNOUS of another player.  It is pointless to argue with people who cannot acknowledge simple facts.

You notice they argue as if your playing partners from the tee, in any way compare to having a dedicated individual who is given the "sole task", and is there "specifically" to watch, and track your ball.  Or having 50 people to look in the area it comes down.   We can't acknowledge that this is a qualitative difference, which ACTUALLY RENDERS, a ball lost in play, and the rule for taking a stroke because of this, NOT APPLICABLE TO professionals.  Just ignore this FACT, and simply say "PLAY BETTER".

BUT WE'RE ALL PLAYING BY THE SAME RULES.

AND OUR STANCE IS, IF A RULE CAN'T BE PERFECT WE DO NOTHING, AND YOU WILL STICK TO THIS POSITION,  UNDER THREAT OF BEING EXCOMMUNICATED FROM THE ORDER!!

 

[bens197]

5 minutes ago, Stuka44 said:

 

 

bens197 these are the arguments that are constantly thrown at you in defense of the sacred rules, the unquestioning belief in which,  allows you to think you are a "better" class of golfer than others, but requires that you not EVER acknowledge ANY valid point by ANYONE who questions the rules of the SACRED GAME!   To do this means you become one of the COMMONERS.

This includes as you and I have continually pointed out, the QUALITATIVE, ACTUAL, AND DEFINITIVE  DIFFERENCE, between something that is a RANDOM EVENT, and something that is CAUSED BY(SOMETIMES PURPOSELY)  the  IGNORANCE, INDIFFERNCE, OR MALICIOUSNOUS of another player.  It is pointless to argue with people who cannot acknowledge simple facts.

You notice they argue as if your playing partners from the tee, in any way compare to having a dedicated individual who is given the "sole task", and is there "specifically" to watch, and track your ball.  Or having 50 people to look in the area it comes down.   We can't acknowledge that this is a qualitative difference, which ACTUALLY RENDERS, a ball lost in play, and the rule for taking a stroke because of this, NOT APPLICABLE TO professionals.  Just ignore this FACT, and simply say "PLAY BETTER".

BUT WE'RE ALL PLAYING BY THE SAME RULES.

AND OUR STANCE IS, IF A RULE CAN'T BE PERFECT WE DO NOTHING, AND YOU WILL STICK TO THIS POSITION,  UNDER THREAT OF BEING EXCOMMUNICATED FROM THE ORDER!!

 

I follow the rules and understand the integrity…I mean, I was a member of the PGA and played competitive…I get it…

I also understand that if my playing group experiences an event where someone’s ball lands on a root I am telling them to move the ball.  There’s an ethical component where preserving someone’s wrist is more important than the performative display of hitting a ball off an object that could severely injure them…besides, if they’re on a root they’re likely in the woods and that’s penal enough.  

The divot thing is something I just don’t understand.  I won’t insult someone for their beliefs, I’ll just disagree on the principle.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

What percent of shots land in a divot?  1?  Less than 1?  Make mountain out of anthill?

I read one of those caddy books, he compared Tom Watson to Greg Norman.  Norman would moan and groan about his bad luck on a bad break or bad lie, and would sometimes let it affect his game.  Watson would dive right into the challenge, knowing that first, I have the chops to do it; second, it happens to everybody; third, I can do this better than my competitors so I can avoid the usual lost stroke, gain a mental lift for me and a push mental downer onto the other guy. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

14 minutes ago, bens197 said:

I also understand that if my playing group experiences an event where someone’s ball lands on a root I am telling them to move the ball.  There’s an ethical component where preserving someone’s wrist is more important than the performative display of hitting a ball off an object that could severely injure them…besides, if they’re on a root they’re likely in the woods and that’s penal enough.  

Relief is already an option. It’s called an unplayable lie. If they are keeping a handicap then the ethical component is they ply by the rules for that handicap round. If they aren’t keeping a handicap then they can do whatever they want for relief.

If people want to have a good lies in the fairway every time they play they have that option by playing preferred lies per the rulebook.

Its all there for them to use to their advantage 

Edited May 19 by RickyBobby_PR

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, Donn lost in San Diego said:

What percent of shots land in a divot?  1?  Less than 1?  Make mountain out of anthill?

 

Really?  I must really be unlucky!!  Happens to me 2-3 times a round, with most being in layup areas for approaches to the green over water.  Everyone lays up there, but no one repairs their divot.  Maybe that’s just the nature of munis, and the less than 1% occurs at nice country clubs.

[RetiredBoomer]

I understand that internet golf forum readers tend to be more serious players, but I do have a strong feeling about this.

The USGA doesn't pay your dues or your green fees.
The only people who have to approve the rules by which you play are the people with whom you're playing.

If you're turning in your cards for handicap while playing under your own liberalized rules,
the only person you're affecting is yourself.  If you have to play in a formal club event using the real rules, you're getting fewer strokes than you should.

Other than one "member-guest,"
I don't play in ANY of my club's formal events. 
I play with my friends on weekdays. 
We stick pretty close to the rules of golf most of the time--unless we don't.  

 

 

 

[chisag]

2 hours ago, bens197 said:

I follow the rules and understand the integrity…I mean, I was a member of the PGA and played competitive…I get it…

I also understand that if my playing group experiences an event where someone’s ball lands on a root I am telling them to move the ball.  There’s an ethical component where preserving someone’s wrist is more important than the performative display of hitting a ball off an object that could severely injure them…besides, if they’re on a root they’re likely in the woods and that’s penal enough.  

The divot thing is something I just don’t understand.  I won’t insult someone for their beliefs, I’ll just disagree on the principle.

 

... Some prolific posters are extremely myopic and live to tell you your opinions are wrong.  The great thing about golf is it can be played soooooo many different ways. Unless you are competing in a tournament, you can pick and choose what rules (if any) you wish to follow personally and/or with your group. 

... I play with a Canadian snowbird that plays strictly by the rules 99% of the time. He hits some amazing shots from impossible lies as well as some atrocious shots. If his ball lands in a bunker where some yahoo dug in their feet and didn't rake after walking in one side and out the other, he will play it from a deep footprint. We also clean mud off our balls if the fairway has been over watered to protect the grass in the intense 110* heat. Sometimes it is actually casual water as the sprinklers here run while you are playing. Our group also plays by a rule some ASU golfers told me they use in casual rounds. If the ball is lying in the desert and has a clear path for the shot, they move to the closest grass with no penalty. If they are in rocks that obstruct their contact or a plant, bush, tree or cactus is in their way, they move to the nearest grass with a 1 shot penalty. The irony is sometimes moving the ball to the grass gives you a shot that is obstructed. With forged irons costing $1200-$1600 putting a huge gouge in the face or sole in a casual round and have it start rusting when you can move it a few feet and play from grass just makes common sense. 

... I play 4 or 5 days a week and have been paired up with literally thousands of golfers. Most are looking to challenge themselves while still having an enjoyable day. I honestly have not seen many that play 100% by the rules whether that is a breakfast ball, playing a different ball when they lose the one they are playing, roll the ball and of course move their ball out of a divot. And only 14 clubs in the bag is a broken rule only bested by the mulligan. 

.... So I am always willing to share my opinion while respecting and very rarely challenging others that disagree. Give me someone that is enjoyable company and loves playing the game, keeps pace and replaces divots and fixes ball marks. The rest is pretty much irrelevant. 

Edited May 19 by chisag

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, Stuka44 said:

You notice they argue as if your playing partners from the tee, in any way compare to having a dedicated individual who is given the "sole task", and is there "specifically" to watch, and track your ball.  Or having 50 people to look in the area it comes down.   We can't acknowledge that this is a qualitative difference, which ACTUALLY RENDERS, a ball lost in play, and the rule for taking a stroke because of this, NOT APPLICABLE TO professionals. 

While this is true for the actual tournament days for PGA, LPGA, and maybe Korn Ferry it is not how it is for every professional event.   For Monday qualifiers and lower tier events there are no spotters, volunteers, or many fans to track shots or find the ball in the rough.  

[chisag]

8 minutes ago, cnosil said:

While this is true for the actual tournament days for PGA, LPGA, and maybe Korn Ferry it is not how it is for every professional event.   For Monday qualifiers and lower tier events there are no spotters, volunteers, or many fans to track shots or find the ball in the rough.  

 

... It was pretty interesting watching a college tournament a few weeks ago played at Sawgrass. No stands, very few spectators and other than the 17th and 18th, I didn't hardly recognize any of the holes. 

[Stuka44]

On 5/16/2024 at 5:06 PM, DaveP043 said:

there are many many situations where you don't get the result that your shot deserves.

Dave the problem is, many like you who keep defending this position, CONTINUE to try and put forth the idea, that all bad results stem from the same cause.  I will not speak for anyone else, but nobody arguing divots,, footprints in bunkers, or for me balls lost in play, is arguing that bad results from random chance should be addressed.

Divots, which the first player has fewer to dodge, than the last, my facing potentially a cattle drive through a bunker, because nobody in front of me raked the bunker, or in the case of professional tournaments, where players are gifted marshals, and fans to find their ball, ARE NOT RANDOM EVENTS.

Rules are supposed to make "games, all games" as fair as possible.  For the game of golf to adopt the attitude, that to do nothing, for weekend players who it is factually known are  playing under these glaringly inequitable, conditions, and circumstances compared to professional players, is arrogance, and indifference, that is both intended, and purposeful. 

And from my perspective, it is very sad to defend  this position, by stating we're not going to make any changes, unless they can be perfect. 

Thank god we as a country chose to move away from the "English Common Law" justice system, where the penalty for almost every offense was death.  Was it perfect, sadly it was not. In many states up until 1985, breaking and entering, and burglary of unoccupied structures were felonies.  The "Fleeing Felon Rule" was still in place, and many unarmed people committing these crimes were being shot dead by police, as they ran away.  Thank god the family of the unarmed, 14 year old who was running away, and trying to scale a 6 foot fence who was shot and killed by Memphis Police, stood up and said we know this is the rule here in Tennessee, But we don't think this is fair, or right, as this is not the rule in every state at this time.   Was the rule that the US Supreme court came up with perfect?  No.  It has been changed many times by other facts and circumstances that have arisen in Deadly Force Encounters between suspects, and police.  But its better(and I was a policeman for 30 years) than being able to shoot unarmed non-dangerous suspects dead.

Now before you all blow a gasket, and berate me, because these two things are so disparate, and one literally was the difference between life and death, and one is a rule of a stupid game.

The point is sometimes people who make the rules, aren't the best ones to determine when or if they need to be changed.

[Donn lost in San Diego]

Here is where I might break a rule.  I play heavy traffic muni.  The hole develops the volcano effect.  That is, the 3-4 inches around it are depressed from heavy foot traffic.  And the hole itself is a mini mountain.  I hit a putt and it is going in if the green were nicely maintained.  But it hits the depressed area and goes to the side.  Now, I am not yet submitting scores.  I count it in.  I don't do gimmees more than about 2 feet.  I hit from divots, if it happens.  Big deal, it's Rub O The Green.  I try my skill from unlucky lies, but not from tree roots, I should learn the rule on that.  When I join the USGA for scoring I will bother to learn the new hazard/red/yellow/gopher hole/ rules. 

I use an old chipper, 25 degrees loft, so it is not a putter under current rules.  The original grip is flat! on the top!!!  Oh no Mr. Bill.  Current rule says I can't put a flat side grip if club has more than 7 deg loft.  But, isn't my club grandfathered in?????  It is a Don Martin, a club maker in Palm Springs when Sinatra Hope & Crosby were alive.

[RickyBobby_PR]

3 hours ago, Kenny B said:

Really?  I must really be unlucky!!  Happens to me 2-3 times a round, with most being in layup areas for approaches to the green over water.  Everyone lays up there, but no one repairs their divot.  Maybe that’s just the nature of munis, and the less than 1% occurs at nice country clubs.

Even when I played a majority of my rounds on the base where maintenance at times could resemble a muni the number of times that myself or anyone I played with hit into a divot in the fairway can be counted on one hand.

I don’t even remember the last time I’ve played out of divot on any course anywhere that I’ve played. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

44 minutes ago, Stuka44 said:

Rules are supposed to make "games, all games" as fair as possible.  For the game of golf to adopt the attitude, that to do nothing, for weekend players who it is factually known are  playing under these glaringly inequitable, conditions, and circumstances compared to professional players, is arrogance, and indifference, that is both intended, and purposeful. 

They do provide fairness. They ensure we all play by the same standards. They aren’t there to ensure equal outcomes from a shot. Otherwise the golfer who hits a flag stick and the ball rolls off the green or 20’ to the side would get the same outcome as the person who hit the flag stick and the ball goes in the hole or vice versa that guy would have to play the snkform 20’ because it happens to someone else somewhere else

[DaveP043]

23 hours ago, Stuka44 said:

And from my perspective, it is very sad to defend  this position, by stating we're not going to make any changes, unless they can be perfect

Its not perfection I'd be after, but improvement.  Any rule regarding divot holes means one of two things.  The first is akin to permanent preferred lies in fairways, and that is simply a step too far from the real principles of golf.  The other is to require judgement by individual players (and officials) based on rather nebulous and inexact criteria as to what constitutes justification for relief.  Anything that increases the amount of variable judgement involved is, in my opinion, the opposite of improvement.  Because of the differences in interpretation, it INCREASES unfairness, as different players and officials will interpret things differently.

Edited May 20 by DaveP043

[LICC]

On 5/16/2024 at 5:06 PM, DaveP043 said:

In spite of this diatribe, I challenge you to come up with a set of rules for us "common folk" that can be consistently enforced across all but the highest levels of golf, but which don't completely compromise the basic principles of golf.  Play the course as you find it, play your ball as it lies.

And to be "fair", I've never said golf is "fair", there are many many situations where you don't get the result that your shot deserves.  Perhaps you can promulgate rules that are more fair, where you discard good breaks and bad alike, and somehow always get what your shot deserves.

There are rules that allow for not playing the course as you find it and not playing the ball as it lies, with free relief. The embedded ball rule, ball on a cart path rule, immovable obstruction rule, ground under repair rule. 

People should be able to freely move a ball out of a divot, as that is man-made damage to the course. I would liken it closely to ground under repair. You and I have discussed that the biggest challenge to this is where you are not sure if something is actually a divot, but I wouldn't block the rule for that. A "divot" can be defined and most golfers know one when they see one.

[Philpug]

In my mind, Divots should be Ground Under Repair. I take relief. If my ball goes into a trap and lands in a footprint that someone didn't rake, or a trap that is mud, I take relief. Like @Donn lost in San Diego I play a $37/round muni that can get a couple of hundred rounds in a day, that takes it's toll on a course and not everyone is conscious of leaving it as they found it. With that much traffic, there are bare spots and dirt areas in the fairway combined with a various types of grass that are inconsistent, I will take relief. When someone wants me to play to the letter of the rules, sure, play my greens fees and I will. Now. when I get the opportunity to play a better course that the fairways are like carpet and the rough is consistent, I don't move the ball and I play it as it lies. Turns out that I shoot about the same whether I am playing my regular track or a nice club. With all this said, I sleep very well at night. 

[GolferXY]

I hit a drive 250 [great for me] and had 80 yards left to the hole.  I was dancing.  Until I saw that my ball was in a divot.  Perfectly snuggled up to the deep front edge of the divot.  So I pulled the 58 out of the bag and dropped that ball 10 feet from the hole.  Best shot of the day and I walked away feeling like I had accomplished something.  

Honestly, I hate the added difficulty of hitting out of someone else's attempt at recreating the Erie Canal, but when I pull it off I feel like,  if I can do that, an 80 yard pitch from a perfect lie should be a snap.

But really. Replace your divots.  If I can do it, anyone can.

[berkeleybob]

On 5/11/2024 at 7:46 PM, GolferXY said:

You know, every time I read that title I think of the line in "Unforgiven".

Little Bill, looking up at the business end of a double barrell shotgun:  "I don't deserve this"

William Munny, pointing said shotgun: "Deserve's got nuthin' to do with it".

Now, all I can think about is “Unforgiven” redone with Little Bill, Bill Munny, Ned Logan and English Bob playing as a foursome in a club tournament.

2 hours ago, GolferXY said:

I hit a drive 250 [great for me] and had 80 yards left to the hole.  I was dancing.  Until I saw that my ball was in a divot.  Perfectly snuggled up to the deep front edge of the divot.  So I pulled the 58 out of the bag and dropped that ball 10 feet from the hole.  Best shot of the day and I walked away feeling like I had accomplished something.  

Honestly, I hate the added difficulty of hitting out of someone else's attempt at recreating the Erie Canal, but when I pull it off I feel like,  if I can do that, an 80 yard pitch from a perfect lie should be a snap.

But really. Replace your divots.  If I can do it, anyone can.

Speaking as one who plays on a course where the occasional weed on the green has diverted my par putt into a bogey, I try to reach back to one of my mantras, “Play the course in front of you.”

Nice job, overcoming unexpected adversity.