Play the ball up or down?

[David Leighton Reid]

Obviously, the rules of golf do not allow for a golfer to improve their lie by playing it up.  However, most recreational golfers I see play the ball up.  In fact, the league play at my course allows for a player to improve the lie of their ball by the length of one scorecard.  At my course, if you play the ball down, you are in for a difficult round due to the inconsistency of the rough, meaning clumps of grass, bare lies in places, and rocky areas.  Many golfers say the game is much more fun if you play the ball up.  Due to the condition of my course, I personally play the ball up most of the time, which means my handicap rating should have an * beside it.  For the past couple of weeks, I have been playing the ball down in the rough and up in the fairway, which follows the rules of our club championship tournament.  

So the question is, do you play it up, down, or a combination of the two?

Edited June 13 by David Leighton Reid

[NM01]

Always play it down, even when playing a couple balls during non peak times. 
 

the fun for me is playing the ball as it lies. I want my score to be what it is facing the challenges of playing golf by the rules

most amateurs like laying the ball up because they want to see a lower score on their scorecard and choose to do it the easy way. Same reason most want free drops from gravel areas around the course or a tree root rather than take the unplayable lie. 
 

the only times I play the ball up is if LCP/preferred lies are in effect, it’s a scramble or an old work league because the guy who ran it because he couldn’t stop tne hacks from doing it so made it fair for everyone by playing it up.

[RetiredBoomer]

3 minutes ago, David Leighton Reid said:

 

So the question is, do you play it up, down, or a combination of the two?

For our casual play, we play the ball up in the fairway and down off the fairway.
We even lift off the fairway in conditions where a club may be damaged.  Everyone pretends not to notice in a situation like that.

There are usually only a few instances where a ball in the fairway needs to be moved, however, as our maintenance is quite good.   A divot would be an example.  We don't get to move the ball to get a flatter lie, to avoid an obstruction in our shot line, or anything like that. Any ground under repair is clearly marked.

I'm all for playing the strict rules of golf if that's what one prefers, but we're just a group of seniors having a little fun while we still can.

 

 

 

 

[revkev]

I prefer to play the ball down because I like to play by the rules of golf. However if I’m playing in a league or tournament that allows for the ball to be moved in some fashion I will observe that local rule. Recently I changed country clubs because of poor course conditions - there is not enough white paint in the world to cover all of the ground under repair there so it was always move the ball in the fairway and call your opponent over for a ruling in the rough - ridiculous to me - if you hit it in the rough you should just play it regardless - bare spots can be penal too. That’s life. 
 

I also changed leagues back to one that plays it down. 
 

In casual rounds I don’t care what others do - I’m generally playing it down unless something is marked otherwise. 

[KC Golf]

I think the challenge and the fun of golf is that you play it as it lies unless you get a free drop like from a cart path.  

Sometimes the golfing gods look favourably upon you and sometimes they don’t….

[RetiredBoomer]

1 hour ago, revkev said:

I prefer to play the ball down because I like to play by the rules of golf. 

That’s life. 

 

Thank you.  That explains it perfectly, Rev.
Golf is part of life for you.
For me, it's a needed opportunity to ignore life for a few hours.

You play with all sorts of people.
I play with the same gang of geriatric miscreants who are seeking the same things from the game that I am.  

[cksurfdude]

I'm with the traditionalists. 

And I'm a guy who does not maintain a handicap nor play competitively. 

But that's just me. As the cool kids say, you do you ...

[Haile]

I play it as it lies unless I'm at the risk of club damage or personal injury. I'm not swinging in front of a tree root sticking up or out of a gravel pit or anything crazy like that. I'm not sponsored, so if I break something it comes out of my pocket. Also, I'm too far along in life to get over sprains and breaks quickly. So I move the ball as little as possible, but still out of any severe danger zone. But, if it's just a really crappy lie, that's how the cookie crumbles as they say. I just deal with it. I will note that I do not play competitively. Maybe some friendly competition between friends but that's about it.

[chisag]

5 hours ago, David Leighton Reid said:

So the question is, do you play it up, down, or a combination of the two?

 

... David, I think one of the truly unique things about this amazing game is you can play it anyway you like. The game is just insanely difficult and some like the challenge of a game unfair by design. There is something very satisfying about hitting a good shot out of a divot but also something satisfying about moving the ball out if the divot and hitting a good shot  if you don't have the skill to successfully pull off the shot. Taking a mulligan or breakfast ball is routinely exercised by many that play the game but there is also something rewarding about recovering from a poor opening tee shot. 

... I play the ball down because I like the challenge. My regular group has one individual that adheres strictly to the rules under every circumstance, a few others that mostly follow the rules and will take a ball out of a divot and two that roll the ball everywhere. My 82 yr old rolls the ball everywhere and has a hard time following his shots. I feel he has earned that right because it enhances his enjoyment. We occasionally have team twosome matches for fun and how we play or don't play by the rules doesn't enter into it. We are typical muni golfers that love the game and play at our own comfort level. 

[bens197]

If I am playing causally with my higher handicap friends I always tell them to play it up.  Golf is more fun when you hit good shots and they dont keep score, they want to play and have a good time.

Personally, if the local rules say up, I'll play it up.  I also will move a ball off a root in the woods.  Not because I care about preserving the looks of my clubs...I have to work tomorrow and I can't afford to injure myself over some arcane rules that ideologically I disagree with.  But that's another topic.  Unless this one goes on for several pages...in that case I'll see you then

 

[NM01]

1 hour ago, Haile said:

I play it as it lies unless I'm at the risk of club damage or personal injury. I'm not swinging in front of a tree root sticking up or out of a gravel pit or anything crazy like that. I'm not sponsored, so if I break something it comes out of my pocket. Also, I'm too far along in life to get over sprains and breaks quickly. So I move the ball as little as possible, but still out of any severe danger zone. But, if it's just a really crappy lie, that's how the cookie crumbles as they say. I just deal with it. I will note that I do not play competitively. Maybe some friendly competition between friends but that's about it.

You don’t have to damage you or your club. If using handicap or playing by the rules you declare unplayable and take the appropriate drop.

 

[David Leighton Reid]

4 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... David, I think one of the truly unique things about this amazing game is you can play it anyway you like. The game is just insanely difficult and some like the challenge of a game unfair by design. There is something very satisfying about hitting a good shot out of a divot but also something satisfying about moving the ball out if the divot and hitting a good shot  if you don't have the skill to successfully pull off the shot. Taking a mulligan or breakfast ball is routinely exercised by many that play the game but there is also something rewarding about recovering from a poor opening tee shot. 

... I play the ball down because I like the challenge. My regular group has one individual that adheres strictly to the rules under every circumstance, a few others that mostly follow the rules and will take a ball out of a divot and two that roll the ball everywhere. My 82 yr old rolls the ball everywhere and has a hard time following his shots. I feel he has earned that right because it enhances his enjoyment. We occasionally have team twosome matches for fun and how we play or don't play by the rules doesn't enter into it. We are typical muni golfers that love the game and play at our own comfort level. 

Well said, Sam!  You are so right about the satisfaction one feels after hitting a good shot from a nasty lie.  Golf is THE hardest sport I ever tried to be competent at.  When I am at a nice course, I play the ball down.  

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Like most have said, it depends a bit on who I am playing with and what rules are in effect. In the Tuesday scramble league I play in, you are allowed to play a ball one club length from the shot you choose to use. In that instance, I always play it up because everyone else does, it's a fun league and I'm not posting a score to my handicap. 

This past weekend when I was with my college buddies, we are all around the same handicap range and if one of us wanted to move the ball out of a fairway divot, so be it. If not, that was fine too. 

When I play in the member/guest at my course in July, full rules are in effect and you play the ball as it lies. So if a ball is deemed unplayable, you take the drop and a stroke as @RickyBobby_PR said.

At the end of the day, I am out on the course to enjoy it. If I am having a particularly difficult day and not playing well, yes, I will move my ball out of the occasional fairway divot. I would say more times than not, though, I am playing the ball as it lies.

[JonathanCWhite]

I play the ball down 99% of the time. The only times I will give myself a preferred lie is if it’s on rocks, tree roots, or I know there is a possibility of there being rocks under the hardpan. I’m lucky to have a well kept course but if I go to a muni that is in rough shape, I’m not taking the risk of damaging a club to play it as it lies.

[Muni Golfer]

I play at muni courses almost exclusively and the grass/weed mix all over these courses can be troublesome to say the least.  The people that manage the courses lease them from the county and don't have tons of money for course upkeep. The group I play with has decided that if you've got a crappy lie go ahead and move the ball a bit.  We've been playing in these conditions for years, so we're used to it  We're just playing to have some fun and a little bit of friendly competition.