Golf is not a Fair Game But it is an Equitable One

Part of the uniqueness of the game of golf is the nature of the playing field itself. We set out over some 150 acres of open field. The football field, the baseball diamond, and the basketball court all seem pocket-sized in comparison. Add to that vastness of pasture, some 150 contestants playing at the same time, and we get a glimpse into the exceptionality of the golf arena.

Because of the compactness of the areas, an umpire, a referee, an official et.al. can all govern their respective games. We have no such supervision in golf. The conditions described above make it physically impossible. As a result, the participants themselves are often charged with enforcing the rules. This places a significant responsibility on the individual golfer and his or her honesty.

In local, friendly golf, there is very little involvement with the rules as described above. The occasional exception might be the stroke play club championship where a player competes in his/her bracket over a few days. However, should any member of the club venture out into county, city, or state-level tournaments, they need to know at least the basics of the rules and their responsibilities. So, without getting detailed (although we can in future articles), we can look at the general principles of the rules of golf. There are TWO that govern the game and always have: 

1. Play the golf course as you find it. 
2. Play the ball as it lies. 

That’s it. Every other rule in the book (those regarding play, not equipment) is based on those two principles. Obstructions, free drops, penalty areas, OB, etc. all are based on the two main principles. Because there are times when the golf ball is simply not playable as it lies or the course itself is unplayable, the rules allow for relief from those situations. But who decides if the course or where the golf ball comes to land is unplayable? In all but the highest forms of competition, (the major championships have a rule official with every group on the final round), it is the players involved. This can be a sticky area. If, for example, a competitor is playing in an event of some 100 players without an official on hand, every player is an official; that means calling a penalty on a member of your 2, 3 or 4-ball is for the purpose of protecting all the other players in the event. It is not “ratting” or being done as a personal grudge, it is for the benefit of all those who could not witness the transgression.

More rule infractions are committed out of ignorance than intent. Sure, there are “cheaters,” golfers who knowingly break rules to benefit their score, but far more often, violations are the result of someone not aware of or misunderstanding a particular rule. That is where keeping the two main principles in mind can give one a basic starting point. That said, there is always controversy about certain rules.

Accordingly, the USGA and the R&A, the main rules-making bodies in the game, meet every four years to address how the rule book can be more relevant. (Go to golfcollege.edu and search “Original 13 Rules of Golf.” It is humorous - in fact, downright hilarious - to see where the game was then versus the modern rule book). So, updating is indispensable to keep the game current. But again, we come back to the two main principles we have discussed. They have not changed.

It is important to remember this: golf is not a fair game! It was never meant to be fair, only equal. In the words of the immortal Bobby Jones: “Golf is a not fair game, but it is an equitable one.” Translation…we are all playing the same game! We get good breaks, we get bad breaks, but it will always even out in the long run. This is perhaps why the powers that be have yet to change one of the most controversial conditions in the game: a perfect drive coming to rest in a divot in the middle of the fairway. Very often, a golfer’s reaction is, “THAT’S SO UNFAIR!” Yet, the same golfer who skulls a wedge, hits a line drive, and sends the golf ball headed OB or into an unplayable condition behind the green, sees his ball hit the flagstick and drop dead next to the pin, says nothing of his good fortune.

Read and study the rule book if you’d like, but simply knowing the basic concepts on which they are built can be a great help. If readers of this article want to discuss the rules in general or any particular rule in detail, please let me know in the online comment section.