I am amazed at the extent to which mythical rule interpretations spread in this sport. It starts with the fact that only about 1 out of 20 golfers carry a rule book with them in their bags. Then, a well known golfer states their opinion about a rule (without having a rule book in their hand) and that opinion spreads like wildfire.
Examples:
1) Shortly after the lost disc rule changed to stroke and distance, I played in a tournament and had a discussion with a player who had been bullied into taking stroke and distance for a disc that he threw into a pond in plain site of the group, because the disc was "lost" in the pond. Turns out the former TD of the Orlando Open (a B-tier) insisted that he was right and forced his will on the group. Nobody in the group had a rules book on them and the player that suffered had never even heard of the provisional rule.
2) There is a common misconception that this verbage applies to discs thrown OB:
"H. The player may not retrieve the originally thrown disc prior to the re-throw, except in the case of a putt from within 10 meters. Where a disc is retrieved in violation of this rule, a one throw penalty shall be imposed without a warning."
Nope, it applies to stance violations. Maybe it should apply to OB's as well, but it does not. It is common, however, to remember something from the rules and say that it applies, even though the rule book has never been consulted. Suddenly, there is mass consensus that a rule exists, which in fact does not. (ala, aluminum tubes and yellow cake)
3) I finally got myself a copy of the 2010 Players Cup video. On hole 12 of the final match, Bradley Williams marked his lie (about 25 ft. from the basket), prior to Nikko Locastro getting to his lie (about 45 ft. from the basket). The announcer Billy Crump, then chastises Bradley for not knowing the rules and that some day some pro is going to make him putt within 30 seconds of marking his lie, because that's the rule. Sorry, NOT TRUE. This is no indictment of Billy's commentary for making a single mistake, but just to point out the power that a noted "expert" can bring as thousands of people watch the video and start to propagate the myth.
From the rulebook:
"801.03 Excessive Time:
A. A maximum of 30 seconds is allowed to each player to make a throw after:
(1) the previous player has thrown; and,
(2) the player has taken a reasonable time
to arrive at the disc and mark the lie; and,
(3) the playing area is clear and free
of distractions."
So #1 never occured as Nikko was the "previous player" and had never reached his disc, let alone thrown his shot. There is nothing in the rules to prohibit a player marking his lie before the away player has thrown. (It could be a courtesy violation if the away player was at his/her lie getting ready to putt and the closer player walked up in front of them to mark their lie.)
Again, I am not picking on Billy, just using this as an example of how mis-information spreads.
Y'all, please carry your rule book with you in your bag and when a question about a rule comes up take out the book and READ IT!
Examples:
1) Shortly after the lost disc rule changed to stroke and distance, I played in a tournament and had a discussion with a player who had been bullied into taking stroke and distance for a disc that he threw into a pond in plain site of the group, because the disc was "lost" in the pond. Turns out the former TD of the Orlando Open (a B-tier) insisted that he was right and forced his will on the group. Nobody in the group had a rules book on them and the player that suffered had never even heard of the provisional rule.
2) There is a common misconception that this verbage applies to discs thrown OB:
"H. The player may not retrieve the originally thrown disc prior to the re-throw, except in the case of a putt from within 10 meters. Where a disc is retrieved in violation of this rule, a one throw penalty shall be imposed without a warning."
Nope, it applies to stance violations. Maybe it should apply to OB's as well, but it does not. It is common, however, to remember something from the rules and say that it applies, even though the rule book has never been consulted. Suddenly, there is mass consensus that a rule exists, which in fact does not. (ala, aluminum tubes and yellow cake)
3) I finally got myself a copy of the 2010 Players Cup video. On hole 12 of the final match, Bradley Williams marked his lie (about 25 ft. from the basket), prior to Nikko Locastro getting to his lie (about 45 ft. from the basket). The announcer Billy Crump, then chastises Bradley for not knowing the rules and that some day some pro is going to make him putt within 30 seconds of marking his lie, because that's the rule. Sorry, NOT TRUE. This is no indictment of Billy's commentary for making a single mistake, but just to point out the power that a noted "expert" can bring as thousands of people watch the video and start to propagate the myth.
From the rulebook:
"801.03 Excessive Time:
A. A maximum of 30 seconds is allowed to each player to make a throw after:
(1) the previous player has thrown; and,
(2) the player has taken a reasonable time
to arrive at the disc and mark the lie; and,
(3) the playing area is clear and free
of distractions."
So #1 never occured as Nikko was the "previous player" and had never reached his disc, let alone thrown his shot. There is nothing in the rules to prohibit a player marking his lie before the away player has thrown. (It could be a courtesy violation if the away player was at his/her lie getting ready to putt and the closer player walked up in front of them to mark their lie.)
Again, I am not picking on Billy, just using this as an example of how mis-information spreads.
Y'all, please carry your rule book with you in your bag and when a question about a rule comes up take out the book and READ IT!
