The better you are, the more wedges you need. The short game is where all the scoring happens and more wedges means more options from 120 and in. I carry 4 and have since I was a junior (for >13yrs). It's also very important for me since I'm a long hitter.

But, if you're >18 cap, then 2 will be fine. 10-18 and 3 will be fine. <10 and I think 4 is a must.

Canadians might find this Visa card appealing...I'm signing up for one for the 2 for 1 @ Taboo (green fees are around $180) to use this summer. 5% discount @ GolfTown is good too.

http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/online/m...html?ASC=MWA17

Holy ****! Ian Baker-Finch shot 68 at Colonial today!

wat

I guess he won't commentate if he makes the cut Too bad, he's one I can handle.

Thanks. I'm thinking I'll get a SW to start with a high bounce rating. I'm guessing that won't be very good for fairways though, so maybe I'll grab a low bounce 60degree sometime later this summer too. Prob don't need many right now though since I'm a high handicapper for the time being, and have other moire important things to work on.


Think I'll pick up some jumbo grips too. I was out at the range today for the 1st time since my video lessons. Was hitting the PW-6 iron pretty good. But My 5wood was slicing something fierce, and I think it's because my hands seem to be to big to put the correct grip on my new clubs with smaller grips.

I don't know the hierarchy of who's most knowledgeable about golf on this board, so I'm not sure who to believe. I mean that as no disrespect to anybody. Can anybody else chime in, or verify what somebody has said?

[the question, again, is....sand to the left of the green, water to the right. you hit it from the sand to the water. Where do you drop the ball?

options people have mentioned are:

1.) treat it as OB if you can't keep the point of entry between you and the hole
2.) drop it on the fringe (not the green) near where it went in
3.) anything else?
]

thanks

Josh W

If your ball goes into a regular (yellow) water hazard, you have three options:
1) play ball from hazard.
2) play ball from where you hit your last shot, and add a penalty.
3) keeping the last point where the ball crossed the hazard directly between you and the hole, go as far back as you wish and drop on that line. One stroke penalty.

With a lateral (red) hazard, you have two additional options.
You may play from the opposite side of the lateral hazard, equidistance from the last point of entry. One stroke.

Or,
You may drop within two clublengths, no closer to the hole, from where the ball last crossed the hazard. One stroke.


In your situation, assuming yellow stakes and the ball cannot be played from where it rests, you either:
play again from the bunker, or
keeping the point where the ball entered between you and the hole, play with the hazard between you and the hole.
With yellow, dropping in the fringe isn't an option.

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/rules.html On the left side of the page, toggle down to Rule 26.

Thanks JTrout. I feel good about my first question. Now, I'm confused on a new issue.

I always thought that for a lateral hazard, you could bring that back anywhere back on the line that it went in on.

For example, see the pic below:



I thought you could bring the ball back along the white dotted line.

However, the phrasing in the rulebook you linked to says:

"b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped;"

So that would mean anywhere on the black line.

White dots or black line?

Thanks,

Josh

black line

Black line because you have to keep the point that the ball CROSSED THE HAZARD between you and the hole.

There are only 5 options you can use when taking relief from a lateral (red) water hazard and a mere 3 from a regular (yellow) water hazard. These rules are easy to learn and will help greatly for the rest of your golfing life. And you can easily learn these online nowadays.

Good luck.

BO

Yep, think I got it now. I was just confused because, ever since I started golfing (last summer), I had been repeatedly told by multiple experienced golfers that when you went into a lateral hazard, you can drop anywhere along the line of entry (i.e. the white dots in my picture). The rulebook states fairly clearly, though, that this is wrong.

It's just confusing when, something that you think you know for a fact is shown to be wrong. Makes you scratch your head and say "wait, what?'

Oh sure, we've all been there. And the line of entry thing is a common mistake amongst those who think they know.

Unfortunately, very few golfers know the rules. So if you are one of the few that do, then you're miles ahead already. Just start with the basics like how to proceed from hazards and unplayable lies, stuff that crops up frequently.

BO

Another rule question....I've looked through the online rule book, but I can't come up with a good answer.

We were playing on a course with a drainage ditch (manmade obstruction). There was water flowing in the ditch (about 2 inches worth of water). My buddy hit his ball into the ditch (which flowed along the side of the fairway, from green to tee). We get up to his ball, and it's flowing (probably about 3 inches per second).

Obviously, if the ball came to rest, he'd get relief. And, rule 14-6 states what would happen if the ball was moving in a hazard. But neither of these apply in this case.

Anybody?

Thanks,

Josh W

That is a damned good question...it's standing water...but wow.

won a free collaway hyper x driver from box elder creek ranch in colorado. filled out the raffle ticket a few weeks back, ship it.

I was excited but unfortunately I hit this thing worse then my taylor made r580.

if there is ever a severe dog leg right, well, this is the club

Happened to me today:

2 parallel par 4s, one going one way, one the other. I tee off about 260 but it pulls off into a few loose trees. Totally playable, in bounds, but obstructed from view.

I make my way down there and wait while someone from the other tee, going the other direction, hits his shot from about where my ball should be. After he hits I find my ball and shoot. Land on the green, 2 putt for a par (I'm so awesome).

When I grab my ball, I notice it's a Calloway 2, just like I've been playing, but it has a logo on the side for some construction company. Other than that, it's the same ball. Well, I bought the balls new before the round, and when I teed off I am 100% sure I used one of those new balls.

What I think happened, is we were both playing Callaway 2 balls and he came to one, figured it was his, and didn't even look at the other.

Would I be required to take a stroke or something for this? Or what happens? Obviously I just said oh well and kept playing. But I'm kind of curious. It happens to me from time to time where my ball isn't where it should be and I figure someone took it, so I drop one and go on with my life. But I've never played another ball thinking it's mine, only to realize it's not.

in before ntBO rant

2 strokes for strokeplay; loss of hole for match play.

Personally I couldn't care less and this **** happens on public courses...the penalties are for serious matches (at least let the other guy make the decision whether to win the hole because of it...if we were playing a match, I wouldn't) and tournament play, IMHO.

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/rules.html

Rule 15-3 b. Stroke Play

If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball, he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball or by proceeding under the Rules. If he fails to correct his mistake before making a stroke on the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the round, fails to declare his intention to correct his mistake before leaving the putting green, he is disqualified.
strokes made by a competitor with a wrong ball do not count in his score. If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.

Exception: There is no penalty if a competitor makes a stroke at a wrong ball that is moving in water in a water hazard. Any strokes made at a wrong ball moving in water in a water hazard do not count in the competitor's score.

You sir are sorely confused as to what I would rant about.

Durka and JTrout have already said what I would have.

BO

I think he was just guessing that you were due for a rant. The egg timer went off.

Does anybody know what the bounce rating would be on a typical callaway pitching wedge?

Lately around the fringe I've been going through my warmup. 4-5 good practice chips. Then when I go to hit the ball it just shanks off straight right. I can't exactly figure out what's going on because it never happened with my old PW. It's really killing my scores though. I'de say 5-6 shots a round.

I never do it if I'm propped up in the 2nd tier. Always great chips there. Just when I'm fringe/fairway chipping or in a bit of a hole in tghe 2nd cut.

Google is your friend...why can't people google?

Also, PW's don't have much bounce anyway...so I'm pretty sure it's not the club. You're probably standing too close because it's a wedge.