Ok I have a new Adams driver and the head loosens up during a round. Am I correct in assuming I may tighten it as long as I do not change the setup of the driver ie loft?

Yes.

BO

Match play fourball event. We are all square on the 16 th hole a par five. The only hole my partner was getting stokes on. My partner has a 8 ft birdie putt to win the hole outright. I was in for a 6. Our opponents made 5. He takes a practice stroke the steps in to his stance and brings the putter in from outside the ball and in doing so touches the ball and it wobbles but doesn't move from its spot.

He stops and moves off the ball. Asks for a ruling. We all talk and agree its a stoke for "moving" a ball at address on the green. After researching a little I'm not so sure. Were we correct?

After the penalty he proceeds to miss the now par put and the come backer. Making a seven. I made 6 we lose the hole and eventually the match.

No penalty, the ball oscillated but did not change location.

If you're going to get a ruling, get one from the rules committee.

BO

An interesting situation came up the other day. I was in a bunker with a really awkward lie.
Took a swing, missed the ball completely but hit sand. Should I be penalized a stroke for grounding the club?

In addition to the shot you incur for making an attempt at hitting the ball? Nope.

I chip up onto the green, and I see my ball rolling towards somebody divot on the green, and it settles onto the divot. What is the ruling here? Am I allowed to mark my ball, and fix the divot, or do I have to putt it out of the divot?

A divot is a hole left by the extracted piece of turf taken during the swing, a ball mark is when a ball lands on the green and makes an indentation. I'm hoping for the sake of the course there was not a divot taken out of the green.

You can mark your ball and repair the mark without penalty.

BO

I thought it was called a ball mark, but why do I use a divot repair tool to fix them?

This is the best question every asked here!!!

Sometimes when I take a divot, or what most people call a fat shot, you need a backhoe to fix it, that divot tool isn't gonna help at all.

No joke, great question. Think the best answer would be that every single thing having to do with golf is ****ed up!

More proper answer would be that many people incorrectly refer to a ball mark as a divot and the term has perpetuated itself into some sort of truth. Sort of like everybody using the line "Elementary my dear Watson" when imitating Sherlock Homes when in fact he never used that phrase in any of his novels.

BO

Yeah very good explanation and great example of a miss used phrase as well.
Another big one is Paul Revere never said the "British area coming" Heck at that time almost everyone was British. He actually used the phrase "The Regulars are out".

That's what I thought, wasn't sure if it's supposed to be the attempt +1 for grounding the club.

Attempting to hit the ball is basically the same thing as hitting the ball. As with most of the rules, it's all about intent. Thinking that way can help with interpretation of other instances.

BO

I agree you have to drop in the grass even if you are standing in the hazard.

So a couple weeks after this happened a guy I was playing with hit a ball that crossed the hazard, hit the cartpath and went into the hazard. Now when he takes his drop (after a penalty) is he still required to stand in the hazard or can he go to the opposite side of the hazard? Does it make a difference now that this is a penalty drop instead of a free drop?

I always thought it was called a 'ball mark repair tool'. Never head of 'divot repair tool'. I thought the only thing that could repair a divot is the actual turf that was carved out of the earth or some grass seed.

That's more or less what I said to my opponent; this happened on 18 and I was 1 hole up so it got pretty contentious. His argument was that you can't prove intent. Like I don't know not to ground the club on a practice swing in a bunker.

This seems to be a different issue from what you originally asked though.

If he's arguing that you grounded your club during a practice swing, that's different from whether or not hitting the sand during a regular swing should be a penalty.

I'm not saying he's wrong or right but 'like I don't know not to ground the club on a practice swing' isn't really that relevant. I once played with a guy who managed to hit his ball backwards during his practice swings - and it wasn't because he didn't know he wasn't supposed to...

In that case then. If i clip the ball with the toe of my club while taking a practice swing. Can i retrieve the ball and place it in the closest spot without penalty?

No, you have to replace the ball and take a one stroke penalty.

If you don't replace the ball, it's a two stroke penalty.

Unless you're preparing for your first shot on the tee - in that case the ball was not in play during the practice swing, and you can put it back with no penalty.

Even though my intent was not to take my stroke?

That's exactly why, you moved your ball without intending to hit it. The ball is replaced and you are penalized for moving it. No different than if you kicked it.

If you intended to hit it you simply play it where it lies.

BO

My ball is sitting in the rough, and I ground the club a few inches behind. Because the grass is kinda bushy, the ground under the ball moves down then back up when I ground the club. The ball doesn't roll out of its spot and ends up where it started, but clearly moves with the grass it's sitting on.

Penalty?

I don't think this is a penalty but I'm not 100% sure.

You can be 100% sure now. As long as the ball returns to it's original position you're OK.

BO