Quote:
Originally Posted by ntnBO
You intended to hit the ball, it's a stroke regardless if you made contact or not.
When I was in High School, I played in a local golf league on Sunday mornings. Rules were often discussed after rounds over beers (none for me, thank you) and lunch. The week before, one of the guys had made an abbreviated swing in the under-brush because he had a tree in his backswing. On the downswing, he missed the ball and hit a bunch of pine needles and other loose impediments without moving the ball. Obviously this is a stroke, but the important part is that there was discussion about it. The argument lasted quite a while and actually got pretty heated. The rulebook was finally broken out by this one high handicapper (he was a real chop) and he read the rule and then explained that it was a stroke because "it was an
attempt to hit the ball." One of the guys arguing against it, who is obviously wrong, kinda rolls his eyes and gives a whatever and orders another beer.
The next week, we're all around the first tee and the high handicapper from the week before is on the tee. He makes a couple practice swings and gets up and addresses the ball. He swings and
WHOOOOOOSH and before anyone can even laugh at him, the other guy that had rolled his eyes says in his Jersey/Italian accent and in the most serious and snide manner "Was that an attempt?"
Instantaneous laughter through the whole lot of us.