[Maker]

Originally Posted by Hape2Bhr

How does playing by all the rules slow down pace of play?

The PGA rules have extreme restrictions against using a golf cart. Everyone walks the entire course. Getting an exception is very difficult.
Walking will slow down things quite a bit. But you can have a caddy walk with your clubs.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Maker

The PGA rules have extreme restrictions against using a golf cart. Everyone walks the entire course. Getting an exception is very difficult.
Walking will slow down things quite a bit. But you can have a caddy walk with your clubs.

The PGA does not have any rule against "using a golf cart".

The PGATour typically doesn't allow carts, except under unusual conditions.

The above are not "rules", they are "conditions of play".

The USGA & R&A make up the rules.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

Good first post.
What makes you think those groups don’t exist? It’s the largest golf community in the world, there are golf groups that run the gamut.
If you are a high handicap, and your playing script rules, your round of golf is too long, you won’t find any golf group.

Right? I played behind a group that didn't allow gimmes. I'll never forget that 6 hour round of golf. Even the ambassadors couldn't get them to speed it up.

[DonH57]

How far out should a gimme be? One foot, two foot, three, 4 ?

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by DonH57

How far out should a gimme be? One foot, two foot, three, 4 ?

My rule of thumb is that if I have made it in the past, it is a gimme. And it helps lower the score!

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Let's see:

How about walking back to the Tee Box, because you didn't hit a Provisional, because you thought your Drive would be findable?

Or when you have to walk back to the Tee Box, because you didn't get "over the water you always blast it over"?

How about taking your Driver out, to measure your "Drop Area", instead of just kicking the ball off the cart path.

How about 4 guys, lining up at least 4 Putts, from inside 3'?

If you play the rules regularly, you are going to hit a provisional to start with.

You don't have to go back to the tee box if you didn't hit the ball over the water.

Kick away, no one wants to change the way you bat a ball around the course. He's looking for someone who plays golf the way the game is laid out by the rules.

You can take all the 3 foot gimmes you want, he wants someone who plays at a different level.

He hasn't asked anyone to change the way they have developed their own golf rules or lack there of. Play away, he doesn't care.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by shut the front door

Right? I played behind a group that didn't allow gimmes. I'll never forget that 6 hour round of golf. Even the ambassadors couldn't get them to speed it up.

You have to remember the age of the crowd and the fact that this area attracts lots of newbees. I played in a league for years where the rules were followed and I never saw even a four hour round of golf including tournaments.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Hape2Bhr

How does playing by all the rules slow down pace of play?

They don't, most rules are basic knowledge if one is a golfer. If one's group hits a quandary, there a pocket sized booklet for one's bag that can be researched for a very freakish situation, although, we never came across that situation.

Ready golf is what speeds up play. It amuses me when the hole ahead is open, the players have played the same course many times but they have to walk on to the tee box, stare at the green and then go back and grab a club. They make about 5 practice swings on every green and then take a mulligan after hitting the ball about 10 yards on their tee shot. Talk about what really slows down the game..

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by DonH57

How far out should a gimme be? One foot, two foot, three, 4 ?

You’re playing a $5 Nassau with a group of buddies - it doesn’t matter.
Enjoy the round.

[Old Traveller]

Our Tuesday, Saturday Afternoon golf group plays by USGA rules. The only game we do not play is quota points. We roll them in the fairway (I didn't make that rule), play the ball down in the rough and if the putt counts it must be holed. As a rule everyone putts all of them out for accurate USGA handicaps. Our foursome played Evans Prairie today in 3 hours and forty five minutes. Years ago all the guys played the blue tees, then the white tees. Now they can play any tee they want and we adjust their USGA handicap to match. All members have to have an Enhanced membership so we have priority for tee times, it pays for itself if you play twice a week from January to June. Players handicaps range from 0 to about 22. We have lost a lot of snowbirds at the moment, and they start coming back about September or October. We try to mix the foursomes up as best we can. We do not play Sawgrass or Shallow Creek because we have so many golfers who live north of 466. We try to mix up the courses as best we can, and keep a close eye on aeration schedules.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Aces4

If you play the rules regularly, you are going to hit a provisional to start with.

You don't have to go back to the tee box if you didn't hit the ball over the water.

You are not entitled to hit a provisional, if your ball may be lost in a Hazard.

& you are not allowed to "take a drop" under 26-1, without knowing to a virtual certainty, your ball is in the hazard. You are required to play a questionable shot as a "lost ball" and return to the Tee.

[Teed_Off]

I’m a 13 handicap index player who is one of two players in a group of 30+ who played by the rules of golf while all others took liberties (rolling in the fairway, gimmees, etc.). We would play 2-, 3- and 4-man games, along with low gross and low net prizes. Pace of play was never the issue because everyone played ready golf.
However this got to be painful for me to play with the guys whose vanity handicap indexes skewed the payouts. So I now play with a group who do not bet and also take liberties along the way. We don’t compare scores over lunch and I find this much more enjoyable than trading dollars.

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by SPT32507

I’m considering moving to The Villages and, as an avid golfer (albeit a higher-handicap one), one of my top priorities is finding a group that plays by official USGA rules—no gimmies, proper lies, penalties assessed, and honest scoring.

I completely respect that many groups are more relaxed, but I’m simply looking for like-minded players who enjoy the game as it's written. If such a group exists, I’d really appreciate any pointers or contacts.

Thanks in advance!

Good luck. Wait till you play in the summer and know you hit a ball into the rough, other players watch it go into the rough and you can not find it. Stroke and distance penalty and go back to former hitting spot. In summer months can happen a lot, We do not have hundreds if not thousands of fore caddies. We agree that in this situation drop a ball and take a penalty stroke. If you want you can change your score to reflect the true stroke and distance penalty for handicap purposes. If all players played by the strict rules, rounds in TV will be up to 5 hours

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by Hape2Bhr

How does playing by all the rules slow down pace of play?

1 example lost ball in heavy rough. Happens a lot in the summer. Player has to go back to the area where the last ball was hit. The out of bounds/lost ball rule allowing a player to hit from the advanced spot and take a 2 shot penalty is a local rule, 2nd example is gimme puts. Seen players plump bob 1 footers

[BrianL99]

[QUOTE=kkingston57;2435637]Good luck. Wait till you play in the summer and know you hit a ball into the rough, other players watch it go into the rough and you can not find it. Stroke and distance penalty and go back to former hitting spot. In summer months can happen a lot, We do not have hundreds if not thousands of fore caddies. We agree that in this situation drop a ball and take a penalty stroke. If you want you can change your score to reflect the true stroke and distance penalty for handicap purposes. If all players played by the strict rules, rounds in TV will be up to 5 hours[/QUOTE]

Probably even longer.

99% of the time, the players (particularly higher handicap players) who insist they "play by all the rules", are the ones you don't want to play with, for a multitude of reasons. Typically, they really don't know "all the rules", they take forever to implement them and spend more time arguing about them, than adhering to them.

I play 150-200 rounds/year and I'm a 5 Index. Unless it's a specific situation/match or a competitive round, nearly every single person I've ever played with, adheres to the usual "casual round rules". Good inside the leather, if you lose one drop it where you think it went and take a stroke (as in a hazard) and finish the round in less than 4 hours.

You can always tell the DB's on the first green. If the guy brings a towel with him when he walks to the Green ... disassociate yourself immediately from the group.

If someone has a "long putter" ... same deal.

Collection of USGA Tags on his bag? Probably bad news.

Carries a 2nd "little carry bag" with wedges around the Green ... trouble. (I hadn't seen one of these in 40 years, until I got to TV.)

Golf is supposed to be about having fun. If you're in it for the competition, you shouldn't be carrying a double-digit handicap.