The 2019 season will start very soon, and I have received many questions on how those rules will affect the amateur player and if the rules committees will give some breaks to players.
The Golf Quebec Rules Committee is offering a 90-minute training session to any golf club or association that would like to start the season with a better knowledge of the rules.
I look at 3 types of golfers:
1 – The social golfer.
2 – The competition golfer.
3 – The member of a group.
The social golfer
This golfer plays for fun and he does not care if the rules have changed. If he has a bad break, he will correct it, he will give himself a lot of gimmies, and Mr. Mulligan is often around the corner.
The competition golfer
You will often see this golfer on the range in the morning and at the end of the day. He wants to be a better golfer than he was yesterday. He needs to know the rules and could be penalized if he does something wrong because, in most of his tournaments, referees are nearby. He often plays with competitive friends who know the rules.
The member of a group
These groups play for money. A certain amount is put up front at the beginning of the round and the best players share the purse. This is where we see the most cheaters. (I know that some players don’t know the rules and others think they know them.)
The cheaters are stealing money from their friends’ pockets. These groups should make sure they agree with what rules they will follow. I don’t have any problem with any changes in the rules as long as it is clearly explained to everybody. If they want to allow 2- foot gimmies or 2 mulligans per round, go for it, but make sure everybody is playing by the same rules.
SEMINARS ON THE RULES OF GOLF
If your club, group, or association wants to know more about the rules, Golf Quebec will be pleased to set up a presentation (in English or in French).
Please e-mail regles@golfquebec.org to arrange a seminar.