I agree 100%. I play recreational golf (and have never kept a handicap) and we make up our own rules, what we allow or don't allow.
A few times I could tell my ball striking was 'on' after a few holes, and decided to try and shoot a personal best score following the rules on all holes. On hole 18, I landed off the fairway with my drive, the ball came to rest of the root of a tree, which I played it from. I needed a bogie for a 79. After a 2 putt, I broke 80 for the first time. My point is this - if you want to post a personal best score, you better follow the rules of golf. Don't tell me you have shot 69, 79, 89 or 99 with mulligan's and picked up putts. Now my son has no use for an official handicap. He will not play handicap match play events and/or low net events. When he was a kid he liked to play the few better players for an ice cream cone. He was too young to buy them a beer if they won. When he played the local junior or men's club champion he never asked for strokes, and when he played others not as good he never offered any strokes either. Ok I stand corrected, he gives me 18 strokes / round just to amuse his old man, but I am the only one he will give strokes to. Thanks, Harry www.myGolfDNA.com <http://www.mygolfdna.com/> _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of The Kelley's Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 12:54 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 Personally I have no problem with casual or recreational golf - in fact, playing in preferred lies events, whether club or league sponsored, can be a lot of fun. I do have a BIG problem with people who can't form 2 golf-related sentences without including their latest handicap, all the while playing with these casual rules. Saying you play to a 'USGA' 5 (or whatever) while 'rolling it on the fairway' or playing 'in the leather' is probably the biggest lie in golf.
