General Manager's August Journal

Letter from the General Manager

There are many people who embark on playing golf but do not really try to understand the rules or the courtesy used in what is called the “Gentlemen’s Game.” It is always good to at least understand the basics before you play a round of golf.

This is just to make sure we are on the same page. Golf is played by striking a ball using a club on an area called the “tee box.” Once the ball is hit, it typically lands on what is called a “fairway.”

Then the ball is struck onto the next prepared area. A hole can be found in this area that is called a “Green.” The objective of the game of golf is to hit a ball from the “Tee Box” into the little hole on the “Green” in as few strokes as possible. What is usually referred to as a round of golf generally consists of 18 holes to be played.

When playing golf, there are 32 rules that apply, but there are two that are really relevant: As you find the course, play it.  As the ball lies, it should also be played as such.

If you find it hard to follow the above rules, at least try your very best to do what is reasonable. How do you know what is reasonable? Below are some summarized courtesy’s to remember while playing a round of golf.

1.        Avoid moving, chatting, or standing too close to a golfer who is about to make a stroke.
2.        Play with a minimum amount of delay. As quickly as the players in the group in front of you are, your group should have the same pace. But, try your best not to play until the group is already out of the way.
3.        Let faster groups play through.
4.        Fill divots with sand. Also, remember to smooth any footprints found in the bunkers. Ball marks on the greens must be repaired and smoothed.

Using the brief summary above, try to assess the foursome below playing through one hole of golf.

One Friday afternoon about midday, a group of members teed off on number one tee at the Calvert Course.  The Group consisted of Sammy Fontenot, Paul Fryer, Brandon Morrow, and Jeremy Smith. Sammy tees off first and slightly pulls his ball toward the patch of trees on the left side of the fairway. Paul set to tee off next, addresses the ball and slowly starts his back swing (perfect form) and just as he starts his downswing, Sammy, in disgust, slams his club down and blurts out a couple of obscenities. This causes Paul to chunk his drive. He chunks it so bad that the divot lands ten yards in front of him with the tee still stuck in the divot. Brandon set to tee off next is laughing so hard at Paul’s shot that it takes him almost 5 minutes to get ready, but then addresses the ball and hits one directly down the center of the fairway. Jeremy then tees off and follows suit and flies one right down the middle as well. They all load up and head off to their next shots.

Ten feet later, they arrive at Paul’s shot. He is on the white tee box. He cranks a 3 wood with a slight draw down the middle and is left with about 100 yards for his third shot.  They then precede to the other three’s shots. While Paul is helping Brandon and Jeremy get yardages for their second shots, Sammy notices that his ball is resting at the base of a tree. There is no way that he can hit this ball as it lies. So, Sammy takes a foot wedge out from the tree while no one is looking.   He then chokes down on a 5 iron, punching the ball under the tree limbs which comes to rest just short of the green.  Jeremy then hits an 8 iron into the green but pushes it a little right and it goes into the green side bunker. Brandon however, hits a nine iron right at the flag stick, lands two inches to the left of the flag and rolls toward the right side of the green.

Paul, now hitting his 3^rd shot from 100 yards takes out a 56 degree wedge, hits a high fade, also hitting right next to the hole, bounces once and spins back to about ten feet. As they all approach the green, Brandon marks his ball while Sammy gets ready to chip. Sammy chips, bump and run toward the hole, hits Paul’s ball because he didn’t mark it, but it still comes to rest about three feet right of the hole. Jeremy now set to hit out of the bunker. He Hits a solid shot just short of the hole, but three inches on the high side. He then gets permission from the other three and cleans up his putt making a par. Paul being out remarkably makes his ten foot par putt.  Brandon getting ready to putt, studies his putt from the left side of the green, then back to the right side behind the ball, stands over his putt, then backs away. He then walks back to the left side and studies, then back to the right side behind the ball. Finally stands over the putt and strokes it beautifully straight for the hole, all of a sudden it hops left and falls two feet left of the hole. His ball had hit Paul’s ball mark and jumped of course. He then marks his ball. Sammy then putts in for par. Brandon, now trying to assure par and not lose the hole, places his ball on the green, looks at it from below the hole, then from atop the hole. Walks back around and relines up the putt. Takes a nice back swing but pulls the putt and misses. Brandon then taps in his third putt for bogey.

Paul                      par

Sammy                 par

Jeremy                  par

Brandon                 bogey

Now, think, what penalties occurred? How would those penalties have affected the scores, and what are the proper scores for each player. Who wins the hole? For the official analysis, log on to our website.