Golf The Times They Are A Changing

I’m more than a little surprised that the Long Putter will be illegal soon. I have played for a long time and seems like the only other ban I have seen was when the USGA came down against Sam Sneed and the crochet style putting.

Here is my list of ten changes I have seen in 50+ years of playing golf that might have been banned but were not.

1.       Metal heads for woods

2.       Metal shafts

3.       Graphite shafts

4.       Oversized heads for drivers

5.       Cavity back clubs

6.       Cut proof balls

7.       Cavity back (open back) putters

8.       Giant weird looking putter heads

9.       Hybrid irons

10.   Lob wedges

11.   Dozens of design changes to golf balls (this one should be 10 ¼ )

Sorry Padraig --We Caught Ya

For the second time this year a professional golfer has been disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. After a viewer emailed in a rules violation by Padraig Harrington he became this years number two. Seems his ball may have moved a full dimple, or even a dimple and a half. This was determined after careful slow motion study of Padraig bumping his ball as he picked up his marker.

He said all the right things about the rules and the disqualification later, but I bet he was steamed. All of the sudden viewers think this is the home shopping network and they are supposed to call in.

I love golf but do not believe we should have turned the game over to television snitches. By the way if I could just move my ball a dimple and a half closer once in a while, I believe I could go to the tour – from my double digit handicap now.

Viewer Call In Golf

So here we go again a viewer calls in a violation and Camilo Villegas is gone from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Villegas was chipping up a steep slope to the 15th green and twice the ball rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted (Craig Stadler and John Daly style) away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot while the ball was still rolling down the side hill.

That is a violation of Rule 23-1, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty was two shots. Villegas had already signed his card which disqualified him for signing what was now an incorrect score card.

Well, all is not lost, Camilo still got $50,000 plus for his day of golf.

Ever wonder what would happen if we started calling in basketball, football and baseball rules violations the officials missed? Sometimes the penalty seems a bit harsh for the violation. But that’s just me speaking.

-Enjoy the golf-