posted by Joe B.

Welcome to the rule your game blog. At rulegolf, the putt we want to make is simple: to help you create moments of satisfaction both on and off the course. And one of the ways that we hope to help you do that is with this forum. We want you to share your knowledge, questions and understanding about the game and the rules of golf. Let's jump in:

I was playing in a golf tournament a few years ago and I hooked my drive into some bushes next to the cart path on the fourth hole of the Oasis Palmer Course in Mesquite, NV (remember Big Break, yeah, that one). I got up to my ball and found that i was right up next to the base of the bush and had no choice except to take an unplayable and a penalty shot. My playing partner pointed out that I was within my rights to announce that I would be playing the shot from the left side, which would then create a stance on the cart path, from which I could then take relief and hit my shot from my usual side. This rule and its use saved me a stroke and we won the hole. 

My point is this, if you know and understand the rules of the game, you can improve your game. If you hit a shot from a position that could be improved had you known and applied the rules, you may have a better shot instead of hitting a difficult shot from a difficult lie and then getting on yourself for having two or three bad shots in a row. Whether you're playing in a tournament or playing with friends (you need to know how to take their money too), knowing the rules is one of the easiest game improvements you can make.

Click HERE to post a comment or share your strategic uses of the rules of golf.