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I'm with you 100 %! I happen to bemoan the fact that it seems less attention is being paid to the rules of the game, and not too many people seem to mind.

You call that integrity? I call it 2 guys who should know better making brainless mistakes, and one of them lost a bunch of money for it. If what Boo had done was legal, then it's good sportsmanship. In this case because he was in violation of a basic Rule of Golf, it was just dumb. Postulating that Johnson's ball would have hit the hole, Weekley's action resulted in a 4 stroke swing between them - the 2 stroke penalty for hitting the flagstick that Johnson avoided vs. the 2 stroke penalty that Weekley incurred. You won't be in the Touring golf pro business for long making costly mistakes like that.

Hard to argue with your position...Weekley learned from it, however, and won't likely make the same mistake again...not only that, he accepted the penalty without complaint, took a philosophical stance and opted to live, learn and move on. One imprudent move in no way jeopardizes his integrity, imo. While I agree that it's every golfer's (especially pros) responsibility to know and abide by the rules, I feel compelled to consider the spirit in which he incurred the infraction...he had a fellow competitor's welfare in mind. Thoughtless, yes...dumb, perhaps...virtuous, no doubt.

Shade

Point well made.

Yes indeed! Well said Shade!

By the way, I may have violated policy in a post today. I think I wrote "p******* off in one of my posts, but I don't know which. Is there some program that searches? I'm not positive, but it seems that I may have. Had I read this entire thread before I would have known better.

Most tournaments have the " inside the leather rule"

Not any tournaments down here. Gimme's aren't allowed, and shouldn't be. The end goal of every hole is putting the ball in the bottom of the cup. 'Til you've done that, the hole isn't complete.

Really.... ???

No tournament I ever played in has ever had such a rule. In fact, such a tournament could not even be sanctioned under the Rules, as that agreement is itself a violation of those Rules. Not even the tournament committee is allowed to waive a Rule. See Rule 33-1.

Every 2,3,4 man tournaments around here in MO have it. To be quite honest never been to one that doesn't. And I play in a lot of tournaments through out the year. And to be quite honest again I don't care if we get them or not, And if the guys paying the money out says that's how it is played that day that's what I am doing.

If that is the case, then you are playing in more of social than a competitive format. Any club that plays formal tournaments plays them by the Rules of Golf, and "inside the leather" is a concept that is foreign to the Rules. I've seen plenty of 2 foot putts missed over the years I've played....

My club, even when playing an unusual format (such as our 5 man scramble or our "Ringer" tournament, still requires all on course play to adhere to the Rules. Even the infomal company tournaments that I played in before I retired were more "by the rules" than what you describe.

Personally, I wouldn't want to get into the habit of taking gimmes. It can bite you when you DO play in a tournament where they aren't allowed, because it becomes automatic to just reach over and pick up those short ones (I've seen it happen a few times with players who haven't played in organized competitions - old habits die hard).... oops, 1 stroke penalty and replace the ball.

I understand what your saying. The tournaments that I play in are Competitive tournaments. Like I said though If that's how they are playing it I am going to play it that way.

in my court there is rules like this :

what the heck rules is this

Very few people putt all the putts. I enjoy golf better if I putt all the putts. the 12" and 18' putts have to be hit just right, like a 10' putt. I think no putt should be given.

Rules of Golf Animations by the USGA.

These are possiblly easier to take in than the written versions:

Rules Of Golf Animations | United States Golf Association