The director of the prestigious Marbella Club Golf Resort, Rod Bastard, a professional with extensive experience as a golf course manager, shares in this article his impressions on some of the new rules of golf that have come into force this year.
Dropping from knee height. I understand why they have introduced this rule to try to limit the speed at which the ball hits the ground so it does not roll outside the stipulated club length and need to be re-dropped. What we all need to be careful of is that now that the ball must be played within the area of the club lengths, it can no longer roll two more club lengths. This can complicate shots in some situations. I understand the rule, but I think the knee looks silly and is also specific. I would have preferred if they had said drop at a height between the waist and ankle. This more flexible definition would have created the same result, but it would have been quicker and less likely to break the rules.
Fixing of damage by putting line. This rule falls under the heading of fairness. I think it is only fair that all players have the same surface to kick on. Players at Pebble Beach were saying that this rule was very welcome, as in soft conditions the greens would have been very poor for players who started their matches later. The main thing to remember is that we only have 40 seconds to hit our putt, so we can’t take too long to go all the way down the line and repair everything. Maybe when you repair your putt you will have a quick look at a few things on your line so that when it is your turn, most of the work will have been completed. Let’s not turn this advantage into an excuse for slow play.
Use of the flag inside the green. This is a rule that has been talked about a lot in a negative way, but I think in the long run it will help speed up play. All the studies I have seen say that leaving the flag set in the hole is a benefit and at least not a hindrance. I’ve played a few rounds and was increasingly leaving the flag on all lengths of putts. I don’t know if that helps me make more, but it doesn’t hurt and on longer putts it helps with speed. Now I have a radical idea: if it doesn’t hurt, maybe the rule should have been: you can never take the flag out. Imagine how that rule would have sped up the game. It’s not going to happen, but I think overall this is a rule that will gain popularity quickly. Try it the next time you play.
Ball search time of 3 minutes. I think this is a very good rule. All of us who play golf know once we get to the height where the ball is supposed to be whether there is a chance of finding it or not. I would say that, if they are going to find it, this usually happens within the first two minutes, so anything else is just wasting time. The one thing I notice is that what happens to most players when they lose their ball is that they are looking at the wrong distance, especially from the tree. You have to be very aware of how far you’ve hit the ball, because just looking 20 yards further and you’ll never find your ball. If you have hit the ball wrong and it has gone astray, it is likely that it has flown shorter than you think. The magic rule is: if in doubt, hit a provisional ball.
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