# Ok explain to me this pga/golf rule **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** golf\ **Created:** [June 12, 2021, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150 "2021-06-12T22:55:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/1 "2021-06-12T22:55:18Z")
Ok heres the article > **[Pro golfer withdraws from tournament after receiving 10-stroke penalty](https://sports.yahoo.com/mark-hensby-palmetto-championship-10-stroke-penalty-wrong-ball-pga-tour-010619777.html)** > > Yes, 10 strokes. All he did was get given the wrong ball it seems … If it’s a mistake and didn’t impact anything why kill off the guy’s event? Although if it was me id of just said hmm shrugged and went on my merry way ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/2 "2021-06-12T23:03:43Z")
The rule is that they don’t want players switching ball types based on the shot they were about to take. So no long yardage balls for drives and other ones for putting. It’s a local rule though, not PGA wide You can have multiple balls, in case you lose one, but they have to be the same type. That’s really rough. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/3 "2021-06-13T01:26:53Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > All he did was get given the wrong ball it seems The golfer is responsible for following all the rules. It’s his job to know the rules and make sure that he follows them. There are fairly arcane rules about moving the ball, removing any vegetation near your lie, carrying the right number of clubs, etc. It’s just part of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/4 "2021-06-13T03:50:37Z")
Of course they’re responsible for following the rules. That doesn’t mean the rules aren’t stupid. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/5 "2021-06-13T05:01:56Z")
well whos responsible for picking up the balls ? It said he didnt notice it until the caddy handed it to him a couple of holes later ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/6 "2021-06-13T07:04:53Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > That’s really rough. Just use a lob wedge for that shot. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/7 "2021-06-13T10:54:37Z")
Well, in this case the rule wasn’t stupid, but I’d argue the penalty was. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/8 "2021-06-13T11:55:50Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > It’s a local rule though, not PGA wide I think it’s only “local” in the sense that it applies to ALL PGA events (and the three majors that are not PGA events and probably a bunch of others at high levels). Local means it’s not in the Rules of Golf that you and I are by default expected to follow when playing a friendly round at the local municipal. Being a pedantic git is allowed in The Game Room right? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/9 "2021-06-13T11:59:57Z")
My mistake- I thought it was a local course rule and not a PGA rule. Courses can have their idiosyncratic rules for tournaments. If it is PGA tournament wide, I stand corrected! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/10 "2021-06-13T12:08:38Z")
The One Ball Rule was in force in our company golf tournament. And we have lots of players with double digit handicaps playing there. You show a sleeve at check-in and they note it down. We haven’t had a company tournament in at least ten years. We now have an “outing” which is much, much, more casual. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/12 "2021-06-22T15:45:26Z")
Sooooooo…(bear with me here)…you can have different clubs for different shots, but not different balls for different shots. Sounds logical. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/13 "2021-06-22T16:48:16Z")
Perfectly logical. Do you play golf? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/14 "2021-06-22T16:51:57Z")
For the same reason that the NFL has a ball inflation rule. You lose the integrity of the game when you allow gimmicking of the equipment. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/15 "2021-06-22T17:28:10Z")
Yes, and there are tons of restrictions on how many clubs and the technical specs of what clubs are and are not allowed. Ball technology is a newer thing and maybe in 10 years the rules might change, but it hasn’t so far. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/16 "2021-06-22T17:41:00Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Yes, and there are tons of restrictions on how many clubs and the technical specs of what clubs are and are not allowed. There’s a limit of 14 clubs in your bag, and many players have been penalized for having too many, usually an errant club finds it way in and no one notices until too late. A few times it’s been the player’s child’s club that got hidden at the bottom of a bag, other times it was an extra club they were trying out and just left in the bag. A few times no one had a clue where the club came from or who owned it. > **[Parkin in the one-too-many club](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/jul/24/golf.theopen20011)** > > Philip Parkin knows exactly what his fellow Welshman Ian Woosnam went through when he discovered he had one too many clubs in his bag during Sunday's final round of the Open at Royal Lytham. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/17 "2021-06-22T20:46:00Z")
I could say the same thing about different clubs, yah? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/18 "2021-06-22T23:16:01Z")
Have you ever played golf? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/19 "2021-06-23T00:12:16Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I could say the same thing about different clubs, yah? No, because the rules outline exactly what is allowed in a legal club, and the number you can carry. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/20 "2021-06-23T11:30:43Z")
[“Goldfinger”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTBvu-fTTIk) - skip ahead to the 5 minute mark if you’re bored or have seen it many times before. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150/21 "2021-06-23T11:41:46Z")
And the rule makers could just as easily designate how many ball types could be used. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-explain-to-me-this-pga-golf-rule/944150.md?page=2)