When you get to the course for your weekend round of golf, what do you say to the other players that want to play some of the Rules some of the time?
What do I mean by that? 
How about the offer of a “two ball tee” or a “breakfast ball” to get things started. That’is when a player can hit two balls off the tee and chooses the better one to play from there on in. It may seem like a good idea in lieu of the driving range, but the starter may have some words for you.
What about the offer of a two dollar Nassau you agree to reluctantly believing someone really is a 16 handicap. After you play your second, he walks forward twenty yards passed you only to “roll over” his tee shot since there is a spec of mud on it.
Or, how about an opponent who decides to concede his next putt to himself? “I never miss four footers” he claims. That’s probably because you’ve never putted one out!
And what about the guy who always seems to think that his ball crossed the margin of the lateral water hazard 30 yards nearer the hole than where you had it crossing. I don’t wear my glasses during a round of golf. I substitute contacts that get me by. I know my vision isn’t the best, but sometimes I think I should offer my glasses to him!
This game is a very difficult game to play; I think we all know that. That’s why we enjoy watching someone playing at the elite level. They make it look so easy.
However, you can always take pride in knowing that when you lay your head down on your pillow at night, that score you posted is legit. You counted every stroke that you know of and you played every shot by the Rules.
If you want to have fun and do a few things outside of the Rules, go ahead and enjoy yourself and have some fun. Just don’t tell me you shot your round of your life and don’t ask me to play you in a two dollar Nassau!
Remember, knowing and following the Rules of Golf can assist you in avoiding unnecessary penalties and help you to enjoy this great game of golf even more.
