People often ask me about the most important rule in golf. My answer might surprise you, but it’s simply this: Play the ball as it lies until you hole out. In essence, that’s golf in a nutshell.
If you really want to learn the game the right way, then play the ball the right way, as well. That means playing by the rules, keeping track of all your strokes, marking the ball properly on the green and recording your strokes each hole on a scorecard. Continue to do that over and over again until you establish a handicap. Then you’ll be able to play in tournaments and club events and compete with your peers on a level playing field. That simple approach to golf – which has been the key part of the game for centuries – has gotten lost amid all the instruction gurus and high-tech techniques that are bombarding us these days.
Anytime I played in a tournament in my younger days I always remember trying to get the ball in the hole with as much integrity as possible. It’s what I try to teach my players today, as well, whether they’re just getting started or thinking about taking their game to another level. If everybody did this, it would make the entire amateur game – and system – a whole lot better.
The beauty of the game is I, as a professional, can play someone with a 19 handicap and have a competitive match every time we tee it up. But if the rules aren’t followed correctly, the system doesn’t allow you to have the game you should.
We’ve all likely seen people who golf and don’t follow the rules when it comes to playing the ball where it lies, dropping the ball or scoring correctly when hitting into a hazard, or marking the ball correctly on the green. If you’re at a club or local course and don’t play by the rules, you might win a weekend game or a tournament from time to time, but everybody knows who you are, and what they’re thinking isn’t very complimentary.
The karma of golf is strong, and the game can be played for a lifetime. Why would you want to cheat it? Why fudge some rules so you can feel better about yourself by marking down a 79 instead of an 88? That’s not only wrong, but it also holds you back from improving – both on the course and as a person. If a round of golf indeed shows the true character of a player, don’t you want others to think of you in the highest light possible? Better yet, don’t you want to feel good about yourself?
At the end the day, when you’re finished playing your round of golf, you should be able to look in the mirror and know that you tried as hard as you could and recorded the best score possible that day. It’s a win-win-win situation for you, your playing partners and the game as a whole.
