Reply To: Lift, clean and place

[Tommy Briggs]

Louie I agree there is a need for lift, clean and cheat, MOST players do not abide by the rules when a tournament is played with L,C&P. There are very few occasions where the “normal” rules of golf do not accommodate most “abnormal conditions” you are going to encounter and if it is so bad the equalizer is the entire field is playing the same course you are.
Your doomsday scenario implies that the course has gone for a week or more with constant rain and zero maintenance. There is a difference between the need for L,C&P and an unplayable course. You are suggesting a doomsday situation that you rarely encounter.
What golf course is going to open after days and days of heavy rain and no maintenance?
What tournament is going to try to play after days and days of heavy rain and no maintenance?
Any decent course if they decide the course is playable, have faced these kind of conditions before and are allowed to identify GUR areas and mark them accordingly.
Some of the situations you bring up can occur on a perfectly maintained dry course if during the middle of a round encounter a strong rain storm. Once you start a tournament round you cannot implement L,C&P in the middle of a round.
Are you going to play L,C&P fairways only, or can you tee it up in the rough. (By the way if you play L,C&P through the entire course, you know everyone is teeing it up in the rough)

1. You don’t get mud on a ball that often, and if you are getting mud on a ball that often you are probably encountering casual water and the “normal” rules allow relief from that situation, (including cleaning). Again if the entire field is playing the same course, the field is playing the same conditions. It is not perfect but I hate playing in the rain, it does not stop the tournament. I don’t think anyone enjoys playing in high winds, but you still keep playing, because the whole field
2. At the rate grass grows a fairway would have to go days and days without mowing for it to grow to a length you are talking about. If a course cannot mow for days and days it is going to be flooded and unplayable. Again the equalizer is the entire field is playing the same course.
3. If a course has gone days and days with constant rain and zero maintenance, it is unplayable. Clippings are not a big deal, clippings are on most courses every day. How about if your ball rolls across a green after they have top dressed the green and you ball comes to rest off the green, the sand on your ball is just as bad as mud, maybe worse.
4. Movable obstructions are covered in the normal rules of golf and have nothing to do with lift clean and cheat.

I hate playing in the rain, and in Florida we play many tournament rounds in heavy rain. I would rather play in the sunshine and face any situation you brought up rather than play in a downpour. Rain (without lightning) does not stop a tournament. Many things that happen on a golf course don’t seem right, but they happen.

If players would follow the rules, L,C&P would be more tolerable, but they don’t which is why it is commonly referred to as Lift, Clean and CHEAT.