Course Conditions

[Al Beard]

I just played four rounds this past weekend. I had read earlier about how some folks were concerned about pins and pool noodles. I can tell you for certain that on the courses I played, pool noodles at the bottom of the holes, were plenty deep to allow entry of your golf ball. They did NOT cause the ball to lip out.

I played all three Legends Courses, and Heritage in Pawleys Island. All of them were in very good shape, even after the tropical depression we had. I can only speak for those four courses.

I CAN tell you the city is asking everyone to wear a face mask in public areas. The ordinance is being enforced intermittently. You will see signs everywhere. Some places crackdown, others do not. I was asked to leave the Heritage Pro Shop for not having one on, but not at Legends where I just got a hard look, where they gladly took my money. LOL

[Paul Lill]

Al Beard. You are one of the reasons I won’t be attending this year. Why would you enter the pro shop at Heritage without a mask, and need to be asked to leave. Testing the limits ?

[Scott T. – World Am]

Al – with our city/county mandates in place and World Am contingencies in place, we would have to remove you from the tournament and not just the pro shop. Please wear a mask.

[Lee Hooper]

Scott, You only have to wear the mask around the club house and parking lot and NOT on the Golf course? Is that right?

[Scott T. – World Am]

In clubhouse definitely. Parking lot I don’t think is required but it can’t hurt. On the golf course no, but should practice social distancing.

[Harry (Rule 35) Radley]

Wearing the mask on the course would be a litigation nightmare. For example, if you struck a ball towards a fellow competitor up on a different fairway and had to scream at the top of your lungs FORE!!! the extra exertion of oxygen into the mask could cause you respiratory problems and render you unconscious. On the other hand if you took the time to remove the mask before yelling FORE!!! it would be to late and the ball would have already struck that person and then we have the problem of removing the body from the golf course. So the only suggested remedy would be just to thrust your arm high into the air waving it about while extending four fingers hopinh intended victim or one of his threesome are looking in your direction.

[Tommy Briggs]

I think we will all be fine if everyone uses a little common sense and respect for their fellow man / golfer

[Ricky Napper]

Common sense…a lost art in our world today. Can’t wait to get MB where years of memories have been made w old friends and new ones. It is getting close. To those that come to the Beach let’s be focused on safety and good golf while respecting those around us. Those that have decided not to attend, we will miss you and pray that you are able to join us next year. Most of all May God Bless our Nation in this time of divide.

[Al Beard]

Some of you totally missed the point about the pool noodles and ball clearance, which was the main point of my post.

I only posted the truth about wearing a mask and my experience. At Heritage I had entered the pro shop from the back, where there was no sign. I got my mask and reentered. At Legends they were not enforcing it. I had mine on once and another time not. Simply an observation. Some staff, (outside) complained about having to wear one. My comments were not intended to create debate, or stir up trouble. I will be wearing one where required.

Common sense says do that and keep a safe distance. Not a problem. Glad to know we will have individual carts. Would hate to see ANYONE get sick.

[Bob Newman]

I just got back from MB today. Only ok played twice, Rivet Club, which I play just about every year and have never found it not to be in excellent shape. Also played The International Club for the first time and out was a great course. Wrote a mask in the clubhouse at both locations. Could have had a single cart at each course but elected to ride son-in-law. Beach in Surfside was as crowded as I have ever seen it. Overall traffic was light (except for the bikers), restaurants were open but didn’t have usuals crowds (IMO), parking lots not full. Most all stores have a sign stating Wear a Mask, but most not enforcing it. Went in PGA SUPERSTORE and was only about 5 customers, I got tired of glasses fogging up, so I removed mine but never got within 6 ft of anyone. I don’t plan on wearing one on the course, and I plan on practicing social distances, but that of hard to do while on the green.

[Rick Kimbrell]

I understand having the pool noodles in the hole to keep people from reaching down in the cup to get their ball out and keeping us safe. We have them at my club and most places I play here in Houston.
However, the downside to having pool noodles in the hole…..
I have had 5 hole-in-ones in my life. With the pool noodles now in the hole, I have had 2 balls hit in the hole and bounce out in a one month timeframe. 3 witnesses each time have said in all probability would have been a hole-in-one if the pool noodles were not in the hole. But, did not count as hole-in-one since ball did not stay in the hole. Frustrating…yes it is…could have been #6 and #7.

[Denny Burch]

I don’t know whether any courses in the WA will use cup noodles, but in my area (central PA) there’s another noodle issue. Some courses play a local rule that considers any putt that hits the pin and bounces off as holed, no matter how fast it was moving. Shots from off the green do not get this benefit. As you might guess, some players try to stretch that rule to mean any putt that lips out is holed whether it hits the pin or not (They claim it hit the pin). So disagreements can pop up as to whether the ball actually touched the pin.

I hope the rules committee provides a uniform rules policy for any courses using noodles. My preference would be to force putts to be holed.

[Bob Newman]

Rick, I feel your pain but ball must be at rest with any part of the ball within the hole. Only issue I have seen with noodles is if they are not recessed enough. I have actually holed a shot from the fairway with the noodles in the hole. It was a brilliantly struct shot. I was 135 yards from the hole, knew it was well hit the moment it left the club, it rose to about 2’ off the ground and was dead at the flag. Even though it struck the ground well shot of the green, I knew it had a Chance. As it arrived on the green, my son-in-law said “it’s dead at the hole and then”I think it’s in “ I then remembered the best book on golf that I have ever read, “Skull Your Way to Victory”

[Kirk Roberts]

In regards to the noodle rule. Many courses around here have flipped the cups over and this shallows out the depth of the hole. The ball will go into the hole and you can use two fingers to remove it.
I take a small bottle of hand sanitizer and I just put some on between holes. It isnt a perfect solution but it is better than doing nothing.
If a person is still worried about touching the flag i say take some wipes with you and wipe down after each hole. And include wiping down your ball!

I am sure this is too late to order but what about a World Am Mask for every player? Then everyone would have one to wear when they go into the clubhouse during their round.

[Danny Fox]

At my home course, they have a metal PCs that’s flat at the bottom of the cup and has a PCs that goes around the flag stick, that you lift with your putter and the ball rolls off it and on the green for you to pick up. That way there is no question of a putt being made.

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