Changes to the rules of golf

There's a good and bad to rangefinders.
The good is it gets you an exact distance to the flag and helps speed up play.
The bad is it makes golfers lazy and unless you're a 3 handicap or better, the difference between 173 and 177 really depends on how close to the center of the face you actually hit the ball. I'm the only caddie at my club that doesn't use a rangefinder because I can pace the distance and I'm within a yard every damn time. The flag number is worthless because that won't help you get it close. Find out what the number to the middle is. If the flag is in front, subtract 15 or 16. If it's in back, add 15 or 16. Pick a club that will definitely travel the shortest number but won go longer than the last one. If you're stuck between the two because of a variable (wind, hill, etc), pick the longer one.

The three minute ball is still two minutes too long for weekend warriors. If it's in the shit, you can take a 10-second peek and then take a drop. If it's in thick rough but should be in play, look for a minute. Can't find it? Free drop.

Can someone smarter than me explain the bunker rule? Does this mean I can pick up sand surrounding my player's ball and tee that thing up? Also, John Petersen said this and I had no idea what he was talking about but loved the phrase:

 

USGA making sense. What a time to be alive!

I doubt I'll ever buy a rangefinder. Most courses are well marked and I'm not good enough for one to make me any better.

But, as a previous poster said, EVEYONE I play with seems to have one. And they usually give me yardage unprompted.

 

Having the watch rangefinder just makes it easier so I don't have to hunt for the yardage markers on the sprinkler heads and when you're somewhat wayward left or right. I prefer the watch so all I have to do is look at the watch for yardage and don't have to point at anything.

Bunker rule is okay, look you're not getting much of an advantage anything; the major impact of a bunker is the footing and the very small margin of error for hitting a crisp shot.

Common sense of less rules for things that don't really give you an advantage is good for golf.

 

I thought maybe they were going to have heats where they awarded points to leaders after the fourth and ninth holes, then played the next two under a caution flag.

 

This is the most high-definition gif I've ever seen. I'm mesmerized by it.

 

I swear to God I was going to respond to Flip's gif with that same sentiment. It's theater-quality.

 

So defensive air horn blasts still aren't cool? Maybe this game just isn't for me ...

 

You'll be OK, Ty. Just be the ball.

 

John Peterson, like many pro golfers, doesn't bother to understand the rules, or in this, the proposed change. You will be able to ground your club in a bunker or hazard but you still can't improve your lie or test the surface.
This is why you need a rules official on every hole. Because some of these guys are too bleeping lazy to understand the rules governing the sport in which they make millions.

 

The rangefinder watches are pretty good. I use the Bushnell brand and it's never been off.

 

Call me old school, but I still like to do the yardage math on my own, possibly because I'm scared that I'll shoot the yardage to the tree behind the green instead of the flag. My problem with rangefinders is more with the people who use them. I have friends who play the same course four or five times a week and they use them for every shot, even 40 yard pitches. Drives me crazy. And. most amateurs even if they have the exact yardage are going to underclub anyway. I agree the stroke and distance for OB and lost balls should be done away with, at least on the amateur level if you want to speed up play. Makes no sense in a five-hour round to have to wait for the group in front to come back and re-tee.