Golf Practice Blog

If you’ve been keeping up with the PGA Tour, or if you’re just one of those funny-picture junkies that surfs sports blooper photos, then you should have seen this scene last Saturday:

But just what do you do in this situation? Before you jump to conclusions…no, the answer is not to choke up on the grip and shorten your backswing to hit just behind the ball.

According to SportingNews.com:

By the time Jason Dufner reached the scene, all the fans had shuffled out of the immediate area except Miranda Cooper, who was still sitting in her folding chair, ball in her lap and her hands covering her face in embarrassment.

“You’ve got to play it where it lays,” PGA Tour rules official Tony Wallin jokingly told Dufner.

Wallin then put a marker under Cooper’s chair. She got up and Dufner got to drop the ball in that spot without penalty.

He reached the green, and then three putted for bogey. Dufner recovered to shoot 71 and was at 7-under.

Fortunately most of us don’t have to worry about a gallery watching our every move. Honestly, there are many times that a few people will start to watch me play, then promptly head for the hills so they don’t catch my case of the shanks, yips, chili dips, and whatever other golf affliction I seemed to have brought to the course with me.

But in the instance that you do play a tournament where official rules of golf are strictly adhered to, you’re going to want to know what to do in these tricky situations. Visit PracticeRange.com today for your copy of the 2008-2009 Decisions on the Rules of Golf.

PracticeRange.com also offers a full assortment of handy pocket guides to keep in your golf bag.

Far Hills, N.J. - A proposed amendment to the 2008 Rules of Golf regarding additional forms of club adjustability has been approved by the USGA. Any such adjustment(s), however, cannot be made during a stipulated round. All new forms of iron and wood adjustability must be approved in advance by the USGA.

The Rules of Golf currently state that woods and irons must not be designed to be adjustable, except for weight. In March 2005, the USGA first indicated an interest in allowing more types of adjustable features on woods and irons and on Feb. 27, 2007, the USGA published a proposed Rule change.

The USGA decided to adopt the proposal after consideration of comments from manufacturers and other interested parties. The USGA believes the changes regarding adjustability can help many golfers obtain clubs that are well suited to their needs. There is no change to the Rules regarding putters, which already allow weight and other forms of adjustment.

“We believe that helping average golfers without taking away from the challenge of the game is a good thing for golf,” said Dick Rugge, USGA senior technical director.

“PGA Tour players have long had the opportunity to have their clubs adjusted or modified quickly and often. This has allowed them to fit their clubs to their swings as they feel the need to do so. By relaxing the rules to permit club adjustability, average golfers can enjoy similar fitting benefits.”

Any questions regarding the change to the rules governing adjustability of clubs should be sent to the USGA, attention Dick Rugge, P.O. Box 708, Far Hills, NJ 07931, Fax 908-234-0138, e-mail: drugge@usga.org.

Click here to order your copy of USGA Golf Rules Illustrated.