Using Local Rule E-5 by Default

General Discussion
#1

This is the alternative to stroke and distance where you drop in the fairway with a two-stroke penalty. Are you using this regularly?

I have not been, but I’m rethinking it. I only play casual rounds, so it’s always “appropriate”.

Another golfer used it after a particularly horrible tee shot. He had to drop so far back in the fairway that he still had 400 yards to the hole on a par 5. I thought that was a poor choice, but realized I hadn’t really given it that much thought.

On the next hole, I blasted one out of bounds with pretty good distance. Now that this rule was on my mind, I considered that even if I hit a great drive I couldn’t get much better than the drop. Why hadn’t I thought this through before? Now I think if the distance is acceptable, I should never re-tee.

Anyone else using this regularly?

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#2

I’ll definitely use it, but it’s more on balls I didn’t know went out… definitely better than going back and hitting again.

If you aren’t likely to improve on your second drive from your fairway drop, it 100% makes sense to take the two strokes… really should only retee if it would be significantly farther back from your average drive.

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#3

I haven’t been using it, but our club doesn’t allow the drop in tournaments (we have quite a bit of OB) so I keep it simple and just follow tournament rules. If I won Powerball and bought our course I’d be out there on day one painting a lot of the white stakes red lol.

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#4

I’m on board with all OB being a lateral hazard…

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#5

One league I play does stroke and distance and I think in casual rounds you won’t be entering for hdcp purposes it should be used for pace of play purposes.

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#6

I think that’s partly what slows down my Tues league. My old Thurs league was stroke & distance for pace of play and it worked well enough. We play the Tues league with tournament rules and we’re supposed to post our scores. The course has OB on the inside as well as on the outer edges. Players are constantly hitting provisionals as you can’t always be certain if your ball is in or out.

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#7

OB inside the course should be burned, buried, and left unmarked to be forever forgotten.
But for league purposes, especially with OB inside, stroke and distance should be a must.

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#8

This is my attitude, if I hit a ball that went a good long ways in bounds, I’ll use E-5 if its available. If I know it went out or was lost pretty close to the tee, I’ll hit a provisional. Remember that if you DO hit a provisional, you can’t later take relief under E-5.

Sorry, but I can’t agree with this one. To me, on the golf course and in a Penalty Area is a less severe infraction than missing the golf course completely. E-5 offers a pace-of-play solution, but keeps the penalty commensurate with the traditional stroke and distance penalty for OB.

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#9

I get the argument to keep it, it’s just incredibly penal and occasionally requires going back up to retee if you misjudge…

My home course is built into a neighborhood, so there is a lot of it… and they don’t want golfers playing recovery shots from backyards like it’s a hazard, so I get making it unplayable… it doesn’t improve my enjoyment of the game, even if it is fair.

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#10

I’d have to believe that there’s not a single penalty that improves anyone’s enjoyment of the game, unless it happens to their opponent.

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#11

At my club there are 16 different holes you can go OB on. Some easily, others needing a big hook and unlucky bounce. Our club doesn’t recognise this rule and requires you to go back to where you hit your last shot from. You invariably don’t go back because the group behind is already on the tee. In stableford you just have to take a wipe or hit a provisional whenever in doubt the first time around. Would be much easier if my club adopted the rule. (Mt Osmond GC)

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#12

I am exclusively E-5 ‘ing these days

Only hit a provisional if I know ball number 1 is long gone and w disadvantage to take e-5

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#13

Just to clarify: Can I use E-5 on my provisional? So tee shot goes out, hit a provisional, then learn that the provisional went out. Can I E-5 the provisional and then, what, lying five hitting six?

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#14

Exactly correct. Your provisional becomes shot number 3, plus 2 penalty strokes for using E-5, you’re lying 5 after you drop.

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#15

The correct move is to put your ball in your pocket and flag down the beverage cart

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#16

Absolutely right. You’re going to exceed your adjusted score maximum, so you might as well get a head start on swing lube.

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