Golf Rules Plain & Simple

"The game's big lie is that the rules of golf are simple. The actual fact is that they are complex and confusing, which is why millions of earnest amateurs unwittingly violate them every time they play. PGA Tour official Mark Russell is one of golf's best at making complicated rules decisions clear and understandable to the best players in the world, and now he's presenting his common sense approach in plain drawings and plainer English. If you want to truly understand the rules and confidently play by them, read this book."
-- Jaime Diaz, Sport Illustrated

With that in mind, I offer some suggestions that the author or other readers may want to comment on.

Some suggestions:

While there is a footnote that gives the author's opinion as to the more important rules, he doesn't use them to order his book. Rule #1 (for example) is about seeking advice on golf club selection - and of his five key rule situations - the first one drags in at Rule Number 18. Also, it would seem to be much more helpful to put yellow and red staked hazards on adjoining pages for the reader to compare and contrast.

After stating each rule situation, the author gives the most common mistake made (first) before giving the correct procedure. This is not helpful and potentially confusing. When telling someone how to do something - do you want to start with the wrong way or right way? Nothing wrong with pointing out the common errors - just put it at the end.

Some more could have been expected as to the top issues. For example, how to come to agreement with others as to where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. Things to say to an opponent could make this a lot less trying in match play, for example.

To the author, page 67 talks about a provisional ball played for a ball that you think is lost in a water hazard. Agreed. But the more common argument is when it is unclear. Where is your explaination in the book that if you don't see it land (and stay) in a water hazard - the ball is assumed to be lost? Another point that your book appears deaf on - what happens (for example) if you are playing a match and hit a ball towards the woods bordering the fairway. You don't have any indication that it is a hazard (it looks like normal woods from the tee) - you announce your intention to hit a provisional ball as you may have a lost ball. You and your opponent both agree as to where the ball seemed to drop down. You find your ball but those nice woods actually turns out to be a red stake marked lateral hazard. You have a shot to the green (without penalty) that you would like to try. Your opponent says no. He says, "you can't use the provisional ball rule when a ball lands in a hazard. Lack of knowledge of the hazard's existance offers no help. You need to play your second ball (i.e. no longer provisional)as it is the live ball" (in other words, no five options for a lateral hazard). Is he correct?

Finally, while you give the five options for a lateral hazard correctly, a note that "playing it as it lies" also means no grounding of the club (while covered elsewhere) would be a helpful reminder here.

Hope these suggestions help.


IF YOU GOLF-OWN THIS BOOK   October 13, 2000
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

Like most golfers I think I know the rules, but I don't. Who has the time to read the very confusing USGA rules book?

Mark Russell simply and clearly explains the basic rules of golf. O.B., lateral hazzard, lost ball-these are the rules that 95% of golfers DO NOT understand.

Thanks Mark!

Alan


Please Read This Book!   September 22, 2000
 5 out of 14 found this review helpful

Sunny Delaney, please read this book. You see a little knowledge of the rules of golf is important in reviewing a book about the rules. Point: You would never penalize your "opponent" two strokes for asking for advise (the club you hit), because the penalty in match play (the only time you have an "opponent") is loss of hole - not two stokes. In stroke play the penalty is two stokes, but you do not play with or against "opponents", but instead "fellow competitors." Too picky? Not to a golfer, even a weekend golfer.


Must have for the golf bag!   September 26, 1999
 20 out of 20 found this review helpful

Mark Russell has taken something that not many golfers know anything about, the rules, and made them simple to understand. In the common situations Russell uses, he shows you exactly where you can find it in the rule book. After reading Golf Rules Plain and Simple, I consider myself more knowledgeable of the rules. This book is a must for your golf bag.