Published: June 28, 2008 06:55 pm            

COMMENTARY: How well do you know golf etiquette?

KEN RUGGIERO: A nine-hole golf quiz

Today, we’ll begin our time together by playing nine holes of “quiz” golf. The questions pertain to golf history, rules, and etiquette. Next week, we’ll make the turn and play the back nine. Give yourself a par for each correct answer. A score of six pars or better is a passing grade on the front side.

1. In stroke play, what happens if I ask you what club you just hit?

A. a one-stroke penalty for me.

B. A two-stroke penalty for me.

C. Nothing.

D. You answer me ..or else!

2. What is the oldest event on the PGA Tour?

A. The Masters

B. The Western Open

C. The U.S. Open

D. The Greensboro Open

3. Who was the first man to win both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open?

A. Arnold Palmer

B. Raymond Floyd

C. Jack Nicklaus

D. Lee Trevino

4. Who was the first PGA player to shoot his age in a PGA event?

A. Ben Hogan

B. Sam Snead

C. Lee Trevino

D. It has never been done.

5-7. In the 1970’s, only four men led the money list in any given year. Nicklaus was one. Name the other three.

8. There is a player in a certain foursome who tends to rattle change in his pocket or stand directly behind the hole and in a players vision while that person is putting. The two-part question: Is this a breach of etiquette? Is this a breach of the rules?

9. A player hits her tee shot on an uphill, 145-yard par-three. Thinking that she might have hit her ball over the green and out-of-bounds, the player decides correctly to play a provisional ball. After looking for her first ball for five minutes without success, she plays out her provisional, only to discover that her original ball went into the hole for an apparent “ace.” What’s the verdict?

• Constant Correction

The greatest distinction between an average and a very good player is the ability to make on-course adjustments. No one hits great shots all day. Golf’s great professional Gene Littler once stated that, “golf is not a game of great shots. It’s a game of the most accurate misses. The people who win make the smallest mistakes.”

In order to be a good player, you must first accept that you will only hit four or five great shots in any 18-hole round of golf. The rest are good misses. Next, you must be able to make physical and mental adjustments as you play to minimize error.

To do this, you must have an understanding of the game and your tendencies. For example, after several holes, you might tend to drastically pull shots with your driver. You need to know why. A good player will realize that pulled shots often occur when a player hits off his or her back foot. While you may not be able to prevent the initial pull, you should be able to analyze the shot and not have it reoccur.

I see players all the time pull shots because their right hand is simply too much under the grip in what I refer to as a “power” grip. In this position, the right hand acts as it would if it were hitting an over-spin volley in tennis. In the hitting area, the right hand over-responds and the clubface closes drastically, causing the pull.

The correction is simple. The right hand can be positioned on the club in a more neutral location. Also, the learned player will be certain that the club is in the fingers and not the palm of the right hand.

• Quiz Answers:

1.B, 2.C, 3.A, 4.B, 5-7. Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, 8. It is a clear breach of etiquette as defined in the Rules of Golf. It is not a penalty because Decisions on the Rules has declared that distractions are a common occurrence, and 9.The lady made a hole-in-one. The play of that hole was completed as soon as the original ball went into the hole.

• And finally …

I would once again like to thank all those readers who extended their condolences to me on the loss of my lifetime golf buddy Fred, who passed away while putting out on the second green two Sundays ago in our regular foursome.

Needless to say, it was a difficult day for our golfing group, having to hit our ball and drag Fred throughout the remainder of the round.

Relax, I’m just kidding. It’s a joke. There is no Fred. And, until next week, keep it in the fairway.

        

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