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At the start of a media trip only a few years into my career as a traveling golf journalist, I was hanging out with a few veteran golf writers by one of the baggage claim carousels inside Missouri’s Springfield-Branson National Airport, waiting for everyone’s clubs to arrive. When details of my sticks came up in conversation, I opened my travel bag to pull out an iron. That’s when one of the more experienced travel writers dropped some knowledge on me.

“You travel with your clubs like that?” he asked, clearly surprised.

I had no idea what he was getting at. I had headcovers on the driver, fairway wood and hybrids, and the bag was securely tucked inside the travel bag. All seemed fine to me.

“You should protect them more,” he said.

As I learned that afternoon, this particular writer always removes the heads of his driver and fairway woods, tucking them into the side pocket of his golf bag whenever he travels. As he told me, it’s more common than you might think for clubs to be broken, given how baggage handlers haphazardly toss golf travel bags around. More specifically, those bags are routinely thrown head-on into barricades, the inner walls of baggage transport vehicles, and other hard surfaces. At that angle of impact, the force can easily cause lightweight graphite shafts to bend awkwardly and snap. Influencer Erik Anders Lang experienced this several years ago, and he documented it in a vlog that he posted back in 2021.

The thought of removing clubheads each time I pack my golf bag for a trip didn’t sit well with me then, and it still doesn’t today. Even though my driver, woods and hybrids are all adjustable, I never tinker with the settings. Once I’ve been expertly fit with new equipment, I leave things alone — I’d rather adjust the mechanics of my swing than the loft and lie angles of my club. Removing a clubhead entirely and then reattaching it after a flight fills me with acute uneasiness. I fear I wouldn’t be able to return the club to the exact specs that were originally calibrated for my swing.

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Fortunately, there’s another solution for club protection. Products such as Club Glove’s Stiff Arm, BagBoy’s Backbone, the Club Shield by Tour Trek, and Caddy Daddy’s North Pole Club Travel Protector all provide a necessary buffer between your clubs and the top end of the travel bag. These extendable devices effectively act as a shock absorber, taking the brunt of any head-on impacts, leaving your clubs unscathed.

I’ve employed their use for more than a decade and — knock on wood — I have never suffered any club damage. Years ago, however, I did open my travel bag to find that the Backbone inside had broken. But you could argue the device did its job — if the transport of my bag broke the Backbone, you can imagine what it would’ve done to my driver. And I’d much rather spend $40 to replace a travel accessory than $500 for a new club.

So, if you’re not taking measures to ensure your clubs are well guarded against negligent baggage handlers, be it through the aforementioned tactics or using a hardcase travel bag, you’re taking on a lot of risk each time you travel. And as you know, minimizing risk is the key to good scores on the course. We recommend it here too.

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The post 5 etiquette guidelines you might be breaking on the greens appeared first on Golf.

“Yup, right here is where this game is won. Right here on the green.”

The commentary, uttered by caddie Bagger Vance in the fictional — though, at times, veracious — golf film, The Legend of Bagger Vance, is true. Rarely is a match, a tournament, a major championship determined by a tee shot or a superbly struck iron. Golf’s biggest moments reveal themselves on the green.

Incidentally, a golfer’s etiquette is most on display there, too.

You might know the basics of how to behave on and around the putting surface, but there are finer points to conducting yourself with class when play reaches the green. Here, we highlight five key aspects of upstanding etiquette when you and your playing partners have a putter in hand.

Standing matters

When it comes to green etiquette, most faux pas are made by standing in the wrong places. For example, you’ll never see the pros standing behind a player on an extension of their putt’s line, not because it’s against the rules, but because it’s understood that taking such a position could be a distraction. The same is true for standing beyond the hole on a direct line with the player who’s putting. As a good rule of thumb, avoid standing in areas where you’re likely to be visible either in a player’s peripheral vision or in their direct line of sight as they’re looking down the line of their putt.

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Casting shadows

Only on the most overcast of days — or those unfortunate rounds played in the rain — will you not cast a shadow on the ground. At all other times, the orientation of the sun has the potential to create distractions and challenging lighting situations. So, when you’re standing on the green, take a moment to locate your shadow. If it falls over a playing partner’s line or it’s covering the cup, take as many steps as necessary to reposition your shadow — it might otherwise be a distraction or interfere with the player’s ability to accurately judge the break and speed of their putt.

Tread carefully

Most golfers know to be careful about stepping in another player’s line on the green. If this is news to you, here’s a quick primer: When players walk on the green, each footstep causes a slight depression in the turf. Most of the time, these depressions won’t be visible, but on softer greens, they can be. Depending on the firmness of the putting surface, the length of time it takes for these depressions to recover varies, but on average it takes at least a handful of minutes. That means a footprint made on the line of a putt has the ability to impact how the ball rolls over that section of the turf — it might affect the putt’s speed or it could impact the break. Either way, there’s a good chance a fresh footprint will negatively interfere with an otherwise well-struck putt, even if that footprint isn’t visible to the naked eye.

So make sure you keep tabs on where the other players are on the green and the lines that their putts will take. Extended strides can usually do the trick if you’re walking in between a player and the hole; however, taking a few extra moments to walk behind the player is always more courteous. This applies to scenarios when golfers are just off the green, too. Before walking in front of a player who’s a few yards back in the fairway, on the collar, or perhaps in the first cut, take a look at the club he or she is holding. If they’re planning to putt, go the extra mile and walk behind them — the courtesy won’t go unnoticed (or unappreciated).

Capture the flag

If you’re playing with strangers or a mix of people you don’t normally play with, chances are the topic of the flagstick will come up on the first green. “Do you like the pin in or out?” someone will inevitably ask. If the stakes of the match are significant — or if you’re playing in a tournament — by all means stay resolute in how you like to putt. But if you’re just playing a social, fun round of golf, and the other players are all in agreement on how they prefer the flagstick, don’t be the guy who rocks the boat. If the group’s consensus is they all like putting with the flagstick out — and you’re a pin-in kind of guy — don’t insist that the flagstick needs to be in when you putt. It’ll only make for awkward exchanges.

Also, if you’re holding the flagstick while the other players in your group finish up, make sure you hold onto it near the top, high enough on the stick that you can wrap up the flag and keep it in your grip. The sound of the flag flapping in the breeze can sometimes be a distraction; and if you’re responsible for taking the pin, make sure you keep the flag under control.

Ready, set….

If you’ve read my column on slow play, you know all the minutia that goes into assessing a shot, whether on the tee box or in the fairway, it takes time. More time than you may realize. The same is true on the greens. Reading the break, assessing the slope, making sense of the grain (if you’re playing on traditional Bermuda grass), this chews up precious time. I’m not suggesting not to do these things — the greens are where the game is won, after all — but recognize when you can start doing them.

If you’re not the first in your group to putt, but you (including your shadow) are out of the field of vision for the player who is, start assessing your line. You might even have time to reposition your ball and be ready to putt moments after your playing partner does. There’s no guarantee the players in your group will notice this expedited approach on the greens — they’re likely going to be too focused on the putts they’re trying to make — but I can guarantee that the golfers behind you in the fairway will. Your initiative will speed up your entire group’s play.

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The post What do the letters and numbers on wedges actually mean? appeared first on Golf.

The post What do the letters and numbers on wedges actually mean? appeared first on Golf.

Understanding what the letters and numbers on your wedges actually mean is critical to navigating those tricky shots around the green and from less than ideal lies. Here are the basics.

Pitching wedge

Most often marked with a “P” or “PW,” the pitching wedge is usually the lowest-lofted wedge in your bag — typically ranging from 43 to 46 degrees. It’s ideal for full-swing approach shots, especially when you want a lower flight or more roll. It’s also a great option for low, running chips.

Gap wedge

The gap wedge fills the yardage gap between your pitching wedge and the higher-loft wedges in your bag. It can be marked with a “G” (gap), “A” (approach), “U” (utility) or sometimes just a number. These versatile, mid-loft clubs usually range from 48 to 52 degrees and are useful for three-quarter shots, knockdowns and controlled approaches when you want a little more roll than a sand wedge would provide.

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Sand wedge

Designed for bunker play, the sand wedge — typically marked with an “S” or “SW” — features higher bounce and a wider sole, allowing the club to glide through sand and soft turf rather than digging in. With lofts usually ranging from 54 to 56 degrees, it’s your go-to option for greenside bunker shots, fluffy lies and thicker rough.

Lob wedge

The lob wedge is the highest-loft club in most bags, rang- ing from 58 to 60 degrees — some even go up to 64. It’s often marked with an “L” or a number and is designed for high, soft-landing shots that stop quickly. This wedge is ideal for short-sided pins, flop shots and delicate chips over hazards.

Knowing what’s in your bag — and why — is one of the easiest ways to improve your short game. Instead of just relying on the club’s name, take the time to check the actual loft of each wedge. Dialing in your wedge set can make the difference between knocking it tight or coming up short.

More Stuff You Should Know

As discussed, some wedges are labeled with letters — like “P,” “A,” “S” or “L” — while others are marked by degrees of loft. Here’s the catch: Not all wedges with the same letter label have the same loft. One brand’s PW might be 44 degrees while another’s might be 46. That’s enough to affect distance and shot selection. Many OEMs now favor loft number stamps over letters for more clarity when building a well-gapped setup.

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The post The easiest way to avoid slow play (and why you might be guilty of it) appeared first on Golf.

The post The easiest way to avoid slow play (and why you might be guilty of it) appeared first on Golf.

There are dates and moments in a golfer’s life that will forever be etched in time. I remember mine clearly: Aug. 31, 2024. It was the day I learned I was a slow player.

As part of a small group of journalists attending media day at GrayBull, the Dormie Network’s seventh club (and the first built from the ground up), I was chatting after dinner with the course’s architect, David McLay Kidd, who played with us earlier in the day. That was when the affable Scotsman dropped the bomb on me.

“You’re a player,” he told me. “You’ve got a good game. But you’re slow.”

I was still working out in my head the best way to accept his compliment when that dreaded ‘S’ word made an appearance. Just like that, all of my thoughts came to a screeching halt.

“Painfully slow,” he added, emphasizing his point.

It was a total gut punch. It was also hard to believe. So much so, in fact, that I was all but certain I wasn’t slow.

I’d played with my fair share of slow players over the years — guys who waggled more than Kevin Na or Brian Harman — but I knew my pre-shot routine was tighter than that. A lot tighter. I had made certain of that years ago.

I also knew David liked to play fast. The faster the better — that seemed to be his motto. So maybe, I surmised, I’m not slow by average standards, but only in comparison to the pace that he likes to keep.

“Well,” I began, “I’m methodical.”

“No,” came the response. “You’re slow.”

But his explanation as to why I was slow cleared up any doubt.

A check of the wind; lasering the distance to the flag, a bunker face, or the edges of the putting surface — these things all take time. So, too, does selecting a club and assessing a lie. In fact, they all take more time than you realize. And, as I learned, I was guilty of waiting too long to do any of them.

Over the years, I had made a point to always be aware of what my playing partners were doing and where they were on the course. I never wanted to distract or disturb them during a swing. Evidently, I had taken those good intentions too far. By waiting until it was my shot to start assessing the conditions and confirming yardages, I was subjecting the players in my group to a several-minutes-long wait even before I started my pre-shot routine with a club in hand.

David was right, I was slow. Just the thought of it made me squirm; but, fortunately, I knew how to fix the problem. Better still, in less than a month I was scheduled to play golf with the architect again.

When David arrived at Tributary in Idaho on the evening of Sept. 18, I had already played one round of golf with other visiting members of the media. And you can bet that over the course of those 18 holes I was focused on getting a head start on the analytical steps of my process. I was intent to have a club in hand, ready to start my pre-shot routine as soon as it was my turn to hit.

Over cigars that evening, the topic of my pace of play came up in conversation. (Knowing David and his affinity for delivering a good-natured ribbing, I was ready for it.)

“Who played with this guy today?” he asked the group, pointing at me with a wry smile. “And how slow did he play?”

“Slow?” one of my playing partners uttered in response. “He’s not slow at all!”

The reaction was both validating and a relief. Anyone who plays golf knows that correcting most mistakes takes time. Yet, ironically, when the mistake involves time, the fix can be quick. Of course, it helps to have a playing partner like David McLay Kidd, who doesn’t shy away from calling attention to the matter. From there, all you need is the commitment to change a few bad habits.

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The post How the term ‘sandbagger’ became a golf accusation appeared first on Golf.

Consider the sandbagger. You’re familiar with the term and the type. Did you know, though, that neither got its start in golf?

In mid-19th-century England, “sandbagging” was punishable by imprisonment. But it didn’t describe an on-course crime. It referred to the work of common thugs who would knock their victims cold with sandbags and make off with their valuables.

That was a far cry from the word’s original meaning. In the early 1800s, to sandbag was to shore up or stabilize, often as a defense against flooding. But language, like trouble, has a way of spreading.

By the Roaring Twenties, sandbagging had taken metaphorical shape: bullying, coercion, intimidation. Its literal applications expanded, too. In poker, sandbagging became a kind of reverse bluff: playing possum with pocket aces to lure others into the pot.

How and when the term wandered onto the golf course is murkier. But by the 1940s, “sandbagging” had become shorthand in sports for a competitor who downplayed his advantage or deliberately underperformed.

Which brings us, inevitably, to that guy at your club.

By the early 1960s, characters like him were commonplace enough to inspire widespread complaint. The golf press addressed them with pious indignation. In one article from the Pensacola News Journal, the sandbagger was depicted as “an odious character indeed, for he perverts that purpose of the game.” No murkiness there. The sandbagger wasn’t merely gaming the system; he was committing a sin against golf itself.

The tone in those old references is steeped in moral outrage, as though sandbagging belonged alongside slow play, foot wedges and loud trousers as evidence of civilization’s decline. But it’s also telling. That the term was showing up so regularly in golf coverage suggested that it had already been circulating in locker rooms and betting games for some time.

In fact, evidence points to sandbagging gaining real traction in the 1950s, alongside the growing popularity of Calcuttas — handicapped matches with a gambling twist, their name borrowed from the Indian city where British colonists once wagered on horses. The format was tailor-made for the modern sandbagger: keep your handicap comfortably inflated, wait for the right moment, then “discover” your swing when money is on the line.

Today, the word has softened around the edges. “Sandbagger” can still be a harsh accusation, hissed in a stage whisper as the winner of a net event walks up to collect his prize. But it can also be tossed around as friendly ribbing, even a sideways compliment. It’s a golfer’s way of saying: Nice round. Now tell us what you really play to.

The USGA seems allergic to the term. You’d be hard-pressed to find “sandbagging” anywhere in its Rules of Golf or other official writing. Even hard and soft caps — measures that help safeguard against sandbagging — are presented instead in the diplomatic language of fairness, as tools to ensure a Handicap Index accurately reflects a player’s ability.

And why not? In golf, as in polite society, the quickest way to start a fight is to call someone a cheater.

There’s a better way to deal with the game’s most notorious villain: Don’t play them for anything you couldn’t stand to lose.

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The post Average U.S. handicaps, best states plus 7 other facts from 2025 handicap report appeared first on Golf.

The post Average U.S. handicaps, best states plus 7 other facts from 2025 handicap report appeared first on Golf.

How’d you play last year? Don’t give us your gut feeling. Supply us with hard numbers, the kind of stats you get from counting every stroke and posting every score. That’s what is required to keep an accurate handicap. It’s not hard. Lots of people do it—3.68 million golfers in the United States alone. (Don’t have a handicap? You can sign up for one here.)

In 2025, they posted 82 million rounds under the World Handicap System, a domestic record. The USGA counted every one and crunched those numbers to produce the 2025 Golf Scorecard, a compendium of data-driven findings that provide a snapshot of trends in the game. Here are seven that caught our eye.

More Golfers Are Keeping Score

The 3.68 million golfers who kept a handicap in 2025 represent an 8.2 percent bump from 2024, and a 46 percent jump since 2020. Another way to put it is that the number of golfers who keep handicaps has increased by around 1.16 million since Covid hit.

Average Handicaps Haven’t Budged

With so many new golfers taking up the game, you might expect handicap averages to go up. But there hasn’t been dramatic change in those numbers. In 2025, the average handicap was 14.0 for male golfers and 28.8 for female golfers. In 2020, those numbers were 14.2 and 27.7, respectively. The more things change, the more they reveal that this game is really hard.

Scratch Golfers Are Unicorns

A lot of golfers dream of getting down to scratch. Very few do. Only 2 percent of male golfers have handicaps of 0 or lower. Female scratch golfers are even harder to come by. They make up just .85 percent of girls and women who keep handicaps.

Florida Posted the Most Rounds (Ok, no shock there)

When you’ve got year-round weather and courses on every corner, the numbers add up. Florida golfers logged more total rounds than any other state in 2025. The Sunshine State’s dominance in raw volume comes as a shock to absolutely no one who’s ever spent January anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Maine Crowned the Northeast’s Most Golf-Obsessed State

Here’s one we didn’t see coming. Despite having one of the shortest seasons in the country, Maine claimed the title of the Northeast’s golfiest state. The USGA’s formula divided total rounds posted by the number of golfers keeping a handicap, then divided again by the number of days the scoring system was open for posting. Turns out when you can only play half the year, you make every available day count. Florida led the Southeast, Wisconsin topped the Midwest, Colorado ruled the Central region, and Arizona won the West.

Arkansas Golfers Are the Best in America (By the Numbers)

If you’re looking for the lowest handicap average for men in the nation, head to Arkansas. Golfers in the Natural State posted better numbers than anywhere else in the country. Whether it’s the quality of instruction, the courses, or just a particularly dedicated group of players grinding away at their games, Arkansas earned bragging rights as home to America’s best golfers by average handicap (10.6). For women, Mississippi had the lowest average (22.0).

Nine-Hole Rounds Are the New Normal

Among golfers who established a handicap in 2025, half of all women’s posted scores came from nine-hole rounds. For men, that figure was about a quarter. The data confirms what many already suspected: shorter formats are attracting players who don’t have four hours to spare, and nine holes is just as legitimate a way to enjoy the game.

Career Days Were Surprisingly Common

“I never play that well,” your opponent tells you as he pockets your money after the round. We’re not saying you were sandbagged. The USGA isn’t saying that either. But the governing body does track unusually low scores—rounds that fall well below a player’s established pattern. These “exceptional score reductions” trigger a handicap adjustment to keep things fair. In 2025, golfers posted plenty of outlier rounds, the kind where everything just happens to click. The system flagged them and made the appropriate tweaks to keep handicaps a more accurate reflection of ability.

To browse the entire report yourself, click here.

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The finale of the Internet Invitational — the influencer event conducted by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports — garnered more than 1.5 million views in less than 24 hours after its release last week (and now is nearing 3 million views).

The final episode had its share of controversial moments, a few of which are still being talked about days later online and on podcasts. One of them centered around the alleged use of the slope function on a rangefinder — a no-no during tournament play, according to the Rules of Golf.

The snafu had inquiring minds pondering: What exactly is (and isn’t) allowed when using a rangefinder in recreational and tournament play?

Rangefinders are a helpful tool, not only for providing accurate yardages but speeding up play as well, as it’s no longer necessary to hunt for yardages on sprinkler heads or walk-off distances. While almost every pro golfer uses them in practice rounds, they have long been outlawed during tournament play on the PGA Tour. That rule, however, was altered for a six-month trial period this year, when the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour allowed them to see if it would speed up play (findings have yet to be released.)

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One important caveat for the pros: the “slope” toggle must be switched off. When the slope is on, yardages are calculated with the elevation change accounted for, taking the skill out of the process.

The Tour’s penalty for having the slope on during tournament play was two strokes for the first infraction, with the second resulting in a disqualification. Davis Riley was hit with a penalty at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May, one he self-reported.

“Stepping onto that tee on 17, I was assuming that the rangefinder was in the proper mode and shot it, and two numbers came up,” Riley said. “I’ve used it enough to know that that’s the slope number. Unfortunately, it was just kind of one of those moments where your heart sinks a little bit, like you’re just throwing away two shots.”

But enough about the pro game. What about you, dear reader? Surely you can use the slope and play on guilt-free, even if entering the score for your handicap, right?

Not so fast!

When contacted for clarification, the USGA said that Rule 4.3 (the Rule that prohibits using slope on a distance-measuring device), like all rules, applies outside of tournaments, too.

One bullet point under Rule 4.3a, Allowed and Prohibited Uses of Equipment states a player must not create a potential advantage by “using equipment (other than a club or a ball) that artificially eliminates or reduces the need for a skill or judgment that is essential to the challenge of the game.”

That stipulation clearly covers using a rangefinder’s slope function, given the Rules of Golf say judging elevation changes is an essential skill.

Craig Winter, a USGA senior director who focuses on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status, told us that one of the most common misconceptions about the Rules of Golf is that the slope and rangefinder rule applies only to tournament play.

“In reality, Rule 4.3a, which governs the use of equipment other than clubs and balls, always applies, just like any other rule, regardless of whether you are playing in a competition or a casual round,” Winter says. “At the same time, whether a player is aware of the distance-only restriction, or of any other prohibited action under the rules, we recognize that recreational golf is often played among friends who choose to relax certain rules.”

So there you have it. Playing with the slope on? It’s technically breaking a rule just like taking a mulligan or fluffing up a lie. That said, what you do in your Saturday-morning foursome is your business. Range-finding included.

Need a handicap? Sign up for one here.

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The post How do you handicap 9-hole rounds? Reddit users wanted to know appeared first on Golf.

The post How do you handicap 9-hole rounds? Reddit users wanted to know appeared first on Golf.

If you want to take the pulse of the golfing populace, Reddit is a pretty good place to go.

The digital platform brims with online communities, or subreddits, devoted to all manner of golf-related topics. Simulators. Swing tips. Architecture. Etiquette.

Name an area of the game and you’ll likely find a subreddit for it. Handicapping? Yep. It’s a popular topic, too.

Just ask the folks at the USGA.

Earlier this year, the governing body hosted a Reddit AMA on handicapping. AMA stands for Ask Me Anything. 

The questions came fast and furious. One, in particular, was posed repeatedly — what’s the deal with handicapping 9-hole scores? Inquiring minds wanted to know.

Which makes sense. Nine-hole rounds have been on the rise, especially among newbies to the game. In recent years, 9-hole loops have accounted for more than 45 percent of scores posted by female beginner golfers, and around 21 percent of scores posted by male beginner golfers. Experienced golfers log lots of them as well. Of the 300 million scores recorded by the governing body since 2020, when the World Handicap System (WHS) was established, around 45 million were for 9-hole outings. 

Over that same time, the WHS has evolved in response to the growing popularity of 9-hole rounds.

The upshot is: The system has gotten more accurate. The big change came in 2024.

Before then, a score from a 9-hole round could not be posted in isolation. It either had to be combined with an existing 9-hole score, or set aside until you played another 9 on another day, maybe even on another course — factors that introduced all kinds of variables. Research has shown, in fact, that combining 9-hole scores from separate days produced handicaps that were artificially low. In other words, golfers who played a lot of 9-hole rounds were put at a competitive disadvantage.

That needed to change.

On Jan. 1 of last year, as part of other changes to the WHS, modifications were made to the handicapping of 9-hole rounds.

Thanks to those updates, when you play a 9-hole round on a course that has been assigned a Course and Slope Rating, there’s no need to wait to combine your score with a score from another 9-hole round. You can post that score immediately, and, using that score, the WHS will automatically produce an 18-hole tally based on your “expected score” for the 9 holes you didn’t actually play. As the term suggests, your expected score is what a player of your ability — based on your handicap — would be expected to shoot on a course of standard difficulty.

The result of the automatic calculation is a more faithful indicator of how a player would perform over 18 holes on a given day than you would get by combining 9-hole scores from different days under different conditions.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check Reddit, too.

Don’t have a handicap? You can sign up for one here.

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The post Unusual ditches at U.S. Open have players seeking rules advice appeared first on Golf.

Late Thursday afternoon, with twilight approaching and turnpike traffic whizzing behind him, Jordan Spieth drove into a ditch. It happened on the par-4 9th hole (his last hole of the day), where Spieth’s tee shot strayed into one of Oakmont’s distinctive hazards. 

More than a mile of drainage ditches (or just “ditches,” in blunt local parlance) run along the grounds of this year’s U.S. Open site, coming into play on six holes—the 2nd, 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th and 18th. Although they’re mostly dry, they’re marked as water hazards, delineated with red lines and red stakes.

They are, in other words, unusual features where common guidelines of the game apply. And because other players are bound to find those ditches as the national championship heads into the weekend, we might as well offer a rules refresher.

Under Rule 17.1, when a ball ends up in a red penalty area, the player who hit it has multiple options.

The first is to play it as it lies without penalty. Sounds appealing. But at Oakmont, it’s often not a great way to go as the ditches have been planted with tangled fescue (if a player tries to chop it out but fails and the ball stays in the hazard, all of the options remain available on the next shot). A second option is to take stroke-and-distance relief, playing again from where the previous stroke was made, with a one-stroke penalty. A third possibility is back-on-the-relief. In this case, the player can drop as far back as they want with a one-stroke penalty, keeping the estimated point where the ball crossed into the hazard between the hole and the spot of the drop. The fourth option is to take lateral relief, with a one-stroke penalty, dropping within two-club lengths from the estimated point of entrance, no nearer to the hole. 

That’s what Spieth chose to do. 

After dropping laterally, he played a nifty 6-iron below the hole, leaving himself a chance to salvage par. But that’s when he faced another distinctive Oakmont feature: a slick, sloping green. Spieth’s putt lipped out.

“That’s not cool,” he said with wry smile.

No. But it was fun to watch.

If you’d like to dig deeper into the Rules of Golf, try the USGA’s online course. Completing it will arm you with the information you need to navigate most situations that might come up during a round, and it’s a great way to prep for the season ahead.

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The post Why players nearly boycotted a U.S. Open at Oakmont appeared first on Golf.

The post Why players nearly boycotted a U.S. Open at Oakmont appeared first on Golf.

At next week’s U.S. Open, you’ll see Oakmont Country Club’s bunkers meticulously manicured, perfectly raked and sparkling with gorgeous white sand.

But it wasn’t always like this.

In fact, the notoriously difficult championship course was even more maddening decades ago, and the bunkers specifically were the reason players nearly boycotted a U.S. Open there.

Travel

GOLF recently toured Oakmont’s historic clubhouse with David Moore, Oakmont’s curator of collections, and Moore took us behind the scenes and into the locker rooms, grill room, SWAT room, library and more while also explaining the significance of dozens of historic pieces on display or on the walls. (You can watch the full video tour here.)

One of those exhibits was on the stairs off the living room, and it was dedicated to Oakmont’s original bunkers.

Oakmont’s infamous ‘furrowed’ bunkers

“One of the things that has been sort of lost to history here at Oakmont is the history of the furrowed bunkers,” Moore said. “When the course was first founded, the sand bunkers was not your prototypical golf sand that you are used to today. The original bunkers here were filled with river sand from the nearby Allegheny River. It was coarse, it was dense, it was pebble-filled, and the way they raked it that really created a true penalty for finding a bunker is what they called the furrows.”

According to Moore, the club used heavy steel rakes — weighing about 50 pounds each — with four-inch tines to rake the bunker perpendicular to the hole and create the deep furrows. Balls would settle into those ridges and, with the mounds of sand in front and behind the ball, the only way to make clean contact would be to pitch out sideways.

That’s how Oakmont designer Henry Fownes and his son, William Fownes, wanted players to be penalized. The golf course had no water, so the bunkers needed to be a true penalty.

“A shot misplayed was a shot irrevocably lost,” Moore said. “So if you found the bunker, what they wanted you to do was chip out.”

Although if you know anything about current-day pro golfers, you know they don’t like to be humiliated. The same can be said for past pros.

“[The bunkers] became such a controversy that in 1953 the players actually threatened to boycott the U.S. Open until there was an agreement made that the furrows would be taken out of the fairway bunkers but remain around the greenside bunkers,” Moore said. “The Fownes believed in a true Darwinian test of man versus golf course.”

Geoff Shackelford’s Quadrilateral newsletter recently resurfaced the topic of Oakmont’s furrowed bunkers as well, even finding old newspaper clippings.

“When W.C. Fownes had those 240 bunkers raked so they left furrows an inch and a half deep, he eliminated one of the finest shots in golf — the recovery from a bunker,” Olin Dutra, the 1934 U.S. Open champ, told the Associated Press prior to the ’53 Open.

Turns out the bunker compromise was good enough for the players and Oakmont. Ben Hogan went on to win his fourth U.S. Open in 1953.

Check out the full Oakmont clubhouse tour via the video player on this page or by watching on YouTube below.

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