2019 in golf: NCG’s favourite changes to the Rules of Golf

Which of the changes to the 2019 Rules of Golf did you like the most? Here’s what our team had to say…

Steve: Being able to ground your club in a penalty area. It was always hard enough trying to play the hero shot out of the banks of a stream, and keep your balance, without having to hover your club as well. 

Mark: (Clears throat, stands on table.) All hail the Rules of Golf, all hail the flagstick explosion. I now putt with the flag in ALL the time and from anywhere on the green. I now have some sort of sense of where the hole is and I only lag maybe 40 per cent of my putts which is half what it was at the start of 2019.

It’s amazing how outraged many of us were at something away from the norm before calming down within a few months and actually finding it as a positive mood. Let’s hope, one day, that we all come to the same conclusion over dress codes and the lack of any real need for them.

Dan: I’m a big fan of being able to leave the flag in – not because of any perceived advantage that I don’t believe really exists but for the removal of a layer of hassle. Treat the rule as it was intended – a way to speed up play a little, especially when playing in a twoball when you are both putting from long distance.

Joe: Never mind the flagstick, shortening the search time to three minutes is a stroke of genius. I often end up wandering around trees and thick rough after yet another errant tee shot and, while this does decrease my chances of finding the ball, it really does speed up a round. I’ve been grateful on several occasions this year calling time on a search for a playing partner’s ball, too. It’s good to keep moving.  

What was your favourite bit of the 2019 rule changes? Let us know in the comments below, or you can tweet us.