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USGA rule 17-1

• row2seat2 1,441 Posts

  Wed, Aug 28 2013 7:31 AM

  Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole.

  WGT prides itself on following the rules of golf but not on this. 

• MBaggese 15,378 Posts

  Wed, Aug 28 2013 8:39 AM

  Check into "attended"...I seem to recall that when the previous playing group put's the flag in before leaving the green, it's considered attended. (which I've always called just "tended")

• filmslayer 2,341 Posts

  Wed, Aug 28 2013 8:44 AM

  ffs , it's a game .... and i'm sure the bug will get fixed ....

• Scoton 174 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 12:31 AM

  There's more to row2seat2's post than just the current "unremovable flagsticks" bug. To me, the most glaring omission is that WGT does not give an option matching "... or held up to indicate the position of the hole". This would often be useful on blind shots when it becomes necessary to move the aiming triangle. The rule could be implemented fairly easily by adding a feature to the existing (in/removed or shown/hidden) flagstick toggle control. This would make it in-removed-held up when off the green or shown-hidden-held up when on the green (though I'm not aware of any greens where it would be especially useful to have the flag held up for putting, the rule does allow it). The "held up" position would simply move the flagstick straight upward 7 feet or so.

  WGT could even implement a version of this which fits the spirit of the rule but is better than real life: instead of merely raising the flagstick, they could change its "draw priority" so it is drawn last, on top of everything else. This would give a sort of "x-ray vision" quality, so the flag could be seen even when in reality it would be hidden behind terrain, trees, or any other obstacle (regardless of whether someone is holding it up).

  However, there are already other obscure and not-so-obscure points in the Rules of Golf which WGT have chosen not to implement, some of which are arguably more important to the game (unplayable lies, drop options, marking ball positions on the green, order of play, occasionally being able to play a ball out of a water hazard, etc.). So, I don't expect WGT to put any effort into fully honoring this rule any time soon.

• alosso 21,088 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 1:09 AM

  Did you ever hit the space bar during shot set-up? Did you ever notice that wee arrow in the lower right corner, called "zoom"? Allows for a brilliant airborne view of the target area, easing the aiming, better than any "hold up".

  And yes, some rule variants have not been implemented, mostly all of the playing options (dropping, unplayable, you name it), to ease the programming as I suppose. Only a small loss of realism IMHO, except for some bad dropping spots.

  I'm keen about the rules but I discovered only one outright breach until now, in MP games, yet one all amateur players commit frequently, no impact to results or scoring.

• Scoton 174 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 1:47 AM

  alosso:

  Did you ever hit the space bar during shot set-up? Did you ever notice that wee arrow in the lower right corner, called "zoom"? Allows for a brilliant airborne view of the target area, easing the aiming, better than any "hold up".

  Sorry, I meant to have this "MORON" tattoo removed from my forehead long ago. [/sarcasm off] Do you really think I'm that stupid? The alternate camera angles are helpful, but do not replace being able to see the flag FROM THE AVATAR's point-of-view. If you change the virtual camera to any other position, the amount of separation between the aiming triangle and the flagstick appears different than what it appears to be from the player's position, due to perspective and shorter distance. Occasionally, the flagstick is completely invisible from the player/ball position, so judging how far to move the aiming triangle becomes more difficult for those of us who have learned an effective method for doing so from that view. In some of these instances, the ability to have the flag "virtually attended" and held up would be helpful.

• JayO92 172 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 1:48 AM

  row2seat2:

  Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole.

  WGT prides itself on following the rules of golf but not on this. 

  Since when have you ever seen a caddie tending to a flagstick on a 150 yard approach shot?

• alosso 21,088 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 1:53 AM

  Excuse me, must have been a shadow on your head :)

  Now I see your point, and whenever you would send a human caddie to hold it up, your complaint is correct, given that you can move the marker precisely enogh in that scale :))

  And I remember some other golf game with the option "looong pin", appearing from far distances.

• Scoton 174 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 2:07 AM

  JayO92:

  Since when have you ever seen a caddie tending to a flagstick on a 150 yard approach shot?

  Just because a person has never seen it done, does not mean the rules don't allow for it.

  A lot of people here also claim never to have seen anyone use any club other than a putter on a green, but it is allowed and someone here can probably quote player and hole in a televised tournament which showed a well-known player doing so.

• alosso 21,088 Posts

  Thu, Aug 29 2013 2:33 AM

  LOL yes, the reigning Open champion too!

  The same player, Phil Mickelson, has sent his caddie to tend the flag on a 72 yds approach at Farmers Insurance Tournament at Torrey Pines in 2011 to improve his chances of an eagle hole-out for a playoff chance.

  The game allows this (if not broken) - some support for your wish, Scoton.