Forums

Changing balls on the tee

• DonovanSorenson 5 Posts

  Wed, Aug 12 2015 4:56 PM

  Since it is a PGA rule that it is ok to change your ball on the tee, the same option s/b available in this game. Perhaps there is water all over the place, you might want to change to one of your cheaper balls while playing that hole.

  I have researched it and it is totally legal to do so in USGA and PGA.  On PGA the tourney director MAY invoke a one ball rule, its optional, means they cannot change, unless lost of course, but then it must be to the same brand ball

  Anyway, I do think it would be nice to have this option, as I do on a real golf course. 

  Any one agree, or think I'm whacko?   Passing thoughts, esp as balls are so expensive. You also might one with a softer touch, better control on a par 3 as opposed to a par 5.

  Fore!!

• borntobesting 9,753 Posts

  Wed, Aug 12 2015 8:03 PM

   I don't know where you got the idea that the PGA tour allows players to change balls on the tee, They play the same U.S.G.A. One ball rule that WGT uses. 

• srellim234 2,077 Posts

  Wed, Aug 12 2015 9:34 PM

  Actually, no they don't. In real life the USGA One Ball Rule is not enforced in practice, low level competitions and WGT should not be the tournament committee enforcing a One Ball Rule in country club tournaments. That should be up to the country club's tournament committee on a tournament by tournament basis.

  I have no problem with them enforcing the Rule in their own tournaments and I understand the decision to amend the rule to allow players to finish a round with the starter ball but the One Ball Rule was never the reason for what is implemented here.

  As Mr. WGT said years ago, they had no intentions of giving players those types of choices. Most likely they realized allowing the same choices that are allowed in real life would involve difficult programming and they saw the opportunity to sell a lot of balls that would never be used. 

  It's all about the money.

• alosso 21,091 Posts

  Wed, Aug 12 2015 10:56 PM

  DonovanSorenson:

  Perhaps there is water all over the place, you might want to change to one of your cheaper balls while playing that hole.

  
  All nitpicking between PGA and USGA aside, the Rules of Golf allow to change the ball on the tee.
  But, it must be available there! WGT bags hold only one type of ball, while the others are in the inventory (AKA garage). To go there would certainly be a blatant breach of the Pace of Play Rule! Thus, you don't have any different type available.
  
  As a courtesy, WGT provides ball selling points for your current balls anywhere on the course, as well as free Starter balls as a replacement, but that's it! Inventory is locked to prevent any illegal club changes!
  
  And, from a psychological POV, it's bad to change to a cheap ball in front of water. This means that you accept to fail which, IMHO, means that you will fail. It's better to stay with your best ball and do anything to keep it dry!
  In WGTland the difficulty will be obvious: Cheaper balls have different (and weaker) characteristics. Are you sure to pass the hazard with these balls?

• DonovanSorenson 5 Posts

  Thu, Aug 13 2015 9:16 AM

  Here, and many other sources. Try googling

  http://www.usga.org/rulesfaq/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=177&Rule=15

  Last sentence in the A. paragraph, and many other sources I have searched

  I have also found, as I said, that its allowed even on the PGA tour UNLESS the toruney director invokes a one ball rule. How often they do I don't know, but those are the rules anyway

   

   

• DonovanSorenson 5 Posts

  Thu, Aug 13 2015 9:33 AM

  But, it must be available there! WGT bags hold only one type of ball, while the others are in the inventory (AKA garage). To go there would certainly be a blatant breach of the Pace of Play Rule! Thus, you don't have any different type available.

  Funny though, if you say the other balls are in the garage, and we cannot go there during a game, its amazing how quickly we can go to the pro shop to buy new balls if we only have one left!. LOL

  Like somebody here said, its about money and nothing else.  The first time I had only one ball left  (I had had 3 of the black slow meter ones that came in a package with a driver and putter.)

  When it told me last ball, buy more, I stupidly clicked it, naively thinking I would be given a choice of what balls I could buy, but instead it just gave me those same 3 black balls at a cost of 500 credits. Really wasn't ready for that, but learning quickly its all about 'show me the money'