I wouldn't care as long as scores aren't posted.

Where I play ...in the Northwest, we are past our "active season" for the purpose of the GHIN and posting of handicaps.

So, we minimize search times for balls that are hidden or lost under leaves or worse, plugged in soft turf. The same goes for mulligan off of the first tee. Our biggest challenge is that the further north you go, the less and less daylight available for a round of 18! So, yes anything to speed up the play so that we can finish our rounds in daylight!

Me personally would do the same and am totally fine with that. I just wouldn't post my scores. As it would be a modified or inaccurate score.

Dino J
We up here in the Northeast tend to play by the same rules as you guys. Sure does speed up play during leaf season.
Enjoy the days before the snow.
Jerry Wood

Carl,

If any of the scores attained will be submitted for handicap determination purposes then this practice is unacceptable. If not, then have fun.

DV

Our club is not allowed to post past 10/31. Located in NEPA here. Right now we are playing roll it everywhere except sand/hazard of course. Breakfast ball if needed off #1 tee. Leaf rule in full effect. We have half pine / tree. Donald Ross design. So some areas are barren, some full of leaves....

Helps speed up play in colder temps. We have a group of +-18 for Sunday lined up. Tomorrow will be too blustery and not worth the effort. I don't see anything wrong this time of year in doing so. I prefer to play it down, but the older fella's moan.... So be it. Just makes it easier to take their money ;).

Even though I'm not posting scores for handicap purposes now, if I loose a ball in the leaves I'll drop in the area I think it was at and add a stroke and take my next shot. I know, lots of people don't add the stroke and that's okay, but I do.

If i'm not posting my score, it doesn't matter to me.

If you play a round within the rules then you can post it for your GHIN. If you play a round outside the rules, but have an agreement with your group, that's fine. Just don't post it. It's out of season now for most northern courses anyway, so what difference does it make which rules you abide by or don't?

Yes, we usually play the leaf rule out of season, but it has to be agreed upon by others in the group that the ball must be in the area somewhere where you all thought it ended up, in the fairway or normal playable rough, and not under a leaf 10 yards into the woods somewhere. We don't take mulligans and we don't roll the ball in the fairway unless in a divot.

In season, we play by the rules, though in casual, non-competitive rounds, we'll take a short gimme if offered and still post the score. (Those who say they don't do the same are likely lying or slowing down the pace of play. ;-))

I agree that the "leaf rule", playing it up in fairways and mulligans on #1 are fine for winter golf in an inactive handicap season. We do it. You should only be allowed to tie and not win the low ball though with the leaf rule. Sometimes we rake the bunker before the shot too in the inactive season. Just play and have fun.

It works for me , you can't expect someone to have a leaf blower in their bag to find shots. Hit um straight , Dave...

Oh I hate looking for a golf ball in leaves. I live in the desert and we don't have a ton of leaves so we don't get that very often. I would only take a free drop if we are fairly certain the ball is somewhere in the leaves and we have spent a couple of minutes looking for it. How long until the Pro V1 has a chip in it and you can find it with your smart phone?

Interesting answers. Our club pro wants us to post handicap scores during the winter months and encourages improving the lie when necessary. Arkansas winters or wet and cold and the rolling of the ball off sets the loss of distance due to cold and wet fairways vs playing it down in the warmer months when the fairways are firm. Score posted even out due to the playing circumstances.
On another note how many post scores who actually play 100% by the rules of golf ? I know of know one in my group of 40 something players who post their scores. Common violations that occur are mulligans off the first tee, not going back to the last place you hit from when a ball is lost, taking gimmes, improper dropping of balls from water hazards, obstructions, etc. Of course these same players will play 100% by the rules in a sanctioned club tournament.

Haha! Could you imagine that? I hope it never comes to that, though i think thats a pretty cool idea, i also don't like it! First of all, golf is so expensive already, then we gonna throw a chip in our golf balls!! that is just taking it too far!

We lose some balls, we find some balls! Play this game long enough i think it will all even out. Just like bad breaks on good shots and good breaks on bad shots!

Happy holidays everyone!

Hi Carl! I don't know what the official "Active Season" is in Oklahoma, but where I live it is March 01st to November 15th ... and then it is also dependent in which "zone" you live in/play in ... some of the geographic zones where I live get a much earlier winter/snowfall.

My reason for responding is that we still enter our scores on the GHIN system BUT, the software is automatically programmed to not record or use these scores for the purpose of calculating the handicap. It can be used for things like personal stat tracking that I as a player may wish to look at, etc. AND, it might be relied upon at your home course.

If I travel further south ...say to Southern California, that has an "Active Season" all year round, then when I enter that score in to the GHIN system, IT WILL calculate that score for handicap purposes.

As for playing in active season, We do not play with Mulligans, etc. If your tee shot seems a bit "dodgy" and near a trouble area, then we merely play a provisional so that we don't waste time going back to the tee. Taking drops are pretty straight forward too.

Now, there are some groups that I play with in which they take conceded / gimme putts (ie: inside the putter grip) ... but I don't play that way with them. I just politely tell them that I will just tap it out or finish it up for practice sake or because I am posting my score today.

I find the bigger challenge is that the overwhelming majority of golfers do not maintain handicaps at all. They just want to be outside and enjoy casual, recreational golf -- and that is it. As they say, I never play tournaments so who cares!