Placing through the green feels like cheating

by Paul Gueorgieff

I feel like I have been cheating lately.

In recent weeks we have had placing through the green because of the very wet conditions.

Placing through the green means you can have a preferred lie anywhere on the course, except if your ball is in a hazard or a bunker.

As a consequence when I have hit the ball into the rough, I have often been able to place the ball on a nice piece of grass.

I feel like I am cheating, even though I am not.

As a consequence of having placing through the green and being able to place the ball on a nice piece of grass in the rough, I have been able to use my driver because the ball is sitting up almost like it is on a tee.

That makes me feel like I am cheating, even though I am not.

I understand why we have placing through the green. But it still feels like cheating.

The rough at my home course is long. Finding the ball is often a task in itself.

But I will be delighted when placing through the green is removed. That will mean the course is no longer so wet and the game no longer such a slog.

I often tire of a New Zealand winter because of the difficulties it poses for golf. It is not long before I am yearning for warmer weather, some run on the fairway and not having to rug up in wet weather clothing.

I often wish I could afford to live the New Zealand winter on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Be wary of the negativity as I am writing this column on a wet and cold miserable day.

Oddly enough I will be in Geraldton, Western Australia, for a fortnight this month. The average high temperature for Geraldton in August is 20C. Can’t wait to get there and enjoy some warmth.

Another oddly enough is that a group of members from my club were headed for the United States for a golf trip during the same period. They were going to Arizona where temperatures had been in the 40s. That might be over-doing it in escaping the New Zealand winter.

But they will be playing some top courses, including the Stadium Course which is the home of the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour.

It's a real golf trip. They are playing 10 rounds in seven days and some are taking a holiday afterwards when they only play two rounds in four days in Hawaii.

My trip to Geraldton is for family reasons. I have a daughter and grandchildren there who we haven’t seen since before covid.

It will be good to see them but make no mistake the golf clubs will be in tow.

And that’s a good thing about golf. You can take your clubs on almost any trip.

One more oddly enough. My golf club has reciprocal rights with the Geraldton Golf Club. I wonder who arranged that? I will give you a clue. I am the only one that has used those reciprocal rights.