The Players Club - American Golf

W ith the holiday season upon us, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Golfers, however, have even more to look forward to when the calendar flips to 2019 as the new Rules of Golf go into ef- fect – and they're intended to make the game simpler and more enjoyable. We spoke with Dana Dahlquist, a veteran golf in- structor in Long Beach, Cali- fornia, who has worked with PGA Tour pros, LPGA play- ers and amateurs of all skill levels about some of the most notable changes for the everyday golfer and how he thinks they will impact you. u u u DROPPING A BALL When taking relief, players now will be allowed to drop from knee height rather than shoulder height. "I think the overall sense was that any rule change will be a positive toward making the game faster and more fun," Dahlquist said. "When you drop from a lower height, you can be more accurate with your drop," without guaranteeing a favorable lie. u u u LAtERAL RELIEF After hitting a ball into a red-zoned penalty area such as a water hazard, golfers will still be assessed a one- stroke penalty but will be able to drop within two club lengths of the point where the ball entered the hazard. No penalty will be as- sessed for moving loose im- pediments or touching the club to the ground or water in the relief area. The changes are intended to make it simpler for play- ers to know how and where to drop legally. "That was a rule that had to be changed," Dahlquist said. "It makes it easier to know what you need to do and will certainly improve pace of play." u u u tHE FLAGStICK Under the old rules, a two- stroke penalty was assessed if a ball played from the green hit the flagstick. Play- ers will now be allowed to leave the stick in when put- ting – this will help simplify procedures on the greens where a lot of time can be wasted. "I don't really see any neg- ative to it," Dahlquist said. .................................................. CLICK HERE to visit Dana Dahlquist's website. LENDING A HAND tEACHING PROS RAISE FUNDS FOR FAMILIES OF SHOOtING vICtIMS D ana Dahlquist grew up in Southern California and has spent his entire career teaching golf in the region, so when an opportunity arose to help locals in need there was no ques- tion he'd get involved. Dahlquist joined fellow golf pro- fessionals Chris Como, Scott Faw- cett, George Gankas and Joe Mayo to put on the Borderline Strong golf fundraiser and clinic November 27 at westlake Golf Course, which raised more than $25,000 to support the families of victims of an early-November mass shooting in nearby Thousand Oaks. The event was conceived as a way to show love and support, and build community in an area that endured the shooting and a mas- sive wildfire in the same week. The Ventura County Community Foun- dation will distribute the money raised to the affected families. "We all have connections to Southern California, and we all felt this was a way we could support the community," Dahlquist said. NEw RULES 3 big changes that will impact everyday golfers YOUR GAME < WATCH! The updated Rules of Golf go into effect on Jan uary 1. Courtesy of the USGA, here's how some of the changes will affect what y ou do on the course. ..... ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ........ ........ ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ........ ..

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