There is so much talk about the Rules of Golf, with the hot topic of today being the use of the anchored putting stroke. It seems kind of silly to me, actually, even though I am one of the most pure of the "purists" about our game.

Even with my own putting woes, I have not even given thought to that solution, and won't even stray off toward non-traditional approaches like left-hand-low or the claw. Maybe that traditional bent is also fused with my "hard-headed Dutchman" upbringing.

In a discussion about this the other day, the conversation ventured off into just how many golfers play "strictly" by the rules, as they are written, with no variations for convenience. I suggest it probably is a relatively small percentage, actually, and mostly limited to those members of the best private clubs. But I certainly might be wrong, so I would like for you guys to sound off on the following topics:

1. Do you ALWAYS play the ball as you find it? The Rules of Golf are pretty unbending here, but do you play the game that way? Or do you occasionally / frequently / always bump the ball to a better lie because of the kind of course conditioning you encounter?


2. Do you ALWAYS putt out? The basic notion of golf is to finish every hole, but how many of us really do that? Do your buddies hit the short ones back to you often/always? And how do you define a "short one"? The original notion of "the leather" was the length of the putter grip, but it seems to have evolved to the distance from the putter head to the grip. What's your take here, readers?


3. Do you ever take a mulligan? Enough said.


4. Do you ever hit a practice shot in the middle of a round? Maybe make another stroke at that putt you just missed? In match play, that's OK — but not in medal play. What do you do?


5. Do you carry only 14 clubs? Most club events I've played in waive the 14-club limit, but what does your bag include?

I'm really curious about how we all play the game recreationally, so please sound off with your thoughts on this topic. And do our little "indiscretions" with the Rules of Golf really damage the game? Or make it more enjoyable?

I'm listening...