Gasparilla Amateurs Weigh In On Rules

TAMPA, FLORIDA | Here a rule, there a rule, everywhere there seems to be a golf rule that is misunderstood or unintentionally violated.

Based on early results, it appears that 2019 will be the Year of the Great Rulebook Debate. Will the new rules help the game? Are they really going to pay dividends for golf?

Here at the Gasparilla Invitational, which ended Feb. 23 at Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club, players grappled with these questions as they attempted to convey their honest feelings to GGP.

The Gasparilla invitational is divided into two divisions -- mid-amateur (25 and over) and senior amateur (55 and over). It quickly became apparent that age had little or nothing to do with the answers provided by contestants.

For example, pace of play was a hot topic among virtually all of the golfers who were questioned. Mike Finster, who at 53 won the mid-amateur division, calmly talked about the necessity of penalty strokes for slow players.

“I believe,” he said, “that any golfer can learn to play faster. It isn’t nuclear ...