Approved 2013 rules revision

[jconnell]

Originally Posted by bombmk

There are no excuses today either. And they have full responsibility today as well. Regardless of a the signature or not.

The only way to enforce it would be to punish the absence of a signature. A completely bureaucratic reason. It serves no practical purpose other than to train people in some behaviour that the rules are already, potentially, punishing them for not following.

All the rulebook needs to say is that the player is solely reponsible for turning his/her scorecard in and the scores on it. If the score is wrong, you want to punish the player extra for not signing it?

Not really looking to punish anyone, just force an action by players that I feel most have become too lax on over the years. I can't count the number of times where a cardmate has disappeared after his last putt, leaving the rest of us to total his card and turn it in for him. If he had to stick around to sign the card, at least it takes the responsibility off the other players to get his card right. I know the book says the player is solely responsible for his card, signature or not, but that doesn't stop players from putting that responsibility on them groupmates, leaving them in a potentially awkward or uncomfortable position. Perhaps what it will take is an occasion or two of that departed player's card being turned in unadded to convince him to take responsibility for it? I know I've been tempted. A more unscrupulous person might actually do it just to gain an advantage on the player.

As for enforcement...requiring the signature would mean the card can't be turned in without it. If the card is late, it's punished for that reason. Players don't want a penalty for a late card, so they'll make sure everyone signs. Everyone checks their card and signs, and there's no bellyaching that "I didn't see the card" or my favorite "what did I shoot?"