Cheating friends

[JML22]

Lol no
we're just gonna call him on everything
cause its annoying I dont mind giving free drops / mulligans when were playing for fun but for money/bragging rights its reallllyyy annoying

[Colinb913]

Yeah, thats how my little brother was today. I let him "tie me" for the front 9, so he was hoopin and hollerin at the club house between 9 and 10 about how he tied me up, so I completely demolished him on the back 9 ;)

[walk18]

I'd say keep score and if he says a 4 when it was a 7, remind him of that mulligan, or OB shot he had. Shouldn't be any argument after that.

[JML22]

Ya that's a good idea
when he says like bogey i'll say oh wow up and down for bogey after that OB eh?
that'll drive him up the wall

[Colinb913]

I think I am going to play a little mental game with him tomorrow..

Keep track of his score, as well as mine.
When I ask him pretend to write the score he said, but write the real one.
Show results at end.
Video tape reaction.
Send to Americas Funniest Home Videos.
Make 100,000 bucks.

[alf174]

Two on my regular Sunday morning foursome tend to not count their flubbed shots or flyers into the woods and somehow they always come in at the low 90s or high 80s. I let it go; its not worth the argument challenging it because I value the fun our regular meets bring.

[Andy_Mac]

You have 3 options: let it go, call them on it, or cheat like hell yourself and give graphically obscene toasts to their mothers with every drink you buy with their money at the bar afterward. Dont forget to mention how much easier it is to beat them when you dont have to count OB and penalty shots and how much you like playing by their rules.

You only really have to go with option 3 once or twice before they get the picture.

[Yukari]

I had a similar situation. The next time I played with him, I kept track of his shots and when he said he had a bogey, I recounted every stroke he took for a triple. Did that a couple of times, and he stopped cheating altogether.

I hate cheaters! They are scums.... I didn't care if he got pissed and refused to talk to me for the rest of my life. I don't need cheater like that to play golf with.

[JML22]

haha well we just played it tourney style
he shot a 109
serves him right for not calling those flubs before.

[VMAN]

I never bet against cheaters, and if I happen to I only do it once. I would tell your friend that you would rather play by the actual rules of golf, it's important to you. If he wants to join you and play, that's fine, but there's no need for a bet. People enjoy the game for different reasons, maybe it'll work better if you guys can hang out and he can keep his own score just the way he likes it.

My regular foursome: we like to play a game called Golf. Not, I couldn't find my ball but it must be here somewhere so how about a free drop, or I'll just put one by yours and take a penalty, we hit provisionals when necessary, and no breakfast balls...It's your own damn fault that you're hungover and couldn't get here in time to hit ten balls at the range.

When we play with someone new and they want to hit a second ball on the first tee we just tell them that we like to play golf. They're free to do what they want, but if they want in on the skins or the nassau, they should play golf. We're not mean about it, we don't insist on it, but we like to compete by the rules.

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by JML22

Hey what do you guys do about cheating friends?

We do alot of combined score 2v2s and a there are always people who lie about scores

ya its a friendly match but we usually have some sort of bet / bragging rights on the line

I mean some i dont mind letting slide but when you hit like 2 white stakes off the tee and you call it a bogey i dunno if i should be an ass about it or call him on it.

Its just annoying when we have like "the next round of golf" on the line and someone is obviously not calling there strokes

I'm running into a similar deal - guy is bumping his ball (on the green) toward the hole then marking it. Its pathetic - haven't called it because it's over a couple of dollars. I find the challenge of beating a cheater kind of fun anyway.    It's funny seeing the player stymied behind a tree, and looking back and all of a sudden seeing he's got a clear shot to the green.  Won't bet more than a couple of $ from here on now that I see his tendencies.

[CanuckAaron]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

I'm running into a similar deal - guy is bumping his ball (on the green) toward the hole then marking it. Its pathetic - haven't called it because it's over a couple of dollars. I find the challenge of beating a cheater kind of fun anyway.    It's funny seeing the player stymied behind a tree, and looking back and all of a sudden seeing he's got a clear shot to the green.  Won't bet more than a couple of $ from here on now that I see his tendencies.

Wow, i see a lot of people take drops from OB or improve their lie but I am not sure I have ever seen someone actually move their ball ahead on the green.

OP: You definitely need to call him/them on it, especially if you are playing for money.

[cooke119]

I play in a company league so playing by the rules and counting ALL your strokes is a must. I for one use a counter (I'm getting old I know) that I keep in my pocket because I sometime forget all my strokes. Every time I take a stroke I click the counter so I know my strokes  when we putt out. Others rely on their memory and some in the league are known for having a lzheimer.

[ace3g]

When I play, other than maybe 1 mulligan a round on a drive, I'm honest with my scores (even those 3rd/4th putts), you are never going to improve your game if you aren't counting all your strokes.  Plus those frustrations/mistakes make you want to get better and practice more.

I do get a bit bothered when I know I played better in a round than someone else, then look at the score card and they shot "lower" than me.

[meenman]

Originally Posted by ace3g

When I play, other than maybe 1 mulligan a round on a drive, I'm honest with my scores (even those 3rd/4th putts), you are never going to improve your game if you aren't counting all your strokes.  Plus those frustrations/mistakes make you want to get better and practice more.

I do get a bit bothered when I know I played better in a round than someone else, then look at the score card and they shot "lower" than me.

And *maybe 1 mulligan a round on a drive* is also cheating - if you actually counted hitting 3 off of the tee, that 3 could become a 5 - so much less pressure when you dont count that *one* bad shot

[ace3g]

Originally Posted by meenman

And *maybe 1 mulligan a round on a drive* is also cheating - if you actually counted hitting 3 off of the tee, that 3 could become a 5 - so much less pressure when you dont count that *one* bad shot

I take those mulligans into account during my rounds though, never try to hide the fact that I used them; and on my lowest rounds 81 and 82 I didn't use a mulligan, so I'm happy with that.  There is a difference between using 1 or 2 mulligans a round (I never use more than 2) in a friendly and using 4-6.  Especially when you are playing someone around the same skill level; you want that competitive aspect yet keep it friendly at the same time.

Just one of those things you should be self aware of during a round, how many mulligans the better player (at least for that day) has used, and stay equal or less to that amount.

Doesn't bother me too much because I'm still focused on honing my swing; going the Bubba path and have never taken a lesson.

[Pablo68]

I'm a confrontational person so I say call them on it but tactfully.

In my usual foursome, I'm typically the one offering shots on each side and typically I take money. We play for quarters and everyone is pretty honest and occassionally you'll have a questionable score mentioned. Usually, it's cleared up with 'wow; nice bogey. I thought you were in jail' or something like that. Then that gets them counting the shots and a stroke or two is remembered.

We play skins so if I bury one OB or in the drink, most likely I'll declare 'guys, I'm in my pocket but am going to finish the hole by dropping up near you guys in the fairway/green'.

Years ago, a pseudo friend and I played for money with some questionable scores being claimed. After catching him claiming a par after using a footwedge and picking up a four footer, I told him 'bets are off.'

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by ace3g

I take those mulligans into account during my rounds though, never try to hide the fact that I used them; and on my lowest rounds 81 and 82 I didn't use a mulligan, so I'm happy with that.  There is a difference between using 1 or 2 mulligans a round (I never use more than 2) in a friendly and using 4-6.  Especially when you are playing someone around the same skill level; you want that competitive aspect yet keep it friendly at the same time.

Just one of those things you should be self aware of during a round, how many mulligans the better player (at least for that day) has used, and stay equal or less to that amount.

Doesn't bother me too much because I'm still focused on honing my swing; going the Bubba path and have never taken a lesson.

Doesn't that distort your handicap?  2 mulligans is the equivalent of at least 4 strokes.  You hit the shot, why not live with the result.  If you miss an 8 foot putt would you consider taking a mulligan?  I doubt it.  Yet there really is no difference.  And as meenman pointed out, even the possibility of taking a mulligan on a tough tee shot takes a lot of the pressure off.  I play friendly matches all the time where no one would even dream of cheating.

Hey, do what you want, but the only one you are fooling is yourself.  And you have no basis or right to then criticize someone else because they cheat more, or in a different way, than you do.