Putt Them Out

Here is the question. When playing a match with your friends, do you concede inside the leather, and do you accept when someone gives you those putts? I started thinking about the last matches I've played, and I can't remember the last 2 footer I had to putt, or made someone putt... except on 18 with a friendly wager riding on a sidehill lie....

I have both taken and given. But here lately, just for my own improvement, I have been putting everything out.

That being said; when I go to play with my Dad (he lives in MS) in late June I will take the ones he gives me and also return the favor. I have only beat him once and will take everything he gives me. Plus if he gives me one and I still putt it but miss, he then makes me take both strokes .


Ricky

I HATE THAT. I'm golfing 3-6 times per week with a different friend each time. Whichever of my friends has the day off is the one who is golfing with me and they all do that. I'm paying for the course time so that's one more time I get to go through my routine and make a put. If I'm counting the stroke then I'm hitting the ball.

I want to acknowledge I'll take the gimme before someone knocks my ball away. Part of the reason that bugs me is that I love playing the game. I like stroking the ball off the tee, fairway, greens, woods, wherever I get to hit it. I am especially bugged when, on the 18th green I'm about to tap in for par, someone knocks my ball away and says "you can have it." Well, if I can have it, then give it to me.

for me the biggest difference is - am I playing matchplay or stroke? in matchplay "give or no give" is another way of messing with your opponent. It belongs to the strategy of the game, give a lot early, but then all of sudden make him(her) putt out. Some (weaker) opponents start thinking about it... and we know what happens when you think over a 2 ft putt
In stroke play - I'm with Erik. Never is about right.
Actually playing a lot of matchplay format with my friends I developed new version of "gimmie". We say "it's good for the match", which leaves it totally up to your playing partner to putt out or pick up, but the putt is conceded for the match purpose. With unknown playing partner IMHO there is nothing wrong with telling him/her, that you'd like to putt out just for practice after they pick it up for you on the 1st hole... just make sure this is not a 1ft putt for a 8

I as well with some of the others like hearing the ball go to its hole. I like it so much I take out the lazy flag stick on the practice greens just so I get use to hearing the ball go in and visualizing it as it is a really put with nothing sticking out of the cup.

When I'm playing a match, I play by the rules of match play. When I'm playing in a stroke competition, I play by stroke rules. There is nothing in the Rules of Golf about "inside the leather" in reference to either match play or stroke play, so it's irrelevant. In match play, a player can concede a stroke, a hole, or the entire match to his opponent. If conceding a stroke, there is no length stipulation for a stroke to be conceded... it could be conceded from 200 yards out. And once conceded, it cannot be withdrawn, nor can it be refused by the recipient. In stroke play, there are NO gimmes.... period!

As a result I can't answer your poll. The length of my putter shaft has nothing to do with my match play strategy.

BTW, a score made in a match played under the Rules of Golf doesn't properly qualify for handicap submission, because it isn't played under the rules required for handicap scores. There are rule modifications that cover this, but several score adjustments may need to be made before the card can be returned for handicap purposes.

And that's the way it is, July 8, 2007. ( to quote a very well known TV news reporter)

In games with my buddies, or in a cheap $2 nassau, I give everything inside the leather, and expect likewise. I am a bit cheesy about it, though - my putter is about five inches longer than the putters most of my buddies use, so I get more gimmies.