How do you deal with the 'Gimme' players?

If I drive OB, I take the strokes.  If I have a 10 inch putt left, I want to putt it (a prob miss it).  But there are some I play with that insist on giving me the putt if it's close enough by hitting my ball back to me from the flag etc...  I understand much of golf is social, but how do you tell your mates that you don't want gimmes or mulligans without seeming like a jerk?

Good answer from EJ- typically, I like to putt everything out also to stay sharp for competitive rounds, but if our group is slow, I 'll let them knock me back putts inside a foot during casual rounds.

Yesterday, I was invited out with a friend to play a very nice private club in our area and we had a small match going with the two members whe were both solid players.  I was surprised when they occasionally giving putts outside the leather but inside 3 feet- not always, but a few that actually meant something in the match.  Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, we took the putts but I would have felt better about my score had I putted everything.

3' is a little much for a gimmie. IMO the only time a gimmie is acceptable is if it's under a foot. I still prefer putting everything out.

I'm not worried about hurting feelings. If someone knocks my ball to me I replace it and putt and ask them not to do it again. People I play with and know wouldn't think of it but once in a while a stranger will do the it's good thing. Problem is as mentioned earlier it starts with 2 inchers and before long people are taking 3-4 foot gimmes and it's usually not because they are playing well. I've missed so many short putts lately it's nuts, days where I've had more strokes on the greens than getting there.

I'll agree with all the responses, with one caveat.  When that 10" putt is the 5th putt and 12th stroke on the hole, it's time to pick up and move on.

Yeah lol, usually there's a chorus of "it's good" before it gets that far. Heck there I times I feel like screaming it from the tee of a par 3 after watching someone volley it over the green and back a few times. I'm ready to give them their 3rd attempt out of the bunker.

I play grip length for gimmes.    My buddies always give the 3 foot gimmies - it's tough to stand up to them, but I always say, I'll put that out -- in full anticipation of them giving it to me !!.    Seems to piss them off - almost like not accepting a compliment .... but my putting is so awful, I need the practice & take NOTHING for granted short of a tap in

It depends on the circumstances.  If you re playing match play you are required to accept gimmes from your opponents no matter what the length is.

Of course for purposes of posting your score you still have to post the most likely score, so if they give you a ten footer you probably have to count that as a 2-putt for posting purposes.  Although in a case like that I prefer to go ahead and putt it and post based on the result.  Because while my most likely result is 2, I will make it more often than I will 3-jack it.

this ^

"thanks, but I like to putt out."

"I need the practice"

It's not a big deal.  Just need to let each other how we each play.  Then respect each other's wishes.

It's not hard.  though it seems to be the big portion of "peeves" threads......so it must be for many.

It pisses them off because they don't want to face up to the fact that there scores and handicaps are BS. When you insist on putting out they feel a little pressured to putt out as well and seeing as they never putt anything under 3' they know damn well that they're probably going to miss and maybe not get the come backer either. :-P

I believe this is largely the reason for the act also...

No doubt that is why and it is a score killer. I'd wager I miss 3-4 gimme length putts a round. It's more than the distance. Usually a fast green with the hole cut in a tough spot. The greens at my parents club are so slick it's tough to play enough break on short putts without slamming it into the hole. Which if missed roll forever.

Time and time again I read these posts about these cheats who play gimmes.

Gimmes are for matchplay.

The ONLY time I will not worry about it otherwise is if there are 3 guys on the green waiting to putt and a guy in a bunker hits it to an inch from the hole.

All these "buddies" people have who give themselves in each other 3 footers are cheats, plain and simple.

There handicaps are BS and they don't repect the game. They give putts of this length because they know they/you might miss them and thaey expect you to reciprocate so their scores are even more of a lie.

Yrsterday, in our MOnthly Medal competition, one of my partners 3 putted from 3 feet on cored greens. His first putt bounced 6 inches in the air.  It's too bad.

I would suggest that if someone knocks your ball away from a foot you just replace it and say "Sorry, I'm scoring today."

If someone gives themself a putt and says "5" you give them a quizzical look and say "I thought you picked up?"

Mark each others cards and put dashes on holes where they pick up.

Thanks for the sermon, Shorty.

I'm guessing you're a gimme player........

I play out of 2 different clubs.  At the one club, it is not uncommon for them to give putts.  But, they all have played golf with me long enough to know that I putt everything out.  So, generally they leave my ball alone.  If they want to take gimme putts, so be it.  They will have to putt them out in competitions.

At my other club, when I play on Saturdays there, it is in the weekly MGA competition.  We have to putt everything out.

Then I play in a tournament league.  There we have to putt everything out.

So, for me, it really is not a problem.  But, it is best to just clear the air on the very first green...I am putting everything out because I play in a lot of tournament competitions.

If it's a reasonable distance the idea behind the gimme is to speed up the pace of play... especially if you have a foursome in the fairway tapping their feet who don't feel like watching you line up for 2ft flat putt as if it's to win the Masters when you're playing Hole #2 at Bob's Golf Course.  I don't ask my playing partners for gimmes because I don't think I can make it if I putt it out.  It's because they still have to putt and my putt stopped a foot and a half from the hole and there's dudes in the fairway waiting to hit