Is golf really a gentlemen's game with money on the line?

Is golf really a gentlemen’s game when money/competition is on the line?  It seems a few of the rules are not very “gentleman” in nature …

I can repair a divot, but not a spike mark?  In my delusional mind I see that unfolding as:

Player A is lining up a putt, and surely is about to win the match.  He stops to tap down the spike marks … Player B says “oh no you didn’t!”  You must play it as the rub of the green my friend …  Player B is obviously trying to limit Player A success factor of making the putt, or it seems to me anyway.

I think there are few others, but don’t want to debate a particular rule.

Wouldn’t a gentleman allow you to repair a spike mark?  Give you a “fair” chance to make the putt?

It just seems like when money is/was on the line being a gentleman takes second place to winning.

On a side note, I also chuckle at rules in car racing the same way (and I am NOT a racing fan), but when someone figures a way to go faster, the looser figures a way to inhibit it, so the field is more "level" and nobody can dominate.

Please notice I said some rules … not all rules … I agree with just about all the rules, I even get the stroke and distance rule … but for a “gentleman’s game” sometimes I wonder about a few rules …

Just a thought I have sometimes …

I enjoying hearing different views ... its how we all learn, if we remain open minded ...

If you can't be a gentleman when money is on the line, then you aren't really a gentleman at all.  People show their true character when something is on the line.  And gentlemen play within the agreed-upon rules.  If you're playing USGA rules, then no, you may not tap down a spike mark.

But if it is a gentleman's game, would that rule have been created?

Sorry I did not phrase the question correctly, because I agree 100% with your statement ...

Again sorry, did a bad job of asking my question ...

I don't see why not.  By the same argument, if it's really a gentleman's game, wouldn't you let your opponent tee off from 200 yards down-range if you constantly hit it by them?  Just to make it "fair"?  Or give them a 4' hole and you the 4.25" hole because you're a better putter...to make it fair?

Golf (and life) isn't fair.  There's winners and losers.  Doesn't make anyone less of a gentleman.

Exactly.

Well, we kind of, effectively, do that when playing "net" competitions, don't we?  "You're not as good as me so I'm going to give you a 3 shot head start to make it fair."

I guess so.  I solve that problem by not playing in net competitions.  Too many 15 indexes "careering it" to shoot a gross 70 in this world for me to ever play net for money.

Want to play for money?  Great.  Pick a course, a set of tees and let's go.  If you want strokes, we can find something else to play for.  It's not that I don't trust people, I just don't trust people.

Yeah, I'm mostly the same way.  Not a big fan of "beating" somebody who shot 10 strokes better than me, or vice versa, so it's nice to play with friends who all have similar enough games that we just play straight up.

I thought golf was a "gentleman's game" because you report your own rule violations, regardless of what those rules are or whether or not you like them.

I prefer to just play for a handshake.

"I don't play golf...for money...against people."

First Player B is correct. Second who says playing by the rules of golf isn't playing a gentlemen's game. By tapping down on the spike marks Player A has already broke a rule and unless taking a penalty is no longer playing golf by the strict rules of the game. So Player B is in his rights to enforce the rules of the game. Especially if there wasn't an agreement beforehand on this rule. How would it look like for 4 holes if Player B thought he couldn't tap down spike marks, and then player A does and his excuse, "Oh its a gentlemen's game anyways". What if Player B had to putt through 3 cases of spike marks before hand? Doesn't that change hole in favor of Player A?

This is the reason why the rules of golf exists to keep it fair. To make sure it is a gentlemen's game.

I ask back at you, would it not have been created? Who says the creation of that rule is for the benefit of Player B. What if it was for the benefit of Player A who wanted to change the course condition when he thought it was most beneficial. The rules of golf are as such to create a level playing field. I understand that you do no understand why pitch marks are allowed to be fixed and spike marks are not. My only concern is, what differs a spike mark from just a natural change in the green's condition?

Gentlemen's game has nothing to do with the rules and everything to do with the people playing the game. If both sides play by the same rules then it isn't the rules that is the problem.

Not me.  I get no joy out of pummeling 15 hcps straight up.  I'd rather lose $20 having to work at it than win $5 playing someone at a game they can't possibly win.

But that may just be me.....

No what I'm saying is I'll gladly give someone 10 shots if I'm supposed to....

But we're not playing for cash, we're playing for the first round.  Or a sleeve of balls.  Or the loser has to carry the winner's bag out to the car....

That applies to every sport.  Coaches argue calls, players flop, various amounts of rules lawyering goes on, all the way down to steroids and straight cheating, etc.  I'm not really buying the connection you make between one seemingly dumb rule and the ability to play the game in a fair and friendly manner though.  While dumb rules don't help it's ultimately the people who are playing the game who ruin it.

I was reading an article about that real wolf of wall street several days ago and he goes around doing motivational speeches now and he had an excellent quote, he said something along the lines--  Money doesn't make you greedy, it makes you more of what you already are.  I think he is spot on with that and I think the same thing applies in sporting competitions, if you have a rule that can be abused then you can count on a dickhead to abuse it at some point.  Does that make the entire game un-gentleman like?  Not necessarily, no.

It is gentlemanly in that: 1. You play by the agreed upon rules. 2. You play your own ball or your team plays best ball etc, in such a way as to not interfere with the competitors play. 3. You graciously accept victory or defeat, regardless of the bet or lack thereof. 4. If there are bets, you settle up promptly at the end of the round as appropriate. All the above notwithstanding, I have no problem with a little needling or kidding among real friends as long as it does not physically interfere with play and there is no serious money involved. For instance, "reminding" buddies of hazards that are in play, or saying "get it close" on a long putt. I would not do this with casual aquaintances. I seldom play for money. I won't generally with strangers, and seldom with friends. If I do, it is for an immaterial amount, so that no hard feelings insue. I used to play with a couple of buddies for money that was like 25 cents a hole, 50 cents for par, dollar birdie, $2 eagle. $1 total score on front, back and total, $1 greenies. We were all about equal, so seldom more than a net $5 changed hands.

I agree 100% - i earned my strokes and i should get to use them.

At the same time i deal with getting cut constantly in our skins game because all of my pars are always cut by someone else in my group getting a stroke from me.

I think the point of the original poster was, if golf is a gentleman's game, then shouldn't a gentleman allow a fair contest.  So something like tapping down a spike mark. My contention would be, a gentleman would understand the rules and see something like a spike mark as an opportunity to prove how good he can be, no need to tap it down.

To me that's part of the allure to golf, it's accepting the challenges, complexities and just bad breaks and doing the best you can muster that day.

I agree, skins should be straight up. I'll give strokes in stroke play but not on skins.

For skins in our league, we do 3/4 th handicap to temper the high handicap players. Still majority of the money goes to C & D players in our league.