Gimmes

[Effington]

Hey guys, I am sure this topic has been discussed at great length, but didn't seem to find a thread specific to my question.

My regular playing partner & I are aligned well that we don't give each other anything.  The ball must go in the hole, unless it's within a couple inches.  Thus, I practice a good amount of short putts.  We don't play for money but there are substantial bragging rights and a lot of trash talk and our families see each other often.

Had a couple other people join us the other day and they were surprised that we had these rules.  They had played for 20+ years and always gave putts within a few feet and were surprised that we played so strict, especially with no money on the line.  They used the "pace of play" line, but I'm not sure playing your 2 feet putts each round contributes to slow play.

Is playing these strict rules uncommon?

As noted, it has led me to practice short putts much more than I otherwise would be.  If I was given all my 2-3 footers, I would spend my practice time elsewhere.

[DaveP043]

  On 9/28/2020 at 9:40 PM, Effington said:

Hey guys, I am sure this topic has been discussed at great length, but didn't seem to find a thread specific to my question.

My regular playing partner & I are aligned well that we don't give each other anything.  The ball must go in the hole, unless it's within a couple inches.  Thus, I practice a good amount of short putts.  We don't play for money but there are substantial bragging rights and a lot of trash talk and our families see each other often.

Had a couple other people join us the other day and they were surprised that we had these rules.  They had played for 20+ years and always gave putts within a few feet and were surprised that we played so strict, especially with no money on the line.  They used the "pace of play" line, but I'm not sure playing your 2 feet putts each round contributes to slow play.

Is playing these strict rules uncommon?

As noted, it has led me to practice short putts much more than I otherwise would be.  If I was given all my 2-3 footers, I would spend my practice time elsewhere.

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There are all kinds of practices around this, from "putt everything" to 5-foot rake-ins.  As long as you and your buddy are playing at a reasonable pace, and not holding up the groups behind you, do what you want.  In my normal group of guys, we've decided that it has to be within the length of the grip (about 1 foot) to be conceded for our internal betting purposes.

[GolfLug]

If money on line, it's a foot or less. Otherwise 2 footers max. 

I don't buy 'pace of play' a reason to rake in 5 footers. Just finish. What 10 seconds extra per putt? I miss more 3 footers than I would care to admit. Yeah, no.

Edited September 28, 2020 by GolfLug

[hunterw297]

I putt everything outside of ~6-8 inches out, and try to putt as many inside that as I can without interrupting my playing partners. People who give themselves putts are only hurting themselves by artificially lowering their handicaps. Plenty of video of PGA Tour pros missing putts inside 2 or even 1 feet. I missed a 2 footer yesterday. It happens. It doesn't happen often, but it happens.

[Effington]

So, I gotta ask... if there is any kind of competition, why are you giving them 1 footers?  They'll obviously make most of them, but once in a while they'll miss and it is to your advantage.

[saevel25]

  On 9/28/2020 at 9:40 PM, Effington said:

They used the "pace of play" line, but I'm not sure playing your 2 feet putts each round contributes to slow play.

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Depends on how serious you take a 2-ft putt. If you go through your routine, you might add 5-10 minutes? Just guessing. 

  On 9/28/2020 at 9:40 PM, Effington said:

Is playing these strict rules uncommon?

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Probably more uncommon than just giving putts. 

[Shindig]

  On 9/29/2020 at 12:04 AM, Effington said:

So, I gotta ask... if there is any kind of competition, why are you giving them 1 footers?  They'll obviously make most of them, but once in a while they'll miss and it is to your advantage.

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In medal play, never give putts -- it isn't allowed.

In match play, it's your choice.

[Missouri Swede]

  On 9/29/2020 at 12:04 AM, Effington said:

So, I gotta ask... if there is any kind of competition, why are you giving them 1 footers?  They'll obviously make most of them, but once in a while they'll miss and it is to your advantage.

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  On 9/28/2020 at 9:40 PM, Effington said:

The ball must go in the hole, unless it's within a couple inches. 

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So you're doing it, too.  Just a matter of what distance you're choosing.

[Effington]

  On 9/29/2020 at 2:31 AM, Missouri Swede said:

 

So you're doing it, too.  Just a matter of what distance you're choosing.

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There is a distance, just a couple inches, where the conversion rate can reasonably be said to be 100%.  

[Piz]

I do not care if it is a 1 inch putt...who does not like completing the hole?

[dagolfer18]

I don’t like the fact that people are routinely giving themselves 4- and 5-footers, pace of play aside. I personally believe that unless your chances of winning that particular hole are next to nothing, you should try the putt. I’m a competitive person, so if you have a 3-footer to win the hole, I’m not giving it to you. One of my buddies is a great putter,  but I still wouldn’t give it to him. 

[mcanadiens]

It's all a matter of whether something is a competition or not. Probably 90% of the people out on the course on a given day are just playing their game.

Those games are casual games where the only understanding you might have is with your playing partners. You and your partners may not care if a guy scrapes away a 4- or 5-footer because you aren't competitive outside your own little game. If you get randomly paired with casual players (and I am one now), what do you care what they'll do? Any more, I'll pick up after double-bogey no matter where I am on the hole.

If and when I ever get serious about playing "golf" again, I'll putt them out.

 

[iacas]

  On 9/29/2020 at 2:46 AM, Effington said:

There is a distance, just a couple inches, where the conversion rate can reasonably be said to be 100%.  

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I think you missed his point.

[darthweasel]

for me, I don't really care what other people take, I hate it when they give me one...I occasionally play in tournaments and I can tell you, when I have been stepping up and knocking in the 1 and 2 footers regularly, I feel no extra pressure. Play a round where people, trying to be friendly, are "giving" me 2,3,4'ers, shipping them back to me before I can get to the ball (I routinely lag putt to pretty close from a good distance across the green, and people routinely ship them back), when I get to the tournament, that "gimme" suddenly becomes a nervous putt.

 

If people want to give and take putts to each other, and it is not a tournament...knock yourself out but please, leave my ball alone. I like to finish every putt, even the "it is 100% to make that one on the lip"....yeah, it is but I like to finish the hole. I paid to play a complete course, not everything but the finish.

 

 

Now, to get down off my soapbox...

[Bonvivant]

I used to care a lot about what other people did, but I realized that as long as I am not gambling with them, I have no reason to be upset. They paid their money to be on the course and they can play however they want.

That being said, I play with a fellow somewhat frequently (most likely will be less and less) that has an odd habit. Instead of just taking/raking the 3-5 footers, he goes ahead and putts them, missing almost all of them, and then announcing his score as if he made the putt! If you were to take his word for score, it is 10-12 shots lower than what he actually shoots.

Has anyone else run into someone that does this? I don't know if the fact that my friend and I putt everything out makes him feel like he has to as well, but can't bear to take the strokes that come from missing those "gimmes"

[mcanadiens]

  On 9/29/2020 at 3:06 PM, Bonvivant said:

Has anyone else run into someone that does this? I don't know if the fact that my friend and I putt everything out makes him feel like he has to as well, but can't bear to take the strokes that come from missing those "gimmes"

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Oh yeah.

Actually one of my dear friends has been known to do that. Three, four or five jabs at it with the flat-stick, but for the scorecard it's a two-putt limit.

Amazing how many times he beats me when we play together.

[Bonvivant]

  On 9/29/2020 at 3:16 PM, mcanadiens said:

Oh yeah.

Actually one of my dear friends has been known to do that. Three, four or five jabs at it with the flat-stick, but for the scorecard it's a two-putt limit.

Amazing how many times he beats me when we play together.

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Sick. My passed weekend with the fellow I was talking about I finally beat the score he said he shot. 91 on hills to his "92". He was actually over 100 but it was fun to beat the score that he said he shot nonetheless. 

[Carl3]

My group last year had a rule that if the putt was less than the length of a putter grip, it was a give me. Luckily everyone has a standard putter and lot a Bryson or Bernhard special.

Some guys were extra generous though and it caused some consternation as it hurt the field in our 20 person betting circle.

When the club championship came along I believe the more lax putters were at a psychological disadvantage putting those 24 to 30" putts on a side slope. Some were missed and rolled by with a longer putt coming back.

 

  On 9/29/2020 at 10:32 AM, dagolfer18 said:

I don’t like the fact that people are routinely giving themselves 4- and 5-footers, pace of play aside. I personally believe that unless your chances of winning that particular hole are next to nothing, you should try the putt. I’m a competitive person, so if you have a 3-footer to win the hole, I’m not giving it to you. One of my buddies is a great putter,  but I still wouldn’t give it to him. 

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Your avatar/photo is giving me vertigo

Edited September 29, 2020 by Carl3