What would your handicap be if...

[Dr_Fu_Manchu]

he had to putt out all your putts?

[Zeph]

Who is he?

[N.V.M.]

just say no to drugs.

[denver_nuggs_15]

he had to putt out all your putts?

Probably the same. I like the sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup, so I'll putt out everything. There are exceptions: if I'm in a match and the putt is conceded, I'll pick the ball up because I have to; if I have to stand in someone's line to hit the putt (or make some stupidly awkward stance). For the most part though, I'll hole out my putts. Plus, in high school golf, we have to...good practice I guess.

[TN94z]

We always play for money so we have to hole our putts out anyway. I am a stickler for picking them up...no matter how short they are. I mean if they are so short that you can pick them up then there should be no reason that you shouldn't putt it, right?

[chipper2]

If I'm playing by myself, I putt out every hole. If I'm playing with others and they say good, I take it. I need all the help I can get.

[Zeph]

So we are talking gimmies. Never play with gimmies except in match play, so my handicap would be the same. The short putts are just as important to practice as the longer ones.

[GaijinGolfer]

My handicap would be the same. I dont do, "gimmie" putts.

[meenman]

Exactly what it is - my handicap is a direct result of missing 2 *gimmee* putts a round

[iWALK18]

Lets say I have 10 2 foot putts per round that I give myself.

Thats 200 2 footers in my 20 scores which are "given".

If I usually make 99% of 2 footers, that means I will probably miss 2 of these putts.

So add 2 strokes to my scores somewhere in there.

50-50 shot that they end up in a score which is in my 10 best.

Lets say we end up adding one stroke to a score which counts in my 10 best.

So the answer is, very very little effect, but it depends what you give yourself.

[flopdarock]

the only time i pick up is when im holding ppl up behind our 4some... to give playing partners a hint that we are playing on the slow side and thats usually if its in the leather or if my putting is tremendously horrid... 3 putts and no more...
if im by myself and playing pretty quick... i hole everything out

[Big Padrigo]

my tournament handicap scores average the same as the rounds I play with my golf buddies where we do allow gimmes. So I guess the answer is the same

[Big_M]

the only time I take one is if I have passed the score that ESC will take care of, or if it is a revolution or two away and a playing partner knocks it back to me. Otherwise I have been putting out so that when I play tournaments I don't look like an ass missing 3-4 two and half footers in my tournamnet rounds.

so I guess the answer is... it would be the same. Same goes for taking shady drops and playing it as it lies... the other two most common scoring infractions I see out of random golfers.

[IcemanYVR]

I hole everything unless it's knocked back to me... I don't have many playing partners knocking me back 2 footers... so I know it wouldn't make a difference at all...

[jojoampt]

Id say the same. I dont take a "gimme" unless its seriously 4 inches from the hole and the hole is full of nasty ass rain water. (rains alot where i live)

[Dr_Fu_Manchu]

The reason I ask is I have a few playing partners who typically pick up balls that lipped out and roll past the hole a few feet, ones that just miss, or ones that are chipped close.

We don't play for money so I never say a word, plus they are business partners, so it's not worth the trouble. But I often wonder if they would shoot in the 80's if they putted these putts out. My guess is they would miss a few of these.

Since I am on the subject, I have also seen them ground their clubs in bunkers, hit balls out of the woods that they "claimed" was their lost ball.

I was just curious if I was the only person who had playing partners like this or others experience the same

[Zeph]

After joining this forum I have realised that not everyone play this game by the rules. Which is OK as long as they don't compete in tournaments, use the official handicap or in other ways compare themselves to others who does play by the rules.

For me and my playing partners there is no question about it really, the only way to play this game is by the rules. We occasionally play a round for fun and practice where we hit multiple balls and don't write and scores, but I never use those for calculating my handicap anyways.

[TheNatural]

I like this post....I try not to take gimmies, I had a 2 footer yesterday for birdie and I havent had a birdie in months,,,i missed it...LOL but made a one inch par.....im going to segway to a new post on the matter. regrding rules