I don't get why people cheat

[Yukari]

I have a buddy who I used to play golf regularly with. The first few times I didn't keep track of his score as I was concentrating on my own game. About the third time I played with him, I knew he had an 8 on a hole because he hit one in the hazard and he re-teed from the tee box. He claimed he had a 6 (not counting the ball that went in the hazard). I then proceeded to count for him every stroke he took. After that, I told him I am keeping the score since he can't count. Every now and then he tries to sneak one by and I call on him every time. Once a cheater always a cheater--I guess.

Now I rarely play with him and when I do, I question his stroke and have him recall all the strokes when I think he is cheating. I don't wait until the end. I wait until he holes out and ask him what he got. If I think he is cheating, I will make him tell me all the shots he took. Needless to say, he doesn't like playing with me, which is fine. I hate cheaters anyway.

All these people who say let it slide--I disagree. I say call him on it right away. Bring back public shaming, so that he will think twice about doing it again.

[TempoIsKey]

I have a buddy who I used to play golf regularly with. The first few times I didn't keep track of his score as I was concentrating on my own game. About the third time I played with him, I knew he had an 8 on a hole because he hit one in the hazard and he re-teed from the tee box. He claimed he had a 6 (not counting the ball that went in the hazard). I then proceeded to count for him every stroke he took. After that, I told him I am keeping the score since he can't count. Every now and then he tries to sneak one by and I call on him every time. Once a cheater always a cheater--I guess.

Well said, I totally agree.

[Parker0065]

So today in a match (which went decent) I was put with a freshman on my team, because I knew the course well and he didn't. I play decent I guess, a couple bad mistakes, but shot a 42, which isn't bad for me. My teammate looked like a total hack out there, taking forever to hit greens and hitting seemingly countless shots. At the end of the round, he comes in with a 40. Not sure how the hell he pulled that one off because he shoulda been high-40s easily, but it really makes me understand why no one else on the team likes him too much. I also don't understand why his opponent didn't call him on it (although my thought is that he was "cutting deals" with his opponent if you know what I'm saying). I don't get how someone can walk up to the coach with a huge smile on his face saying that he got a totally cheated score and feel good about it. Simply pathetic.

This happened on our team back in Highschool, but it was during tryouts. This kid kept posting scores in the low 70's the first couple days. On day three I was paired with him and he was cheating his a-- off. After the round he gave the coach a card with a 74 on it. The coach came up to me and asked if he had really played that good. I didn't go into any detail on his cheating, I just told the coach if this was a competition there is no way I would sign his card. The coach understood and the next day he grabs the kid and told him they were playing together that day. The kid shoots 110 and the coach cut him the next day. There's just no place for this kind of crap. Your in a tough spot but it reflects very poorly on your team to have a player like that. I'm sure there are opponents out there from other teams that are going to be calling him on his cheating and it's going to give your team a reputation as a bunch of cheaters. It only takes one bad apple to refect poorly on all of you! You need to either confront him personally or drop a hint to the coach, but the worse thing you could do is nothing at all! Good Luck!

[David in FL]

Who are they ultimately cheating?

I'm sorry, but I disagree. As a member of the team, he's placing the team in jeopardy. The coach has to be told so he can take the necessary steps to protect the integrity of the team.

[cody west]

i call them out on it. i dont care who they are, why should you get to pick any number when the rest of us have to earn our numbers through practice. i have a freind who is a know cheater and he thinks he is better than me. whenever we play i just follow him around and make sure he doesnt cheat. i always keep score and someone on the other team keeps score (usually 2 man best ball or combind score matches). if there is a differnece in score then you take it to the coach.

[moshdirtjumpr]

I have found that if you lie on your scorecard, you will never know how well you are really doing. You won't even know if you are improving or getting worse. It makes no sense.

[Mr. M]

Get in his face and tell him that ain't how we roll on my golf team, got it?

Do NOT ignore his behavior; he'll interpret your silence as positive reinforcement.

[Danny Noonan]

I won't play with those who cheat. There is a technical term for someone who cheats in golf: douchebag

- DN

[cody west]

I won't play with those who cheat. There is a technical term for someone who cheats in golf: douchebag

true just dont put up with it.

[Chas]

Same with tennis, when I used to play competitively. Some guys cheat on the line calls every chance they get - as if you can't see at least some of the calls clearly enough from the other side of the net. I guess these people don't really care what you think of them ......

Usually they're losers anyway so it doesn't help them any. I don't play competitive golf at the moment but it doesn't surprise me to read these posts about some people cheating if they think they can get away with it. Why should golf be any different?

[tim31x]

talk to your coach about this one. last year i was a captain for my high school team and we had a similar scenario with a guy claiming he shot 44 one day(had been close to 60 normally). bottom line i told our coach i wanted to play next match with him. i counted his strokes on my card without him knowing. he turns in a card with a score of 45, i counted a 58 for him. i informed both coaches, him and the player from the other team(signed an incorrect card) were disqualified, and he was soon removed from the team. might not be the best thing to get someone booted off, but you should definitely confront either him or your coach about it.

[Yukari]

Let's face it. Golf, like any other sports, attracts all sorts of people. Just because it is "more expensive sport" than other sports, it does not mean it attracts only the honest people.

For all who think golf is an "honorable" sport, I say wake up and smell the coffee.

There will always be dishonorable people playing in all sports and golf is no different. Granted, more people seems to call penalty on themselves in golf than any other sports, it certainly doesn't mean golf will attract only the honorable ones.

When I play pick-up basketball, we call fouls on the other player ourselves. Golf should be the same. If I am playing for something (a drink or $1 a hole, whatever), I will not let the other player get away with cheating.

When you are playing against someone, you have to call them on it when they are cheating. That is why there is a rule that disqualifies you if you sign an incorrect card of your opponent! It is a subtle implied way of saying, you have to call out the cheater!

[windmarkbob]

Based on this article, http://www.usatoday.com/money/genera...f-cheating.htm , I'd have to say that people cheat because the high muckety muck, high-rollers cheat, and they're rollin' in the dough; it hasn't hurt them any.

[Chris Stack]

I have a buddy who I used to play golf regularly with. The first few times I didn't keep track of his score as I was concentrating on my own game. About the third time I played with him, I knew he had an 8 on a hole because he hit one in the hazard and he re-teed from the tee box. He claimed he had a 6 (not counting the ball that went in the hazard). I then proceeded to count for him every stroke he took. After that, I told him I am keeping the score since he can't count. Every now and then he tries to sneak one by and I call on him every time. Once a cheater always a cheater--I guess.

I guess I gotta say it's situational. In the OP's situation, and in a tournament, league/high school play, and when betting, I'm honest to a fault. But, I gotta say, when I'm out just shooting around with buddies, I have no problem using the old footwedge, dropping a ball when I can't find mine quickly, hitting a provisional or second drive if I know I'm not going to find the first one, etc. And we have the rule that no one shoots higher than an 8. But we all know we're doing it, we all agree to the same rules, and we don't use our scores for anything other than BSing at the bar afterwards (and if Guy A manages to beat Guy B for the first time, and we all know Guy A was using "the rules" and then makes a big deal of it we'll give him a ration of shit for it.) Like I said, when the score means something, absolutely, honesty is vitally important. But when it's a bunch of guys screwing around, petty arguments over "you didn't take a stroke when you moved the ball from behind that tree" can ruin a friendly meaningless round.

[windmarkbob]

I'm almost in full agreement with Chris...I occasionally golf with some friends who are typically only a little worse at the game than I am, and I'm pretty bad. Our rules, to help speed up play and not piss off the guys behind us are as follows.

Hit a provisional when in doubt.
Can't find your ball in about 2 minutes, drop, take a stroke, and go!
Maximum stroke count is double par. Get to that point, pick it up and go!

If one of these guys beat me under these rules, hell yeah, give me some ribbing and make a big deal out of it whether I was having a horrible day, they were having a great day, or both, because it *likely* means they're improving, however slight it might be!

I'd rather take a lot of guff from friends and acquaintances for having a terrible day, than play by USGA rules in a competition against strangers or even acquaintances who are handicap sand-baggers.

[cody west]

today a kid on my team said he shot a 44 when he really had a 58. it makes me very mad because were all in a tight race for places in states and a 58 would have put him out of the race. it is so annoying

obviously he had the card and i didnt realize what he put himself down for until he said it on the way out of the course