How Do YOU Handle Cheating?

[Fairway_CY]

Pretty basic question. The story behind it is fairly complicated, however. I'm in a club of about 50 guys who play different courses every week or two weeks in a low-net tournament format. Each foursome is comprised of 2 teams who face each other in a doubles match-play event. Finally, each guy in the foursome faces off against someone on the other team in a singles match-play event also. This happens at EVERY event. At the end of the year, a singles champion is crowned AND a doubles champion is crowned... based on the final records.

This week... we were in a pretty heated matchup for doubles. Both teams came in with identical 3-1-0 records. A win would ensure being no worse than a single game behind the leaders with the potential to be tied for the lead. A loss could potentially put the losers two games back.

At the beginning of the year, both my partner and I joined the club as singles and were paried up to form a team. Having played competitve golf since I was 14 (albeit, not very GOOD competitive golf, but still...) I know the rules pretty well. I'd never cheat because it's not in me and because I don't want to win something I don't deserve. My partner, on the other hand, was/is VERY new to competition golf and through the first few weeks... it's been tough to deal with some of his miscues. Little things that could be blamed on ignorance rather than cheating... picking up his ball to identify it and then wiping it and improving the lie, hacking away long grass in a hazard that impeded his backswing, etc. What happened yesterday was inexcusable, however.

In the later part of our match, we were 1 up and doing fairly well. My partner hit his ball off the tee into a fairway trap. From there, he hit a good shot... but it strayed right a bit and over some mounds that, if it hit them, would have kicked his ball into the woods. We advised him to hit a provisional, just in case. Now, all day long... he was playing Titleist balls with an identifying mark. When he hit his provisional, he didn't tell us what ball or mark he was using to differentiate... and he hit his provisional in the same general area.

When we arrived up towards the area in which his shots landed... we found one ball just outside the tree line, and later we found another in the trees, pretty much dead. The ball we found IN the woods was the same style ball with the same mark he had been playing all day. The ball we found outside the trees was an older ball that looked like it had been found earlier in the day, dropped in the cart and would be one that was used in such an instance AS a provisional ball. He immediately claimed that the ball outside the tree line was his original ball. When the other three of us mentioned that he had been playing the Titleist with the same mark all day... he shrugged it off.

He skulled his pitch over the green... chipped on and took 2 putts and claimed a double bogey for the hole. At the end of the round... he left and we didn't have time to confront him about it. Later in the day, I received an email directed towards the club chairman from one of our opponents urging the executive committee to remove my partner from the club for blatant cheating.

There IS a no-tolerance rule that was voted on at the rules meeting in January... and he violated that. I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place because he IS my partner... but I DID see him cheat. I don't want to be a cause of my partner being banned, but... what are my other options?

I attested to all the claims my opponents made to the chairman and my partner just received an email that the executive committee was reviewing the claim and their decision would be final.

My thing is... why cheat? He wasn't in the running for low net. His singles match went in his favor anyway... even WITHOUT the saved strokes there. The ONLY thing it changed was the outcome of our doubles match... which went from a win for us to a draw when the score was adjusted by 2 strokes on that hole. Thing is... he doesn't even care about the records, so... I'm not quite sure why he bothered.

Anyway - how would you have handled it? Would you have been loyal to your partner and abstained from testifying against him... or loyal to the rules of the game and admitted that you witnessed the incident?

CY

[chilly]

I'd say in an instance like that, when it was pretty clear your guy was bending the rules for a clear cut advantage, I'd have sided against him.

[sean_miller]

This whole format sounds like a recipe for cheaters and sandbaggers, but . . . did you know this guy beforehand? Do you like your new club? Do you care if this guys gets banned - will it make your life off the course difficult?

It's too late to second guess your decision. It sounds like you were put on the spot and chose the high road, but now you're regretting it because of the harsh penalty this guys going to pay. It also sounds like you guys gave him an out while still on the course but he gave you guys an FU shrug - his loss.

[mchepp]

Wow, that is quite some story. In my opinion, and this might sound harsh, but it is just my opinion. I think you can't have it both ways. You can't watch him cheat, as you have done, and not say anything, and then when he gets caught by someone else act like it is some deep moral dilemma. If the cheating bothered you before, you should have pulled him aside and said "look, you are cheating and I don't approve of it, keep doing it and we are no longer going to be partners." It looks now, like you have been protecting him just to win your matches, I am not certain this is the case, but from reading your story it can have that appearance. As a side note, I think you kept silent because you don't really know the guys and didn't want to start anything with him. I can understand that.

It is hard for me to tell you what I would do because I don't know how serious you league is. At my club, if this went on, and someone was caught cheating like this I would come clean right away. Tell them that I have seem some questionable activity in the past but kept silent because I didn't know him and was concerned about confronting him. It may bring all your other matches into question but I think that you have to face that because of this issue reaching a boiling point now.

Good luck, and I would like to hear how it all ends.

[Shindig]

It's too late to second guess your decision. It sounds like you were put on the spot and chose the high road, but now you're regretting it because of the harsh penalty this guys going to pay. It also sounds like you guys gave him an out while still on the course but he gave you guys an FU shrug - his loss.

I'd like to second this. You gave him a chance and a face-saving out, and he didn't take it.

His consolation prize should be a copy of the Rules of Golf, or at least a link to the website containing them.

[IcemanYVR]

I think it's pretty obvious what happened, but obvious and 100% sure without a doubt are two very differnent things.

It's unfortunate, but I doubt the committee will be able to side against him unless there is 100% tangebile proof that in fact the ball lieing inbounds was his provisional ball. Did anyone see the markings on his tee ball or for his second shot? If not it may be very difficult to prove.

I think you did the right thing and friend/partner or not, if I caught someone cheating or highly suspected it, I wouldn't play or partner with them again.

[Tiger Spuds]

I think you did the right thing.I don't understand why he would cheat.I know these things can get competitive, but really, it's not like you're playing for massive prize money.Some perspective on his part wouldn't have gone astray.If it was a case of him not knowing the rules, then he shouldn't be out there.You would expect anyone at any club to be aware of fundamental rules upon playing competitions.If he's not a close personal friend, it shouldn't bother you in the slightest, as he brought it upon himself.

[Fairway_CY]

This whole format sounds like a recipe for cheaters and sandbaggers, but . . . did you know this guy beforehand? Do you like your new club? Do you care if this guys gets banned - will it make your life off the course difficult?

The club, for the most part, is a solid group of guys who have been together for 10+ years. There really hasn't been much of an issue with cheating in the past, but there WERE enough issues for them to implement the zero-tolerance penalty towards cheating. I DO like the club... in fact, I very much enjoy playing against the guys I've faced so far. I did not know him... I was just paired with him because we are both rookies. I don't really care if he gets banned because, truth be told... I'm not really a fan of him. I don't know him outside the club, so... no off-the-course issues. You're spot on with your comments in the second paragraph. I feel kind of bad for the guy... but, I can't stand cheaters... and we DID give him an opportunity to own up to his error, and he didn't really care enough to do so.

Wow, that is quite some story. In my opinion, and this might sound harsh, but it is just my opinion. I think you can't have it both ways. You can't watch him cheat, as you have done, and not say anything, and then when he gets caught by someone else act like it is some deep moral dilemma. If the cheating bothered you before, you should have pulled him aside and said "look, you are cheating and I don't approve of it, keep doing it and we are no longer going to be partners." It looks now, like you have been protecting him just to win your matches, I am not certain this is the case, but from reading your story it can have that appearance. As a side note, I think you kept silent because you don't really know the guys and didn't want to start anything with him. I can understand that.

I can see how my post would be able to be interpreted that way, but... it's not the case. I never watched him cheat and kept my mouth shut... I've told him the rules in the past. He's been called on the little infringements time and again... but they weren't serious enough to warrant action by anybody. Plus, they never affected our matches. The matches we've won have been pretty big wins (4 & 3, 6 & 4, 6 & 5) so... no big issues there. I'd rather play the game with integrity and lose than cheat and win. I also never had the option to banish him as my partner as we were assigned and the club is locked... so - I couldn't have dropped him and added someone else, otherwise I would have. I also have gone to the chairman in the past and he's told me that unless they are blatant cheating issues, there really isn't much to investigate unless an OPPONENT brings it up... which none of them have. This time... I spoke to our opponents and they said they would like to bring it up. I told them to go ahead and that I'd attest to it. I DIDN'T think the guy would be kicked out... but - then again, I didn't think anybody would blatantly lie about their ball, either.

I'd like to second this. You gave him a chance and a face-saving out, and he didn't take it.

LOL - I'll bring that up to the executive committee!

I think it's pretty obvious what happened, but obvious and 100% sure without a doubt are two very differnent things.

Thanks... there are three guys who have testified that there is VERY LITTLE chance that the ball he found was his original. But, as you said... there isn't 100% positive proof.

I think you did the right thing.I don't understand why he would cheat.I know these things can get competitive, but really, it's not like you're playing for massive prize money.Some perspective on his part wouldn't have gone astray.If it was a case of him not

I agree with you... he shouldn't be out there without knowing the rules. I've basically felt like a tutor for the first few weeks.

CY

[mattttt25]

Tough, but you know the answer. He cheated, you witnessed it, he should be gone.

Tons of cheaters in golf. Why? Maybe because it's easy to do compared to other games. I personally don't get it, if I cheated I would know I did and what's the point saying I shot 88 when I really shot a 95? I've played with several guys that improve lies, don't putt out after missing a 2 footer and leaving it 3 feet out, and somehow find their ball when it clearly went deep in the woods. When I ask them what they shot and they say bogey, I just smile and write it down. I know, and they are stupid to think I don't. If it makes them happy to report that they shot better than me, so be it. They must need it to be happy in life. I sure as hell don't.

[HoosierGolfer]

Wow, that is quite some story. In my opinion, and this might sound harsh, but it is just my opinion. I think you can't have it both ways. You can't watch him cheat, as you have done, and not say anything, and then when he gets caught by someone else act like it is some deep moral dilemma. If the cheating bothered you before, you should have pulled him aside and said "look, you are cheating and I don't approve of it, keep doing it and we are no longer going to be partners." It looks now, like you have been protecting him just to win your matches, I am not certain this is the case, but from reading your story it can have that appearance. As a side note, I think you kept silent because you don't really know the guys and didn't want to start anything with him. I can understand that.

I agree! Keep us posted on how this story ends.

[DaSportsGuy]

I would just tell the committee what you saw. It's your partners' problem that he brought on himself.

[imtomtomim]

This quite a crappy situation. I'd say tread gently and make sure everyone knows your intention is not to screw someone over. Next time you play, every time he makes a move, just mention, I don't think you can do that, or in the case of the switched ball, you should have played stupid when he finished out. "OH crap, that wasn't your ball you holed out was it!" I think that's the first step. But in all reality, he screwed himself. Sometimes, you gotta stand up for your own integrity and let people walk their own path. If you don't have any real ties of loyalty, there is no negative judgment on your character if you let him burn himself.

[Fourputt]

To tell you the truth, the first time I saw him breach a rule I'd have been talking to him, telling him that it didn't matter what the club policy was, but I have a zero tolerance policy for breaking the rules, whether in ignorance or by intent. I'd have given him one of my outdated rule books to study and I'd have told him that he wasn't going to get away with any casual rules breaches as long as he was my partner.

If his situation ever escalated to the point that the OP describes, I'd have told him right on the spot that I would be reporting the incident to the committee right along with the other 2 guys. I would not tolerate it at all, because any cheating he does when he is my partner reflects on me too, and that is a reputation I want no part of.

[Fairway_CY]

I'm awaiting final word from the committee (supposed to be received tonight) but it appears they're going to remove him from the club. In the end... he did it to himself. The other breaches I mentioned were minor and he was spoken to (both by me and some others) about them... but he continued to make mistakes.

I've heard unconfirmed rumors for both possible options (removal and a second chance). Either way, he's told others he doesn't wish to remain my partner any longer... to which I've responded with a huge sigh of relief.

Hopefully the final decision is levied this evening.

CY

[Fat Slice]

Who would want to take on this guy as a partner now? I think he's toast. As for witnessing rules breaches, you should alert them and ask them to take the penalty on themself. If they refuse you should tell them you are going to report the incident and let the committee handle it. You have to be fair not only to yourself and 'the rules of the game', but to the other people who are (ostensibly) out there recording real scores. It can and will be uncomfortable, but I am afraid it has to be done.

[Shindig]

Either way, he's told others he doesn't wish to remain my partner any longer... to which I've responded with a huge sigh of relief.

Of course not. He wants someone who is comfortable with his cheating, and that could back him up on it.

Hopefully someone from the club with a tee time far from his during a competition can watch him or his team for a hole or two at random for a few matches, if he remains in the club.

[ajschn06]

I think this is a good thread, simply because some of the rules of golf can be questionable to say the least. Obviously I am not going to fluff my lie, or do anything like that to improve my score. However, my question is, how do you handle some of the other rules? Obviously, playing in a competitive situation, one really doesn't have a choice. However, I am usually just playing with my friends. A lot of them will take a mulligan now and then, or a gimme, which I never do. On the other hand, I'm not about to penalize myself a stroke if the wind moves my ball after I have addressed it.....

[mhenrickson]

I like this topic, because I usually play with guys that cheat. Granted, we don't play in a league with strict adherance to following USGA rules. We're just weekend hacks that like to play nine holes every so often. However, the gimmie putts, taking mulligans without scoring them, improving lies, etc are all things I don't like to do. I like to know what I really shot, because what good does it do me writing down a 5 when I really got a 7? I know how I did, so why fudge the numbers? Again, we don't play for anything so I don't get upset when others do this, but like someone posted earlier, I know what they "really" scored when they say they got a par or whatever.