Gimme Putts (God I hate them!)

[martytilma]

So I play in a small league (8 golfers). For years I've been trying to get our league to putt everything out. It will never happen, but I try every year. Anyway we have one golfer that will pick up any and all putts that people will give him. (He's also the guy that complains that his HC is too low. Well maybe don't pick up every 5 foot putt and it won't be.) Last night I was playing him. At the beginning of the round I told him don't bother giving me any putts. I will putt out, which I always do. On a couple of holes I gave him putts inside 1 ft. (Already had him beat on the hole) On the 7th hole he had a putt that was about 3 ft and tricky. I made him putt it and he missed bad! Also missed the come backer. On the next tee box he was all pissed off saying that he wasn't going to give anyone anymore putts. He really expected me to give him that putt! I looked at him and said, "Are you serious? I gave you a couple already and I've putted everything out!" I really hate playing in this guys group!

Anyone else know golfers like this?

[double_j]

So I play in a small league (8 golfers). For years I've been trying to get our league to putt everything out. It will never happen, but I try every year. Anyway we have one golfer that will pick up any and all putts that people will give him. (He's also the guy that complains that his HC is too low. Well maybe don't pick up every 5 foot putt and it won't be.) Last night I was playing him. At the beginning of the round I told him don't bother giving me any putts. I will putt out, which I always do. On a couple of holes I gave him putts inside 1 ft. (Already had him beat on the hole) On the 7th hole he had a putt that was about 3 ft and tricky. I made him putt it and he missed bad! Also missed the come backer. On the next tee box he was all pissed off saying that he wasn't going to give anyone anymore putts. He really expected me to give him that putt! I looked at him and said, "Are you serious? I gave you a couple already and I've putted everything out!" I really hate playing in this guys group!

No gimmes in my group (unless blatantly obvious) on any putt for bogey or better or that will win/halve a hole.

[goblue107501]

I will make people show me they can make a few 3-4 footers before I even think about giving one. Sometimes it just takes a few holes to figure it out, other times it will last the entire round. Once you prove to me that you are capable, I will relax my standards a bit, otherwise, keep putting.

[Kieran123]

Yup, got a buddy who thinks gimmies go out to 4 feet.

When we make him putt, he will often miss and get annoyed and probably not count it to his score.

he shot an 81 a while back, one os his best scores, that really should of been 85 or 86

[Devo]

When I play with my dad and his friends there are a lot of given putts. If someone makes a nice pitch or chip they seem to be more liberal, almost as if making the tough approach shot warrants the gimme.

When I play with my friends we tend to putt out everything, only taking something that is inches and even then we will usually just putt it. I believe that if you ever intend on competing in golf you should putt everything because a tournament 2 footer comes with a lot more pressure than a 2 footer with your buddies.

[Quinn07]

When I play with my normal 4 some it's a unwritten and not even talked about rule that there are no gimmies; unless someone is having a horrendous day. When we do give'em on the bad days it's more of an insult to the guy saying we don't want to see him hack around anymore...but it's all in good fun.

I played at a course that had a piece of tape or rubber around the flag at 13 inches from the bottom. They had to put this on all the flags so there was no more arguments or discrepancies during mens night and what was considered a gimmie and what wasn't. Pretty good idea if you ask me especially for those guys who give and take 3 footers.

[stacks04]

I like to putt out everything. Most times its a 2 putt, but sometimes it just seems like it wont end. I am not that good at reading a green yet so there is no guarantee i will make any of them:)

[RedCard03]

Thats the worst when you play with people like that. They usually end up shooting in the 70's when they should have shot a 108. Once i play with someone like that i just do not play with them anymore. Golf is not meant to be played liked that. When i play with my usual group we putt everything out even its 2 inches from the cup.

[martytilma]

Once I play with someone like that I just do not play with them anymore.

Wish I could! Can't really kick him out of our league unless he starts throwing haymakers at everyone! lol!

[2bGood]

a gimmee should not matter, it should be so short, that if you were forced to putt, you would sink it 99% of the time.

[Clubchucker]

I've played in the same golf league for close to 20 years. It's a recreational golf league and we're all friends. That being said, we're also competitive, since a lot of us have know each other since high school or college (we're mostly mid to upper 40's in age). For league play, we usually play the "inside the leather" rule. If it's inside the shaft portion of your putter...take it. But, that still HAS to be given; if someone in our league picked up a putt giving it to themselves? I honestly don't think that's ever happened and I can't imagine it being done. Now if the putt does have some big break on it? Yeah...you're putting it. By the same token, if you're 3.5' away from the cup and the putt is for quad? Pick it up.

Again, this is a "fun" league. Nobody is getting rich off the winnings and nobody cares if player A beat player B by 2 strokes. Our egos aren't that big-we just enjoy each others company. I have to say if some jackass was making me putt 5 inch putts in our golf league, I'd make it a point to mark my ball, clean it, walk around and study the putt from all angles, place it down then do the Jim Furyk look like you're ready to putt then back off and look again.

Now a money game on the weekend with the same friends? Hmmm....maybe a little different guidelines. :)

[DavidFehertysBike]

Gimmies dont bother me at all during a casual round. We're not tour pros.

[te3point5]

I actually like the feeling of the ball rolling into the bottom of the cup. I always putt till the end, even with little putts. anybody playing with me can do whatever they want, but they're only cheating themselves if they are taking gimmes on putts that really arent. The guy the OP played with is a perfect example. At that point it's not worth keeping score if you play like that. Might as well "gimme" the whole match. "Well, i woulda gotten a 4 on this hole, and a 3 on this hole, Wow, I'm a scratch golfer!"

[sean_miller]

I've played in the same golf league for close to 20 years. It's a recreational golf league and we're all friends. That being said, we're also competitive, since a lot of us have know each other since high school or college (we're mostly mid to upper 40's in age). For league play, we usually play the "inside the leather" rule. If it's inside the shaft portion of your putter...take it. But, that still HAS to be given; if someone in our league picked up a putt giving it to themselves? I honestly don't think that's ever happened and I can't imagine it being done. Now if the putt does have some big break on it? Yeah...you're putting it. By the same token, if you're 3.5' away from the cup and the putt is for quad? Pick it up.

I had a buddy give me a death stare because I picked up a 1.5 footer for triple bogey on a 300 yard par 4 (we weren't playing for money and my score was already gross that day). I mean he was livid. I had to bite my tongue - this guy fluffs his lie on every shot, he'd already cheated twice on lost balls (dropping a new one in the rough when he thought noone was looking), and he took two practice swings in a bunker. He's suggested playing for money a couple times - I laughed . . . um, no freaking way. I can make my 2-footer, but I don't want to have to keep looking over my shoulder so he plays the ball down for once in his life. Why I play with that guy, I don't know.

[PaddyHarrington]

I putt out every hole,sure isn't that the whole point of Golf? To get the little white ball into the hole!
I had a playing partner once who thought if he had a gimme his score was the score before the gimme was given,for example if he was putting for a 5 he would write 4 down on his card if he was given the gimme..
Use to annoy the hell out of me so I don't play with him anymore.

[martytilma]

Gimmies dont bother me at all during a casual round. We're not tour pros.

It's not that they bother me. But if I make you (and by you I mean him) putt a 4 footer with some break, don't get all pissed off at me when you you/him miss the putt.

[martytilma]

"Well, i woulda gotten a 4 on this hole, and a 3 on this hole, Wow, I'm a scratch golfer!"

Exactly, the problem is he then bitches and complains that his HC is too low and he has to give so many strokes!

[martytilma]

and he took two practice swings in a bunker.

Really! Practice, as in sand was flying everywhere? Nice

I think I played against his twin brother last night.