Gimme Putts (God I hate them!)

[mcfc_nick]

If you were playing for money, how would you not say something after the first instance??

because i didnt directly know the guy, it was the first time id met him, he was a friend of a friend so id have felt awkward, at first i was like 'well ok then' then he kept on doing it which just got on my nerves, i just didnt want to seem like a d*ck to him the first time id met him

[martytilma]

because i didnt directly know the guy, it was the first time id met him, he was a friend of a friend so id have felt awkward, at first i was like 'well ok then' then he kept on doing it which just got on my nerves, i just didnt want to seem like a d*ck to him the first time id met him

I can understand that, but man I would have a hard time holding my toungue if the guy was taking all my money!!! Did he beat you?

[mcfc_nick]

I can understand that, but man I would have a hard time holding my toungue if the guy was taking all my money!!! Did he beat you?

there were 3 of us, me my mate and him, we all put a £15 in at the start and the winner took it, me and my mate both shot 82 (we're about the same ability wise) and his mate shot 86, but which included an 7 on 17 (par 4) and a 6 on 18 (par 3) so it was looking like he was going to and i wouldnt have been pleased if he had to say the least.

[Zekez]

To this day, I do not undertand the concept behind gimme putts. If they are a "gimme", shouldn't it only take a second to walk up and tap it in? It's not slowing anything down and if it's missed, then it wasn't a "gimme" from the start.

This a million times!!!

If you are playing golf then the object is to get the ball into the hole.

The main reason gimmes exist is so golfers can shoot lower scores.

I would love to play in a league that does not allow gimmes. Alas, egos are too large for that.

[jsgolfer]

This a million times!!!

If you are playing golf then the object is to get the ball into the hole.

The main reason gimmes exist is so golfers can shoot lower scores.

I would love to play in a league that does not allow gimmes. Alas, egos are too large for that.

I agree, the biggest reason I've heard about doing gimme putts is pace of play.  But if you instituted a rule that once you start putting you always finish out, that should take that argument away.  You might have to stand in someone's line, but I think these days with all of the spikeless shoes, I always see left over marks on the green from the group ahead of me, as well as from mine or my playing partners.

[Grumpter]

This a million times!!!

If you are playing golf then the object is to get the ball into the hole.

The main reason gimmes exist is so golfers can shoot lower scores.

I would love to play in a league that does not allow gimmes. Alas, egos are too large for that.

Counter argument. In the leagues I play in the goal is to beat the other team on a hole by hole basis. If a player isn't figuring into the hole (their putt has no consequence on the outcome) then I am giving them a gimme if it is within reasonable distance. It is definitely your prerogative if you want to make your opponents putt every putt. Go for it. My question to you would then be why would you want to force them to hit every putt? You are then losing some advantages - 1) Not having the ability to spring a 'I can't give you that' on a putt of real consequence and 2) they are artificially lowering their handicap (albeit it slightly). It is to your advantage if people have vanity handicaps.

There are plenty of times in league where a team gives me a putt but I will tell them no I will putt it out. If it is close enough to the hole for my liking then I take it for speed of play purpose.

[DaveP043]

Counter argument. In the leagues I play in the goal is to beat the other team on a hole by hole basis. If a player isn't figuring into the hole (their putt has no consequence on the outcome) then I am giving them a gimme if it is within reasonable distance. It is definitely your prerogative if you want to make your opponents putt every putt. Go for it. My question to you would then be why would you want to force them to hit every putt? You are then losing some advantages - 1) Not having the ability to spring a 'I can't give you that' on a putt of real consequence and 2) they are artificially lowering their handicap (albeit it slightly). It is to your advantage if people have vanity handicaps.

And now a counter-counter argument.  I captain our club's inter-club team.  I want every one of my players to feel comfortable when they NEED to make a two-footer, so I want them to putt out just about all the time in their casual play.  We play just enough stroke-play events that I know how nerve-wracking a two-footer can be, especially if you don't putt them out in in your everyday rounds.

[Lihu]

I only take the gimme when someone else taps or tosses the ball back to me. It starts to get ridiculous when they toss back a 3 footer or more.

[Grumpter]

And now a counter-counter argument.  I captain our club's inter-club team.  I want every one of my players to feel comfortable when they NEED to make a two-footer, so I want them to putt out just about all the time in their casual play.  We play just enough stroke-play events that I know how nerve-wracking a two-footer can be, especially if you don't putt them out in in your everyday rounds.

I don't see too many 2 footers being given if they are relevant to the winning of the match/hole. If they are giving it to me then I will take it. There are plenty of times in non-league play where I have to practice those putts with pressure. If someone is giving me the putt and it earns a point then I will gladly take it.

[dkolo]

I really don't like taking gimmes, but if it's in that range of just outside of a foot and I'd mark it to double check but now I have to step over people's lines, I'll just say screw it and not cause a scene. I'm so clumsy sometimes, I'll start making a mess of people's lines around the hole. If I'm the last person not in the hole or there's no one's line to mind, I finish it out, even if the guy is standing impatiently waiting to put the flag in. I want that practice.

[Lihu]

I really don't like taking gimmes, but if it's in that range of just outside of a foot and I'd mark it to double check but now I have to step over people's lines, I'll just say screw it and not cause a scene. I'm so clumsy sometimes, I'll start making a mess of people's lines around the hole. If I'm the last person not in the hole or there's no one's line to mind, I finish it out, even if the guy is standing impatiently waiting to put the flag in. I want that practice.

Usually, people let you putt out if you're less than 2-3 feet, generally so you won't need to mark over their line. It usually takes 5 seconds to tap it in and pull it out.

[David in FL]

This a million times!!! If you are playing golf then the object is to get the ball into the hole. The main reason gimmes exist is so golfers can shoot lower scores.  I would love to play in a league that does not allow gimmes. Alas, egos are too large for that.

Gimme... An agreement between 2 golfers, neither of whom putt very well. :-)

[Grumpter]

If I'm the last person not in the hole or there's no one's line to mind, I finish it out, even if the guy is standing impatiently waiting to put the flag in. I want that practice.

I don't have a problem with that as long as we are not already behind. I have been in some groups where guys were already slow and then agonizing over most every short putt. Painful. Conversely, I have had people I didn't know that I have been paired up with try to give me a 4+ footer. A few people even scooped up my ball before I could tell them "no, I will putt it out". I will then putt it from where I think it was and after that they don't seem to try a second time.

[dkolo]

I don't have a problem with that as long as we are not already behind. I have been in some groups where guys were already slow and then agonizing over most every short putt. Painful. Conversely, I have had people I didn't know that I have been paired up with try to give me a 4+ footer. A few people even scooped up my ball before I could tell them "no, I will putt it out". I will then putt it from where I think it was and after that they don't seem to try a second time.

Obviously, you have to be cognizant of pace, but I try to get my reads done before it's on me. I've also switched recently to aligning the ball with the blank side up instead of using the line, so I don't need to futz around with it as much which speeds things up. The flag thing is mostly when the guy is a big gimme person and doesn't bother with short putts and assumes no one else does.

[isukgolf]

Certainly not in competition, but I have been paired of with people that I don't think could walk up and drop in the hole by hand. After like 3rd green is 3-4 putted for an quad bogey, I suggest they are good a long way from the hole ... sometimes it is simply to painful to watch ... especially when each miss goes by the 3-4 feet ...I would sooner stick a long tee in my eye ball than to watch it. It happened two weeks ago to me ...

[DrvFrShow]

To me a "gimme" is a putt less than 1 foot. Come on, you can easily miss a 3' putt. A 2' putt can be a tough putt in a tournament. I've blown a 1' putt. I've never missed a putt less than 1'. Yeah, a 2" tap in is a gimme.

I did give our 90 year old a 3-footer on a par 4 when she hit the green in regulation to the dismay of several competitors. Come on, it was her first birdie in 3 years.

[Avalanche]

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.

^^ This.  Isn't that the point of a gimme, after all?  To not waste 30 seconds on a putt that's a sure thing.  I can't image taking a gimme for anything over 18 inches, or maybe a straight uphill two-footer.  And I wouldn't give a gimme for anything other than a putt like that.

To be honest, a gimme is more of a match play thing.  Probly shouldn't concede anything in stroke play.  Especially if you're figuring on posting the round.

[RGoosen]

I thought everyone took gimmes if it was inside the length of Adam Scott's putter. :) 95% of the rounds I play are casual. The tournaments that I do play in are scrambles. I got tired of playing in stressful stroke/match play events where it seems there are a lot of inflated handicaps. It appears that most of the complaints are about gimmes in tournament play, but why would anyone care what another player did in a casual round. I don't care if they use foot wedges, throw their ball from the bunker, take 4 foot putts, or hit mulligans. If they don't want to practice hitting uncomfortable putts or hitting from less than perfect lies then it is their loss. "If" I still played stroke/match play events then I would have an issue with it.