Cheaters Cheaters Cheaters..

[acegolfer]

Obviously, not knowing every rule and deliberately cheating are two different things. But recognizing that you don't know all the rules, and then still choosing not to learn them before hitting the course again, can be the same thing as choosing not to follow them on purpose. I just took an online test at

That was tough. I only got 12/18 correct. Learned a lot.

[zackr]

Working on a golf course allows me to see a lot of cheating, the most common varieties being improving lies and dropping after ob.it is funny to see people say i got par when i have watched them hit two off the tee and then move there ball from the rough to the fairway, it cracks me up.

[Fourputt]

That was tough. I only got 12/18 correct. Learned a lot.

18 of 18....

[Paradox]

I didn't know the provisional ball ruling. Once you declare it lost, it isn't lost for good? Learned something new there.

[Fat Slice]

18 of 18....

Good, I expected that from you!

I got 12/18 - a little disappointed :(

[iacas]

Once you declare it lost, it isn't lost for good?

A person can't declare a ball lost.

They can take actions which basically render it lost, they can run out of time to find it, etc. but they can't "declare" that the ball is lost. Oh, and I just got 18/18 here. Good quiz. Better than that weird etiquette one we had recently.

[mattttt25]

10/18. Was on a roll, getting the first 7 correct. Then much like my golf game, it was crash and burn from there.

[Paradox]

If the guy had played another stroke on the provisional ball(which was past the original ball in play) he would have then made it "lost", correct?

[right handed phil mickelson]

I hate cheaters....

*kicks ball out of rough into fairway*

Makes me sick..

[laconic517]

how would they ever get the lifesavers under the ball? Youd see them pick it up/roll it anyway.

I dont worry about people cheating unless they do it in competition or skins. 95% of the time I know how many strokes so its not like theyd get away with it anyway. Only time Im not sure is if I am hacking the hole up in the trees or in another fairway.

[zeg]

I got 15 of 18, but I'm taking a mulligan on the first one because I didn't read carefully, so in practice I'd have gotten 16 of the 18 correct. Not sure why, but I'd gotten it in my head that whoever lifted a ball from the putting green had to replace it, so I missed that one. Also missed the one about putting practice, again mostly because I didn't read very carefully... Good quiz, though.

Paradox: yeah, taking a stroke at the provisional past the point where the first was lost would irrevocably put it in play. Also, if you "ace" your provisional (for par) and are playing with the kind of jerk who'd go searching for your original ball, run up to the green and lift it from the cup before he finds your ball or you have to abandon the holed provisional and make par the hard way.

[NCSU_MSE]

I am personally of the opinion that "ignoring" cheating will keep you from ever getting better. I used to bump lies and not count all of my penalty strokes, and it did nothing but overinflate my perceived golfing ability. It's like a drug addict - he never thinks he has a problem until you lay out all the facts. Well, once I started really counting each and every penalty and playing by the book, I realized that I wasn't nearly as good as I thought I was. It made me take practicing and getting better much more seriously. Plus, I can honestly defend my handicap and golfing ability now.

[Fourputt]

Paradox: yeah,

As long as the original ball hasn't been found before you do that (and within the 5 minute search period). If a ball is found which might be yours, then you are required to examine it. If you do not do so and play your provisional ball, and if that found ball does turn out to be yours, you would have incurred a 2 stroke penalty for playing a wrong ball and you would still have to finish out the hole with the correct ball.

Also, if you "ace" your provisional (for par) and are playing with the kind of jerk who'd go searching for your original ball, run up to the green and lift it from the cup before he finds your ball or you have to abandon the holed provisional and make par the hard way.

It doesn't have to be a "jerk" (your word not mine). Maybe the ball hit something hard and bounced back into deep rough along the route to the green. If a player finds it and calls attention to it like what I said above, then you are still required to examine the found ball. It doesn't matter what you would prefer.

If this was near the end of a close match, it would be to your opponent's advantage to continue to search until an act of yours deems the search irrelevant. You may never have been in such a match play situation, but believe me... a match like that can be a bloody, no holds barred duel. He may be your best friend before and after the match, but while it's on, he is your opponent, and there is no quarter given.

[Shindig]

Paradox: yeah, taking a stroke at the provisional past the point where the first was lost would irrevocably put it in play. Also, if you "ace" your provisional (for par) and are playing with the kind of jerk who'd go searching for your original ball, run up to the green and lift it from the cup before he finds your ball or you have to abandon the holed provisional and make par the hard way.

Ah! One of my favorite stories. 2000 Alfred Dunhill Cup; short par-4 12th at St. Andrews. Stephen Leaney snap-hooks his tee shot; even if they were to find it, he probably wouldn't have been able to play it. He hits a provisional, drives the green, and hits it to six feet. His playing part, one John Daly, wanders over to search for the original ball. Leaney, obviously, didn't want that to be the ball in play. Since the provisional is farther than the original, and it was stroke play, Leaney knew that if he played a shot on the provisional, it would be the ball in play. So he ran up to the green to putt. Before he got there, Daly called off the search, realizing that Leaney didn't want it to be found. Arnold Palmer once described the potential outcome as an awkward footrace.

Of course, if it were match play, Daly could have searched, found it, and then demanded that Leaney play in order. But that didn't happen.

[ddalet]

I'm all for casual golfers not taking their OB penalties during random rounds if it means faster pace of play.

[acegolfer]

Ah! One of my favorite stories. 2000 Alfred Dunhill Cup; short par-4 12th at St. Andrews. Stephen Leaney snap-hooks his tee shot; even if they were to find it, he probably wouldn't have been able to play it. He hits a provisional, drives the green, and hits it to six feet. His playing part, one John Daly, wanders over to search for the original ball. Leaney, obviously, didn't want that to be the ball in play. Since the provisional is farther than the original, and it was stroke play, Leaney knew that if he played a shot on the provisional, it would be the ball in play. So he ran up to the green to putt. Before he got there, Daly called off the search, realizing that Leaney didn't want it to be found. Arnold Palmer once described the potential outcome as an awkward footrace.

A similar thing happened to Phil in 2001 Buick 3rd playoff hole, which he won.

From http://lubbockonline.com/stories/021...21201041.shtml The third playoff hole, the 425-yard 17th, was a script right out of a horror show. Mickelson hit first and fanned his drive into a canyon left of the fairway, leaving him with virtually no chance at par. Lickliter followed by hitting his drive in the exact same spot. Both hit provisional tee shots, assuming the balls would not be found, and both hit the fairway with their third shots. But Lickliter found his ball and had to go back to the tee and hit his third shot over again. Mickelson was already in the fairway and didn't want to find his. Much to his chagrin, someone in the gallery found it for him and he had to replay his third shot, too. Lickliter hit the fairway for the third time. Mickelson's ball headed for the canyon once again.

[zeg]

As long as the original ball hasn't been found before you do that (and within the 5 minute search period). If a ball is found which might be yours, then you are required to examine it. If you do not do so and play your provisional ball, and if that found ball does turn out to be yours, you would have incurred a 2 stroke penalty for playing a wrong ball and you would still have to finish out the hole with the correct ball.

Of course.

It doesn't have to be a "jerk" (your word not mine). Maybe the ball hit something hard and bounced back into deep rough along the route to the green. If a player finds it and calls attention to it like what I said above, then you are still required to examine the found ball. It doesn't matter what you would prefer.

Again, of course. I'm thinking of a situation where your ball is actually borderline lost (i.e., you're not going to find it just by walking up along the side of the fairway).

If this was near the end of a close match, it would be to your opponent's advantage to continue to search until an act of yours deems the search irrelevant. You may never have been in such a match play situation, but believe me... a match like that can be a bloody, no holds barred duel. He may be your best friend before and after the match, but while it's on, he is your opponent, and there is no quarter given.

Sure, and I was being a bit facetious in my choice of words. I never really play competitive rounds, but if I did, and this came up, I'd be sure to remind my partner that his taking an extended search for my ball when I'm already making my way up to the green and he's due to hit might be considered unduly delaying play.

But really, even in a tough match, I think it'd be ok to take a look in the area, but rather poor taste to insist on a full five minute search on your opponent's "behalf."

[Joeyvee]

[QUOTE=DavidFehertysBike;490132]I've never blatantly cheated, but i've conveniently ignored tapping the ball at address a few times during my waggle. I remember one time during a tournament i thought i might have grounded the club in a bunker, but i couldn't remember for sure if i did or not. So i never said anything.

QUOTE]
I dont think thats cheating. I dont think its a stroke. I think you have to take the club back to actually have a stroke added. But Im sure way more people than me can answer that and may have since I didnt read all the pages