Confessional

[Duffy]

How does it go? Forgive me father for I have sinned? Well, I sure screwed this one up
The story..... 15th hole lake on left, long dogleg left, blind green. Hit my tee shot pounded to the left and drawing. Went out of sight around the corner. That was either a damned good shot or it's in the lake. Got around the corner and saw my ball at the end of the lake, 286 yd. tee shot, got to the ball, yep a Titleist, Damn what a shot. only 86 left to the green and a birdie. So far so good. Get to the next tee and tee it up.... What do I see on the tee? NXT. Wait I play only NXT Tour balls and that's all I have. Not my ball? No it's not. Too embarrassed to tell my buddies I play out the rest of the game and post my score as the card reads. The problem.....i haven't slept for two nights. What should I do? How could I correct my card? can't re-play the hole. I have no idea how to score that hole and or correct my post and to what score it should be. Forgive me golf gods.

[iacas]

Ask your pro to adjust your score in the handicap system. Take the ESC on the hole for your handicap and refund any money you won from your buddies.

[Fourputt]

  Duffy said:

How does it go? Forgive me father for I have sinned? Well, I sure screwed this one up

Tough one. In a competition you'd be DQ'ed for not going back and finishing the hole with the correct ball before playing from the next tee. In a casual round there really isn't any good answer that is better than what Erik recommended. Certainly if you won any part of a wager by your actions, then you have to rectify it. The rest is just between you and your conscience.

[2bGood]

That would count as an unfinished hole, USGA says that you are to take the score you would likely have made for HDCP purposes. But IMHO I wouldn't give a hoot about HDCP, yes you likely should have posted 3 strokes higher, but even if the score counted in your top ten and did lower your cap, consider your lower HDCP as Karma for your next betting round when you are giving one more stoke then you should.

As for you buddies I think you screwed up bad, if you had said something on the next tee, or even during the round, no big deal. The fact you choose to cheat looks real bad and even if you come clean now, I still wouldn't trust you. But you have to clean as I bet you buddies already suspect what happened.

Also mark your balls, there is s.o many good reason to do this that I am not sure why people don't

[3 wiggle]

  Duffy said:

How does it go? Forgive me father for I have sinned? Well, I sure screwed this one up

Everyone i play with cheats anyway. Refund any money won, correct the score for hdcp purposes and learn from it. I hear ambion is good for golfers that need sleep! Lol...i kill myself. Worry not my friend. The fact that your upset speaks volumes of your character.

[ChipShot]

Honestly if there was no money involved who cares. It is an honest mistake that can happen to anyone and as long as it wasn't a tourney or no money was taken let it go. There are a lot worse things in life that can happen.

[Judah Ben-Hur]

You better draw the curtains and lay low for awhile. The golf handicap police will be searching your neighborhood after reading your post. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes.

[saevel25]

I believe you have to take a penalty for each shot you took after hitting the wrong ball.

[Jay-Bird]

  saevel25 said:

I believe you have to take a penalty for each shot you took after hitting the wrong ball.

Max penalty of four strokes.

[Fourputt]

  saevel25 said:

I believe you have to take a penalty for each shot you took after hitting the wrong ball.

No....

  Jay-Bird said:

Max penalty of four strokes.

And no... read Rule 15-3. It's a 2 stroke penalty and he should have gone back and played the hole with the correct ball, in this case he should have dropped under Rule 26-1 with an additional 1 stroke penalty and played in from there. Rule 15-3 requires disqualification for failure to follow correct procedure, but since it wasn't a competition, that isn't possible. For handicap purposes it would be considered an unfinished hole, so he should mark the score he would most likely have made had he done it right, including the 3 penalty strokes, then adjust that for ESC if necessary.

As far as his reputation with his buddies???? That's up to them.

[ohiolefty]

Damn - you haven't slept over this??!?!? Screw golf, I think it's time to pursue a life in musical theatre or a daytime television drama.


It happens, man. Yeah, it sucks. But how many times has someone accidentally hit or picked up your ball. The universe has a way of evening these things out. Can you dig it?!?!?!?

[eaglecc]

  saevel25 said:

I believe you have to take a penalty for each shot you took after hitting the wrong ball.

WRONG. He has to bring his first born son to the 18th green at midnight for a ritual sacrifice. That is the only way.

[kurtbayne]

Too late IMO. Just "accidentally" miss 2-4 makable putts and call it good.

[ghalfaire]

  Duffy said:

How does it go? Forgive me father for I have sinned? Well, I sure screwed this one up

Such sleepless nights can be avoided with a $1 ball marker.

[Duffy]

Thanks guys, My first born son knows nothing of my plan.

There was no money involved in the round but I will have my score adjusted.

I think I like the responses the best that say it's karma or, no big deal. I'll take the ESC score which is 7 and have it adjusted.

So far as buddies are concerned, I may have overstated that point. I was just thrwn in with these guys as a walk on. I'll work on forgiving myself and buy a ball marker.