How honest are you with scoring???

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

just to clarify if i play a 4 man scramble or any kind of tournament i am 100% honest and play / count everything

LOL.  Sounds like you play a 1-man 4-man scramble everytime you go out.

[Doctorfro]

Did you really just start this thread?

[Double Bogey]

Damn, cut the dude some slack.  He is fairly new, I would guess that his buddies do the same thing and he thought it was ok.

Now to the real deal.  You handicap is FAKE.  When you decide that you want a true handicap you will more than likely end up in the 26 range.  How do I know this... you were me a few years back.  You MUST keep an accurate score, if you are not... you are only hurting yourself and it will make you look like a tool if you play with others who are serious.  Just start out today saying that I am going to count every stroke, no gimmes, reload from the tee hitting three when you go OB, etc.  After a couple of rounds you will see what your true scores are.  It will hurt your ego, but you will know that you are playing buy the rules.

[PhillyMac]

I played 18 this morning with a few buddies from work. They are the type of who give 2 foot gimmes, or they will putt a 2 foot putt and miss and not count it. Happened today. I had alot of putts from about 15 inches that they said "it's good", but I told my them I was putting them out. I actually missed 2 really short putts today and after I missed them they told me not to count it because the putt was given to me, I told them no, and counted the missed putts. That was the difference between a 91 and 89.

Where as they shot 86 and 88, if they would have played the ball into the cup on every hole, counting ALL the questionable shots I would have beat them by a few strokes.

[MrSandman]

The only time where one is really justified in playing a little loose is where they hit a tee shot they fully expect to find, get down the fairway, spend five minutes looking for the ball and cannot find it.  At that point you might be holding up the course if you go back to hit a tee shot.  But if you take a drop, even if you drop it somewhere in the fairway, you should have yourself lying 3 at that point.  Equitable Stroke Control would likely make the issue moot anyway as your not likely to do better than your hdcp max even if you found the ball.  You're not going to hit a provisional ball when you expect to find the ball, and you don't want to jam up the course.

Other than that, there is really no reason to ever shave strokes.  And even that example is more of a golf etiquette issue, combined with the ESC inevitable/likely max on the hole anyway.

[moparman426]

I quit my league this week for exactly this type of behavior.  My first year of league play is also my last.  People snapping branches/limbs from trees after parking their ball under them, instead of taking an unplayable lie and a penalty stroke, taking gimmies, playing preferred lies, not playing their first ball after finding it because their provisional has a better line, putting with the flag stick still in the cup, etc...  I am thinking you might be in the league I was playing in.  I quit instead of piping up about it, as quite a few are friends (that I hadn't previously played golf with, and won't again).  The money prizes on certain holes truly reflected in the play style of some.   In your case, there may not be any money involved, but the principle is still the same.

[Timothy Voyles]

Originally Posted by moparman426

putting with the flag stick still in the cup

Does it really make a difference? I leave the flag in when playing alone... Unless I completely bulldoze the stick I don't even think about whether it affected the putt or not.

[Lost-Ball]

this day i solemnly do swear to count every shot and remove the word mulligan from my vocabulary. i will play smarter shots from the tee and minimize my chances of O.B. *signed & dated*

[Lost-Ball]

Originally Posted by moparman426

I quit my league this week for exactly this type of behavior.  My first year of league play is also my last.  People snapping branches/limbs from trees after parking their ball under them, instead of taking an unplayable lie and a penalty stroke, taking gimmies, playing preferred lies, not playing their first ball after finding it because their provisional has a better line, putting with the flag stick still in the cup, etc...  I am thinking you might be in the league I was playing in.  I quit instead of piping up about it, as quite a few are friends (that I hadn't previously played golf with, and won't again).  The money prizes on certain holes truly reflected in the play style of some.   In your case, there may not be and money involved, but the principle is still the same.

i havent been playing very long and am self taught. people ive played with know less about the rules and all that then i do. ive only been going by what ive seen other people do. im SORRY no one was taught me the REAL way to play.

[moparman426]

Originally Posted by Timothy Voyles

Does it really make a difference? I leave the flag in when playing alone... Unless I completely bulldoze the stick I don't even think about whether it affected the putt or not.

It does, actually.  If you are already on the green, then you have to pull the flag.

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

i havent been playing very long and am self taught. people ive played with know less about the rules and all that then i do. ive only been going by what ive seen other people do. im SORRY no one was taught me the REAL way to play.

Play however you want.  Just don't keep a handicap or compare your scores to others.

[moparman426]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

this day i solemnly do swear to count every shot and remove the word mulligan from my vocabulary. i will play smarter shots from the tee and minimize my chances of O.B. *signed & dated*

Welcome the great game of Golf!

[MrSandman]

Pulling the flag when you are playing solo doesn't really matter.  You're supposed to pull it, but it isn't going to really make a difference one way or another.  Don't let the NERDS tell you otherwise.

I would be pissed if I were playing a league match and some guy in cargo shorts refused to pull the flag when on the green.  But I totally understand somebody busting around a quick 9 or 18 solo and not pulling the flag on a 30 foot putt.

I much prefer to putt shorter distance putts with the flag out anyway.  And pulling the flag allows you to slow down a bit and take your time and read the putt a bit.

[moparman426]

Originally Posted by MrSandman

Don't let the NERDS tell you otherwise.

Just because I am smarter than you,(and probably better looking as well) doesn't make me a nerd.....

Kidding, lol.  But if I am playing a round to reflect a handicap, then I'll play by the rules.  To each their own.

[Jim Swindler]

I have semi-regular tee times with two groups of people.  The first of which are out there to get out of work, drink, relax and have fun.  During this process, they typically do not count drops and neither do I.  I never place these scores into my handicap.  I find that it makes a difference of 0 to 6 strokes per round depending on how I am swinging.

The second group we count everything and these are the scores from which my handicap is based.  I just view the former group as practice rounds for the latter group.

[Timothy Voyles]

Ah well I don't do any leagues and when playing with others I pull flag once everyone is on, or tend if someone is looking at a nice long shot. I walk 9 a couple times a week alone and pretty much don't pull a single flag. I still take time to get a read I am comfortable with, slowing purpose could help perhaps but I just don't think about it honestly... It has no bearing on my read process at all.

[Yukari]

From the very beginning, I counted all my penalties and strokes.  You've been playing for 3 years now and still not counting all the strokes and penalties.  And your excuse is "I've been playing for only 3 years"?

Say what you want, but just because others give themselves short lipped out putts does not make your behavior "more legitimate".  Until you count every penalties and strokes, you do not have your "personal best" score, since there is no telling what you would've shot.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

Ive been playing golf on and off for 4 years now and my last 3 scores were 78 (all time low),

................i dont penalize myself for O.B. (yet) but i do mark it on my card. i might loose 2-4 balls to O.B. depending on where i play. i either hit another tee shot or drop around where i went into O.B. that's playable.

Another golfer who will spend the rest of his life trying to convince himself and presumably others that he has broken 80 when in reality, it is unlikely that he has broken 100.

No wonder DIY handicaps are treated with such didsain by the rest of the golfing world.

Must be very frustrating for the legitimate guys when all you have to do is make up a number.

What could possibly be the reason for not countimg O.B. balls?

As has been said a million times, do what you like, but don't score and you don't pretend you have a handicap unless you are playing by the rules.