Who plays with a cheat??

[Hardballs]

Yeah, if ya not scoring, then ya just practising right, so anything goes, I often do a practise 9 holes with a bud, we'll play it matchplay anyway, but if we take a mulligan we'll forfeit the hole! But deceptively cheating! From now on when I witness it, I'll call it out! And say... I thought we were playing properly?? You just having a practise round???

[iceman777]

My golfing buddy of 20 years is a "raker". Any putt from 4 feet in gets  pushed towards the hole and counted as good .  If he is putting for par , sometime I'll kiddingly say " no gimmies there ," or something similar .

[Jpin76]

Everyone has a buddy that cheats..  Unless it's a tourney, I just let it slide.

I also hate the type of person who says he shoots in the low 80s then when u play with him he shoots over 100 and has an excuse....

[whatwoodtigerdo]

My golfing buddy of 20 years is a "raker". Any putt from 4 feet in gets  pushed towards the hole and counted as good .  If he is putting for par , sometime I'll kiddingly say " no gimmies there ," or something similar .

Yep that's why if you play gimmes it's inside the leather and measure it. If you don't people who lack integrity get further and further gimme range.

[colin007]

My father in law does a few of these but I don't really care cause I am going home to his daughter. :-P

OOOH SNAP!!!

[Parker0065]

In any tournament setting you have to protect the field and not calling them out is as bad as cheating yourself.

As far as casual rounds or playing with friends or coworkers, I could care less what they do if were not playing for money.

When I first started my job 15 years ago I did have an interesting round with a coworker that was a boss and was considered the supreme golfer of our company. We had a chat one day and golf came up and he asked what I shot. I had just graduated from college and was getting back to playing and practicing consistently shooting in the 73-78 range.

The guy challenged me to a friendly match and I accepted. This guy had the reputation as one of the best amateurs in the area and I figured it would be a good challenge for me since I was just getting back into tournament golf and had played some regional and state level events prior to going back to college.

After the first few holes I quickly realized that although the guy was a very solid player, maybe 3-5 handicap, he was no where near the player he thought he was. We were just playing stroke play with no money on the line but I was keeping our score on my card and he was doing the same on his. He didn't hit the ball very far off the tee, maybe 240-250, was a decent ball striker with a mediocre short game but he couldn't putt for jack-$hit. He missed numerous 3-4 footers throughout the round and at the end of the day I beat him by 2 shots and wasn't playing nowhere near my best.

Nobody said anything about score all day and we go into the clubhouse for a drink. He pulls out his card and announces he beat me by 3 shots. It was obvious that he had given himself all those 3-4 foot putts he missed throughout the day. At that moment I figured, what the heck! I was brand new at my job and this guy was one of my bosses so if he wants to pretend he is still the supreme golfer have at it!

It was obvious to me that no matter what the outcome was on the golf course that day he was going to beat me on his "scorecard" at all costs. Since that time many years ago I've proven to my coworkers who the better golfer was a million times over with my tournament rounds in local events.

Ego will make some people do inappropriate things on the golf course and the scorecard. In all my years of playing golf I do believe that the vast majority of golfers are honest and do not cheat in tournaments or playing for money. Many don't really know the rules very well or give themselves mulligans and foot wedges in casual rounds but in tournaments play as close to the rules as they know them. That's part of the reason why most golfers scores go up in tournament play. But there will always be those clowns that just can't stand losing and will break the rules to win. They are the same clowns that would cheat at monopoly or checkers when we were kids.

[Lash]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

I don't play in tournament or league.  So, I don't really care if my playing partner cheats.   And I must stay, a lot of them cheat but I figure that they are not serious golfers or are not keeping their score.

When I started to play golf, my brother always encouraged me to take mulligan.  But once I got serious, I quit taking mulligans and try to keep an honest score.   The only time that I would "cheat" is when my ball is sitting on a rock.   I won't hesitate to move the ball to a softer spot.   At my age, getting hurt is a death sentence to my golf career.  I'd rather keep playing golf than risking losing my hand and be out of golf for 3 months.

Oh yeah, I do that too. Maybe it is cheating, but I'm not risking messing up my club to hit off a rock. I'll hit off soft dirt, but if it's on a rock or something hard that could mess my club up I'll move it back. But I am always careful to move it back away from the hole and if I had a tree or something in my way before, I try to keep it that way so I don't get an advantage from moving the ball.

[ghalfaire]

Originally Posted by Parker0065

In any tournament setting you have to protect the field and not calling them out is as bad as cheating yourself.

As far as casual rounds or playing with friends or coworkers, I could care less what they do if were not playing for money.

I agree with this.  If you're only cheating yourself I don't really care much.  But if there is more than ego on the line, then you owe it to yourself and the other players to "correct" the offender and their score.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by iceman777

My golfing buddy of 20 years is a "raker". Any putt from 4 feet in gets  pushed towards the hole and counted as good .  If he is putting for par , sometime I'll kiddingly say " no gimmies there ," or something similar .

Sorry, I promise I'll stop doing it.

Did you have to "out" me here?

Seriously.

Now you expect me to play with you?

Your "former" golf buddy, aka "The Raker"

[Dabzy]

Oh, I've played with a few, I actually touched on the subject in another thread.

First off, before I go on, I've just started to play Sunday competitions and when I can, the midweek medal, hence my handicap, lol, I wasnt confident enough before, but now, I'm hitting my handicap while out, so thought, I may as well, anyway, I'm not big on the rules, I want to learn though, but, I will tell my group on the first tee that they'll have to keep me right and ask them if they mind if I query them when we're out as I'm not sure, most are fine, lovely blokes who just want to help me understand the sport...

I was playing in my first ever stroke play competition, I was usually frightened of stroke play, but thought I'm going to get no better unless I play the format, so, I signed up for a competition and ended up playing with two lads who were buds. So, off we went, and I was having a blinder round, really gunning for it, enough so, that one of them said "If you keep going, your in for a chance", fair do's, but really, I didnt want to know, anyway, that wasnt the problem, one lad, who played off 16 was having a nightmare, spraying balls with his driver, on the hardest hole on my course, the par 5 12th, he swung one out of bounds, then, played another off the tea, sent it scurrying across the floor, I played mine, hit a good'un to the left of the fairway, and his mate popped one straight as a die for miles... So off we went, then, the first lad who tee'd off, took his second, whacked it left into grass that goes up to the waist right in front of a whinny bush. It went in like a rocket... So off we went to look for it, I was looking inside the whinny bush to see if it went into it, then heard "Here it is", I turned around and there was a ball, sitting not down in the grass, but, on top of a bit that was trampled on... I thought "Mmmmm, okay"... So he then proceeded to hit it straight into the whinny bush on his next shot. Moving on, he called an unplayable, took the ball back to a bit smaller stuff and we carried on with the hole.

So, played a few more holes, and on our 15th, which is a lovely par 4, the same lad drove it right towards the middle of two trees, I saw it come down, pinpointed exactly where it landed, me and the other lad tee'd off, then, we headed down to look for his ball, with my hands behind my back, I scanned every inch of the area where it landed, walking forwards and backwards slowly, there was no ball there... But, while walking back towards the middle of  the two trees I mentioned, with them behind me, I heard a "Oh, here it is", I turned, and there she was, sitting there, shining like a shit house door!

So, onto the 16th, a tricky dog leg right par 5, second hardest hole on the course, A driver is too big off the tee, the hole goes forward then turns right and heads down to a stream, and on the right of the bend is a few trees that go down to the stream, and on the left side of the stream, is a wooded area that encroaches the line to the pin. Theres not much room at all, so, what I thought is, I'll lay up, take on the trees to the right hand side of the bend (Because once you go past them, you head down a bank), which will leave me a shot to the green. So, tee shot done, put it where I wanted... Pulled out my 7 iron, give it a whack... Hit the bugger left and it landed in the wooded area on the left behind the stream... So, I dropped a ball, tried again, bang, flew exactly where I wanted, straight over the top of them and finally landed on the fairway. So, as we were walking over the stream, I said to the lads, so, do I have to look for that one in the tree or can I play my provisional? And, you guessed it, they told me that since its not out of bounds I'm still obliged to look... And, we found it, right smack bang in the middle of this sodding wood, to cut this long story short, think pinball... I finished that hole in 12 shots, wrecked my card, and, well, I was gutted.

Finally, on the 18th, I sprayed two drives right into some proper heavy rough, roughly in the same area, and the lad who was playing well did the same with his ball, the other lad who had the mare give up and was putting in a NR... So, we wandered down, I couldnt find my balls, found 4 others, but mine, lost... As I was contemplating doing the lonely walk back to the tee box for another bash, them two were looking for his ball, and even though I was a bit back, I was still within ear shot of their voices, I heard the one who give up say "What you playing with, a taylormade?", I turned around and saw him lift a ball up from the grass, the other lad went "Yeah, with a blue mark on it", then the lad who had the ball said "Are you sure?" I was like... Are they having a giraffe, so with that, they put the ball 'back', he got out, I give up and wandered back to the tee box for another pop, now, I never hit a hook shot, but sure enough, I sent one hooking well left into the driving range... And I give up... Carded a NR... The lad who was playing well finished with something like net 63.7 or something, but, 61 won it. I should of been wandering down the 18th a broken man, but, I give it my all, tried my best, them cheating didnt bother me, as next time I get put with them, I'll be watching them like a hawk, and some golf rules I know now that I didnt know then, like picking up balls without notifying everyone their intention of going to identifying them, as well as the rule I didnt know... I didnt have to look for my sodding ball in the woods, I could of just played my provisional and carried on.

You live and learn, and that day, I learned a hell of a lot!

Dabz

[barbm12thtee]

Dabzy loved the story. Sorry after all that you didn't get to post a score! But you left with your head held high.

[Kevin04]

I don't play with a cheat, but I do play with a guy who constantly ''What y'all hit there?''

When I say 7 Iron.

''Wooo! I hit a 9 or PW on this hole''

I have no idea why he thinks this matters. I'd rather a 85% strength swing with more control with a 7 than try to pummel a PW and then it hooks or ends up in the water.

He's not very good at loosing though. He is a great golfer, he's around 8 handicap. I beat him without h/cap rules. It was his first round in ages, I was having a great round that day and he had all the excuses under the sun when I managed to beat him by 1 ''My back is sore.'' ''You play like 2/3 times a week'' ''I've not played in months''.

And still ''Yeah, but that course was short. If we were on a longer course'' ''You hit 7 iron when I take out the 9''

He is actually a good guy in real life, but he cannot stand losing!

[Hardballs]

Bad losers! They're just as annoying as cheats!!!! My friend also sucks at losing! If he doesn't get a couple of pars in the first 4 holes he stops scoring! Or if he hits a treble bogey in the first few holes he says he's only practising, yet when he gets off to a good start he becomes the score master writing everyone's score down! Basically, he either wins or was just practising! I find it hilarious! My other friend pulls him up on it but i just shake my head in disbelief! And yes it is the same person, Cheaty o' Mulligan!

[Kevin04]

Hardballs, this sounds identical to my friend too.

[TJBam]

D[quote name="Dabzy" url="/t/68914/who-plays-with-a-cheat#post_877285"]Oh, I've played with a few, I actually touched on the subject in another thread. First off, before I go on, I've just started to play Sunday competitions and when I can, the midweek medal, hence my handicap, lol, I wasnt confident enough before, but now, I'm hitting my handicap while out, so thought, I may as well, anyway, I'm not big on the rules, I want to learn though, but, I will tell my group on the first tee that they'll have to keep me right and ask them if they mind if I query them when we're out as I'm not sure, most are fine, lovely blokes who just want to help me understand the sport...  I was playing in my first ever stroke play competition, I was usually frightened of stroke play, but thought I'm going to get no better unless I play the format, so, I signed up for a competition and ended up playing with two lads who were buds. So, off we went, and I was having a blinder round, really gunning for it, enough so, that one of them said "If you keep going, your in for a chance", fair do's, but really, I didnt want to know, anyway, that wasnt the problem, one lad, who played off 16 was having a nightmare, spraying balls with his driver, on the hardest hole on my course, the par 5 12th, he swung one out of bounds, then, played another off the tea, sent it scurrying across the floor, I played mine, hit a good'un to the left of the fairway, and his mate popped one straight as a die for miles... So off we went, then, the first lad who tee'd off, took his second, whacked it left into grass that goes up to the waist right in front of a whinny bush. It went in like a rocket... So off we went to look for it, I was looking inside the whinny bush to see if it went into it, then heard "Here it is", I turned around and there was a ball, sitting not down in the grass, but, on top of a bit that was trampled on... I thought "Mmmmm, okay"... So he then proceeded to hit it straight into the whinny bush on his next shot. Moving on, he called an unplayable, took the ball back to a bit smaller stuff and we carried on with the hole. So, played a few more holes, and on our 15th, which is a lovely par 4, the same lad drove it right towards the middle of two trees, I saw it come down, pinpointed exactly where it landed, me and the other lad tee'd off, then, we headed down to look for his ball, with my hands behind my back, I scanned every inch of the area where it landed, walking forwards and backwards slowly, there was no ball there... But, while walking back towards the middle of  the two trees I mentioned, with them behind me, I heard a "Oh, here it is", I turned, and there she was, sitting there, shining like a shit house door! So, onto the 16th, a tricky dog leg right par 5, second hardest hole on the course, A driver is too big off the tee, the hole goes forward then turns right and heads down to a stream, and on the right of the bend is a few trees that go down to the stream, and on the left side of the stream, is a wooded area that encroaches the line to the pin. Theres not much room at all, so, what I thought is, I'll lay up, take on the trees to the right hand side of the bend (Because once you go past them, you head down a bank), which will leave me a shot to the green. So, tee shot done, put it where I wanted... Pulled out my 7 iron, give it a whack... Hit the bugger left and it landed in the wooded area on the left behind the stream... So, I dropped a ball, tried again, bang, flew exactly where I wanted, straight over the top of them and finally landed on the fairway. So, as we were walking over the stream, I said to the lads, so, do I have to look for that one in the tree or can I play my provisional? And, you guessed it, they told me that since its not out of bounds I'm still obliged to look... And, we found it, right smack bang in the middle of this sodding wood, to cut this long story short, think pinball... I finished that hole in 12 shots, wrecked my card, and, well, I was gutted. Finally, on the 18th, I sprayed two drives right into some proper heavy rough, roughly in the same area, and the lad who was playing well did the same with his ball, the other lad who had the mare give up and was putting in a NR... So, we wandered down, I couldnt find my balls, found 4 others, but mine, lost... As I was contemplating doing the lonely walk back to the tee box for another bash, them two were looking for his ball, and even though I was a bit back, I was still within ear shot of their voices, I heard the one who give up say "What you playing with, a taylormade?", I turned around and saw him lift a ball up from the grass, the other lad went "Yeah, with a blue mark on it", then the lad who had the ball said "Are you sure?" I was like... Are they having a giraffe, so with that, they put the ball 'back', he got out, I give up and wandered back to the tee box for another pop, now, I never hit a hook shot, but sure enough, I sent one hooking well left into the driving range... And I give up... Carded a NR... The lad who was playing well finished with something like net 63.7 or something, but, 61 won it. I should of been wandering down the 18th a broken man, but, I give it my all, tried my best, them cheating didnt bother me, as next time I get put with them, I'll be watching them like a hawk, and some golf rules I know now that I didnt know then, like picking up balls without notifying everyone their intention of going to identifying them, as well as the rule I didnt know... I didnt have to look for my sodding ball in the woods, I could of just played my provisional and carried on. You live and learn, and that day, I learned a hell of a lot! Dabz [/quote] Dabz great story. Sometimes the best way to remember is the toughest way to learn. Lol. Sound like a frustrating bunch to have played with.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

I don't play in tournament or league.  So, I don't really care if my playing partner cheats.   And I must stay, a lot of them cheat but I figure that they are not serious golfers or are not keeping their score.

When I started to play golf, my brother always encouraged me to take mulligan.  But once I got serious, I quit taking mulligans and try to keep an honest score.   The only time that I would "cheat" is when my ball is sitting on a rock.   I won't hesitate to move the ball to a softer spot.   At my age, getting hurt is a death sentence to my golf career.  I'd rather keep playing golf than risking losing my hand and be out of golf for 3 months.

Originally Posted by Lash

Oh yeah, I do that too. Maybe it is cheating, but I'm not risking messing up my club to hit off a rock. I'll hit off soft dirt, but if it's on a rock or something hard that could mess my club up I'll move it back. But I am always careful to move it back away from the hole and if I had a tree or something in my way before, I try to keep it that way so I don't get an advantage from moving the ball.

You know guys, the Rules have a way of avoiding playing off a rock.  It is called talking an unplayable lie.  All you are doing is taking an unplayable lie without adding the extra stroke or making sure you abide by the terms of an unplayable lie.  How is not counting this stroke any different than all of the other ways people avoid counting strokes?

"Oh when I hit into a water hazard I just drop a ball on solid ground outside the hazard because it isn't worth drowning just to play a golf shot."  LOL

C'mon, guys, it is just a rationalization.  Do what you want, but don't try to pretend that this is somehow justifiable because you are worried about injury or damaging your club.  When what you are really worried about is adding that stroke for the unplayable lie to your total.

[Hardballs]

I ALWAYS hit it where it lies! But if on occasion it lands on say a gravel path, then it's nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole, and no hazards taken out of the equation! Otherwise known as.. An unorthodox free drop! It don't happen often but I won't risk ruining my clubs for a shot!

[rkim291968]

Originally Posted by turtleback

You know guys, the Rules have a way of avoiding playing off a rock.  It is called talking an unplayable lie.  All you are doing is taking an unplayable lie without adding the extra stroke or making sure you abide by the terms of an unplayable lie.  How is not counting this stroke any different than all of the other ways people avoid counting strokes?

"Oh when I hit into a water hazard I just drop a ball on solid ground outside the hazard because it isn't worth drowning just to play a golf shot."  LOL

C'mon, guys, it is just a rationalization.  Do what you want, but don't try to pretend that this is somehow justifiable because you are worried about injury or damaging your club.  When what you are really worried about is adding that stroke for the unplayable lie to your total.

Your point about taking an unplayable is well noted.  I should do that.

But ... man, you are full of it.   I don't play in league, tournament, or play for money.   I keep the score to keep track of my progress.   You are citing the Rule and giving me an "LOL" with a sniding remark to a total stranger sharing their thought with others.   And you are a "forum leader?"   Good leadership you have, LOL.   Grow up.