How do you deal with the 'Gimme' players?

[Kelzzy]

This whole conversation is just silly, are there such a thing as gimmees in the rules of golf? Didn't think so. Has a tour pro ever missed a putt within 12"? YES! I did however have a small encounter over this subject a few weeks back. At a coworkers golf get together the first hole was a par 5, I managed to get my 3rd shot within a foot of the cup and they said pick it up. I instead walked over and tapped it in, some rolled their eyes but I said I never concede a birdie putt to anyone and don't expect it either.

Yeah, but when you are playing with a group that doesn't give a damn I think it's better to just take the gimmie than to, say, "show them up". Personally, all my rounds are with competitive players, so we never give "gimmies", but if we are playing match play we will concede putts and all that. All in a competitive matter, though.

[flopster]

Yeah, but when you are playing with a group that doesn't give a damn I think it's better to just take the gimmie than to, say, "show them up". Personally, all my rounds are with competitive players, so we never give "gimmies", but if we are playing match play we will concede putts and all that. All in a competitive matter, though.

I don't care if they don't give a damn, I'm posting a score that counts toward my index and I play tournaments off that number and if they can't understand that then it's their issue not mine.

[luu5]

This whole conversation is just silly, are there such a thing as gimmees in the rules of golf? Didn't think so.

Not in stroke play, no. But...

[Rulesman]

This whole conversation is just silly, are there such a thing as gimmees in the rules of golf? ..

.

The're called concessions. There's a whole rule about them.

[Fourputt]

This whole conversation is just silly, are there such a thing as gimmees in the rules of golf? Didn't think so. Has a tour pro ever missed a putt within 12"? YES! I did however have a small encounter over this subject a few weeks back. At a coworkers golf get together the first hole was a par 5, I managed to get my 3rd shot within a foot of the cup and they said pick it up. I instead walked over and tapped it in, some rolled their eyes but I said I never concede a birdie putt to anyone and don't expect it either.

If your opponent concedes you a putt in a match, you have no choice but to accept it.  Once the concession is made, there is no retracting it.  You can tap it in if you like, but it's irrelevant.  If he just bats the ball back to you or picks it up and hands it to you, that is still a concession, regardless of whether or not he says it aloud.

You really wouldn't concede a 3 inch birdie putt in a match?

[Big C]

If your opponent concedes you a putt in a match, you have no choice but to accept it.  Once the concession is made, there is no retracting it.  You can tap it in if you like, but it's irrelevant.  If he just bats the ball back to you or picks it up and hands it to you, that is still a concession, regardless of whether or not he says it aloud.

True but you can still putt it out and take the result (make or miss) for posting purposes

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

If your opponent concedes you a putt in a match, you have no choice but to accept it.  Once the concession is made, there is no retracting it.  You can tap it in if you like, but it's irrelevant.  If he just bats the ball back to you or picks it up and hands it to you, that is still a concession, regardless of whether or not he says it aloud.

True but you can still putt it out and take the result (make or miss) for posting purposes

At least part of the reason for concessions in match play is to speed up play.  If you insist on still holing out, then you defeat that purpose.  You also show a certain amount of disrespect for your opponent when you ignore his concession.  If you have ever watched good players (US Amateur, World Match Play) playing a match, they never putt out after a concession.  They may drop the ball and play one or two practice putts after all players have finished, but they never putt out while their opponent's ball is still in play.  They accept and acknowledge the fact that their play is over when the concession has been made.

[Kelzzy]

At least part of the reason for concessions in match play is to speed up play.  If you insist on still holing out, then you defeat that purpose.  You also show a certain amount of disrespect for your opponent when you ignore his concession.  If you have ever watched good players (US Amateur, World Match Play) playing a match, they never putt out after a concession.  They may drop the ball and play one or two practice putts after all players have finished, but they never putt out while their opponent's ball is still in play.  They accept and acknowledge the fact that their play is over when the concession has been made.

Yes, true. I also will do it for mind games as well. I will concede a tough 2-3 footer for my opponent, but make him tap in a short gimmie. Just games to get him thinking.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

At least part of the reason for concessions in match play is to speed up play.  If you insist on still holing out, then you defeat that purpose.  You also show a certain amount of disrespect for your opponent when you ignore his concession.  If you have ever watched good players (US Amateur, World Match Play) playing a match, they never putt out after a concession.  They may drop the ball and play one or two practice putts after all players have finished, but they never putt out while their opponent's ball is still in play.  They accept and acknowledge the fact that their play is over when the concession has been made.

Yes, true. I also will do it for mind games as well. I will concede a tough 2-3 footer for my opponent, but make him tap in a short gimmie. Just games to get him thinking.

Tell you what.  The odds are that the only games you are playing are on yourself.  You give me a tough putt then make me putt an easy one and I'll laugh all the way to victory.  You won't get any concessions from me on a tricky putt, nor will I try any mind games on you.  If my golf game can't beat you, then I don't deserve to win.

[Kelzzy]

Tell you what.  The odds are that the only games you are playing are on yourself.  You give me a tough putt then make me putt an easy one and I'll laugh all the way to victory.  You won't get any concessions from me on a tricky putt, nor will I try any mind games on you.  If my golf game can't beat you, then I don't deserve to win.

It wasn't my original trick, it's from Tiger Woods' book How I play Golf.

[David in FL]

Tell you what.  The odds are that the only games you are playing are on yourself.  You give me a tough putt then make me putt an easy one and I'll laugh all the way to victory.  You won't get any concessions from me on a tricky putt, nor will I try any mind games on you.  If my golf game can't beat you, then I don't deserve to win.

If I could only convince the rat-bastards that I play with to concede the tough putts in exchange for holing out the easy ones....... ;-)

[flopster]

If your opponent concedes you a putt in a match, you have no choice but to accept it.  Once the concession is made, there is no retracting it.  You can tap it in if you like, but it's irrelevant.  If he just bats the ball back to you or picks it up and hands it to you, that is still a concession, regardless of whether or not he says it aloud.

You really wouldn't concede a 3 inch birdie putt in a match?

This was not a match play, just some of my coworkers and me playing a casual round but still a round I post a score for, I cannot take gimmees right? And the reason I said what I said was so they would not try again, not show up anyone like Kelzzy seemed to think.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

If your opponent concedes you a putt in a match, you have no choice but to accept it.  Once the concession is made, there is no retracting it.  You can tap it in if you like, but it's irrelevant.  If he just bats the ball back to you or picks it up and hands it to you, that is still a concession, regardless of whether or not he says it aloud.

You really wouldn't concede a 3 inch birdie putt in a match?

This was not a match play, just some of my coworkers and me playing a casual round but still a round I post a score for, I cannot take gimmees right? And the reason I said what I said was so they would not try again, not show up anyone like Kelzzy seemed to think.

What you said was that you would "never" give a birdie putt.  That covers a lot of territory.   Thanks for clarifying it.  I wouldn't concede any putt in a stroke play round.  If I'm playing with someone who has a tendency to concede putts, I'll let him know in a friendly way that I prefer to putt everything out.  If he wants to give himself "gimmes", then that's his choice.  If we have a wager, I'll let him know that he can't "give" himself anything outside of a foot.  Otherwise, I'm not going to risk any unpleasantness over something so trivial in a casual round.

The game is supposed to be fun for all players in a group, and since I quite often play with people I don't know, I have a fairly high tolerance for the sort of rules aberrations that one commonly sees among casual players.  Obviously, in a stroke competition all players hole out, and otherwise would be required to follow the rules.  I regularly have to inform fellow competitors (often quite experienced players) about rules procedures during tournaments, even things as basic as taking relief from water hazards and obstructions.

[Big C]

At least part of the reason for concessions in match play is to speed up play.  If you insist on still holing out, then you defeat that purpose.  You also show a certain amount of disrespect for your opponent when you ignore his concession.  If you have ever watched good players (US Amateur, World Match Play) playing a match, they never putt out after a concession.  They may drop the ball and play one or two practice putts after all players have finished, but they never putt out while their opponent's ball is still in play.  They accept and acknowledge the fact that their play is over when the concession has been made.

The players at the level you cite don't have to worry about posting scores. Amateurs do. There can be a lot of gray area in posting a "likely" score. Assuming its not unreasonable (ie. a concession made from the fairway) I would prefer to play the hole in.

[march11934]

In theory I agree with you, but in practice I find it doesn't always work that way.  A Saturday morning foursome.  Everyone is on the green at once.  You putt first and hit your 30-footer 12 inches past the hole.  Your options:

1. Pick it up--it's good.

2. Try to putt it without trampling on someone else's line.  More often than not you're taking an awkward sideways one-legged stance, or you hit it backhanded.  When you miss it you feel like a complete ass because you tried to get cute.

3. Mark it and wait your turn.  Move your mark out of someone else's line.  Move it back....

Options 2 and 3 can really slow down the group, especially when one or two players in the foursome are doing this on 18 holes.

I understand that Option 1 is "cheating", but that's how I'm playing it on my typical Saturday morning round when we're just out enjoying the morning and playing golf.  If I'm playing in league or a tournament, I putt everything (and yes I've missed 1-footers in these situations).  If I'm playing skins or match, it's the opponent's option.  But for 75% of my rounds, which are casual rounds played on busy Saturday and Sunday mornings, I'm taking Option 1.

I agree with k-troop's post. I basically find myself in the same scenarios. I kind of follow along with the mood of the group. If it's a serious match of some sort we strictly follow the rules but if its just a round to get out and play some, then a 1 footer is not a priority. Especially if its from a long putt and everyone has to wait for you to walk up and tap in or mark it. It's a pace of play thing... Hey, one of the guys i play with had his PGA card so who am i to argue with what is right and wrong. But i am also not interested in recording a handicap either. It is what it is...

[boil3rmak3r]

If it's a casual round and I don't have a bet on it, I could care less if others took 4' "gimmes". That just helps them get a slight vanity cap and let's me know I'll have an advantage if I ever play them in a tournament or for money. It's also my experience that these golfers are likely poor pressure putters. As for me, I practice enough to know what a "gimme" should be for me. If someone wants to give me a 1' downhill putt that breaks to the right and could end up 2' past the hole if missed, I won't accept it (unless there's money on the line with that person only or it's match play). If they want to give me a 1 footer that is straight and flat, fine. Even if I would miss that flat 1 footer 2% of the time, my handicap index likely won't change an iota. I'm curious, is there ANYONE here that is so adamant about playing every stroke that they would NEVER accept or give a gimme in a casual round. For example, what if a ball is 1/2" away from the hole (virtually falling in)?

[CoffeeBean]

I've just recently started playing regularly, and my partner and I have a rule about gimmes: no gimmes for par or under.  As far as the length to the cup, we haven't actually measured, but I think the max distance equates to a grip-length.

However, I've become more interested in local tournaments, and recently informed him that I'll be playing USGA rules from now on, and there's no animosity.

[johnno]

I'm chiming in late on the subject...new to TST.

If you are not holding up the group behind, I don't think a stranger should be knocking putts back to you. Drives me crazy. I like to putt out everything, otherwise I don't feel like I've played a complete round. If POP is an issue, I'll take 1 foot and close gimmies, but that's it.

It's funny how people will brag about their decreasing handicaps while taking 3-5 foot gimmie putts.

As mentioned earlier, IF anyone puts in a handicap card with gimmies then they are in breach of the rules = cheats.  Pure and simple.

On the other hand, for a social game not in competition nor for handicap, I frankly don't give a rat's whether you have gimmes from the whole green, tee off from in front of the tee boxes, have mulligans, free drops from divots or whatever