Made a big mistake.

[Billy Z]

In retrospect, what difference does it make now to the OP about correcting the the 4 inches? Really, it was too picky for a situation that didn't warrant any correction. It gives the impression of haughtiness, over rigidness. In other words, who the f cares where he teed off at? especially in light that you don't even know him in a casual nothing match.

[rehmwa]

with a stranger, I don't care one bit and wouldn't have said a thing - possibly not even noticed

with a friend, I'd quietly walk up, and move the markers 5 inches forward

Quote:

If I'm playing with someone, whether or not I know them, I am playing against them. If I didn't want to keep score I'd be playing on my own. And yes, I'm going to call out a total stranger if they're cheating. If you're not playing golf, you may as well be hacking the ball around a football field.

I normally play by the rules, but for this poster I'll gladly and quietly try to break a rule on every shot that he can eyeball - If I can do something different on each shot that would be quite a challenge (80 or so different rules to break - is there even 30-35 different putting rules possible to break?)

[MrFlipper]

with a stranger, I don't care one bit and wouldn't have said a thing - possibly not even noticed

with a friend, I'd quietly walk up, and move the markers 5 inches forward

Hahaha I've done that too.  You only have to move the one marker on your side of the tee box.  Everyone giggles, no one's feelings are hurt, but the point is made

[JonMA1]

If I'm keeping score, I'd want to be told - especially if it's before I'm about to break a rule. I don't think the way it was worded would have bothered me either. I guess to each his own. If I'm by myself and just practicing, I'm all over the place with the rules - though playing short of the tee markers just doesn't make any sense.

I've had the opposite happen. I got paired up with some guy last year who took it upon himself to teach me how to play golf with others. He would say stuff like "you need to stand behind me when I tee off so you can help me watch the ball", or "a gentleman won't walk over his partner's line on the green". OK, those things are good to know. But when he told me the reason I don't score lower was because I don't reposition the ball for a better fairway lie, he lost all credibility. The icing on the cake was when he told me he once shot a hole-in-one on the par 3 we were playing and that he was on that list at the club. Then he tells me it happened after he hit his first ball into the pond. I may have been new to golf, but I remember thinking "that ain't no hole-in-one".

Does it hurt me to know he's a liar and cheat and on some list of those who have aced a hole at some crappy golf course? Not one bit. But this is how the guy teaches new players how to play the game and it kind of goes against what I think golf is supposed to be about. Maybe I'm naive. I would much rather have played with some anal-retentive, proper etiquette, play-exactly-by-the-rules partner. At least I might have learned something that would avoid embarrassment later.

Again, I don't give a rat's ass about others but for me it's a slippery slope once you start with the little things. Having said that, I will take a drop and 2 stroke penalty if I lose a ball on a crowded day instead of walking back to the tee. So I'm guilty on that level.

[jetsknicks1]

If I'm keeping score, I'd want to be told - especially if it's before I'm about to break a rule. I don't think the way it was worded would have bothered me either. I guess to each his own. If I'm by myself and just practicing, I'm all over the place with the rules - though playing short of the tee markers just doesn't make any sense. I've had the opposite happen. I got paired up with some guy last year who took it upon himself to teach me how to play golf with others. He would say stuff like "you need to stand behind me when I tee off so you can help me watch the ball", or "a gentleman won't walk over his partner's line on the green". OK, those things are good to know. But when he told me the reason I don't score lower was because I don't reposition the ball for a better fairway lie, he lost all credibility. The icing on the cake was when he told me he once shot a hole-in-one on the par 3 we were playing and that he was on that list at the club. Then he tells me it happened after he hit his first ball into the pond. I may have been new to golf, but I remember thinking "that ain't no hole-in-one". Does it hurt me to know he's a liar and cheat and on some list of those who have aced a hole at some crappy golf course? Not one bit. But this is how the guy teaches new players how to play the game and it kind of goes against what I think golf is supposed to be about. Maybe I'm naive. I would much rather have played with some anal-retentive, proper etiquette, play-exactly-by-the-rules partner. At least I might have learned something that would avoid embarrassment later.   Again, I don't give a rat's ass about others but for me it's a slippery slope once you start with the little things. Having said that, I will take a drop and 2 stroke penalty if I lose a ball on a crowded day instead of walking back to the tee. So I'm guilty on that level.

I agree that him calling it an ace, is just wrong. I often tell folks about my "kind of an eagle" on the #1 HC hole at one of my favorite courses. Drove into the water, blasted my second tee shot down the fairway and drained a 200 yd 4h for a.................par :-). I joke around about it being an eagle but I put a 4 on the scorecard and now it's just a fun little story.

[JonMA1]

I agree that him calling it an ace, is just wrong. I often tell folks about my "kind of an eagle" on the #1 HC hole at one of my favorite courses. Drove into the water, blasted my second tee shot down the fairway and drained a 200 yd 4h for a.................par . I joke around about it being an eagle but I put a 4 on the scorecard and now it's just a fun little story.

That's damned impressive by itself. Makes for a better story as well - especially for those of us who make some our best shots after a penalty.

[meenman]

A guy was paired up with me and a buddy today.

On the 6th hole he teed about 6 inches in front of the markers.

I could not say a word but it made me think about this thread.

Later in the round, he hit the wrong ball - but I could not say anything because the guy was struggling all day and there was nothing to gain by telling him.

[dfreuter415]

Playing public course with guys i don't know. On third hole hole, par 5 over the canyon, i noticed player C tee his ball forward of the tee marker, by about 4 inches.  There was no doubt.

Stoopid me.  I said to him 'the rules indicate balls not to be played forward of marker'.  He turned and gave me a mean and nasty glare.  I meant no harm.  He did not move ball back to proper place. I said no more to him that day about the rules. Later in day, i gave myself a 2 inch gimme putt.  He again glared at me.  No one's perfect.

I was caddying in a charity tournament back in the 1990's in a group with Fuzzy Zoeller.  On a par three hole one of the amateurs hit his shot, and as the ball was in the air Fuzzy moved the tee marker back a few yards, just enough so that people would think that the amateur teed up in front of the markers. After the ball landed on the green Fuzzy remarked, "John, that was a pretty good shot, but next time you might want to tee off behind these things."  Poor John was unjustly embarrassed, because he did figure it out right away, but the crowd loved it.