Scramble Cheaters

[Lihu]

Lol cat fight!

Thus the need for this thread. . .

Just read through the whole thing.

[Dave2512]

I did and honestly I find it tough to get heated up over a golf format with anything goes "rules". If people want to compete for anything but fun and back slapping a scramble should be something they avoid. Once in a while a scramble thread shows up and it's the same every time. Scrambles are good clean fun where you get to ignore the RoG for a day and do silly shit. I don't see the problem it's not like the Claret Jug was stolen by the dubious winning group. They didn't really win anything. And I've played in scrambles where nobody knew what the prize structure was. We won the grand prize once placing last and it wasn't a golf shirt from the clearance rack we each got $125 gift certs from the host course. First place got something stupid like a sleeve of Pinnacle's, seriously.

[metaswinger]

Played a scramble a couple of weeks back.  It was work related and put on by one of our consultants.  5 ball and 3 of my partners were in their early 60's and one was 72 (Frank).  All owned their own San Francisco based respective companies.  I most certainly do not.  Frank sank a 24' putt on our first hole and the others were decent with the irons on occasion.  Most of the shots and most of the drives used were mine.  I sensed some trouble upon finishing the 6th hole.  Frank has a scorecard and says we're 5 under.  I have a scorecard and know we're really 4 under.  Took me 5 minutes to sort it out.  We continue to play - and it was enjoyable.

On the 11th hole, Frank hits a drive that looks like its going to be his best of the day - 175 yards down the middle.  Since we're required to have a drive from everyone, I suggest we use Frank's.  "oh screw that!  We're going to use your's".

So there it was.  I could only push these guys so far.  We ended up tied with low score (Frank reported it) and ended up with some serious swag and trophies.

What could I do?  I guess not using everyone's drive, in the grand scheme of things, is on the low end of cheating.

[Duff McGee]

I did and honestly I find it tough to get heated up over a golf format with anything goes "rules". If people want to compete for anything but fun and back slapping a scramble should be something they avoid. Once in a while a scramble thread shows up and it's the same every time. Scrambles are good clean fun where you get to ignore the RoG for a day and do silly shit. I don't see the problem it's not like the Claret Jug was stolen by the dubious winning group. They didn't really win anything. And I've played in scrambles where nobody knew what the prize structure was. We won the grand prize once placing last and it wasn't a golf shirt from the clearance rack we each got $125 gift certs from the host course. First place got something stupid like a sleeve of Pinnacle's, seriously.

I agree. My thread is a little difference in that it asks how they do it. It seems foreign to me to be like "hey, we would have birdies that if your ball wouldn't have bounced, we're taking a birdie." But maybe that is what happens. I'm clueless as to how a group of hackers (and I've been a member of a hacker foursome and getting into the minus is pretty damn unlikely of playing by the rules) can get their score down to a -12. I would think at least one of them would not be ok with straight out lying. So either they are all ok with straight out lying or there is an accumulation of smaller acts that equal one very low score. Just curious if you guys have any guesses.

[Lihu]

10 birdies for guys that don't hit that many greens is like a hitting bullseyes 1/8 the time using a gun with a flared barrel. Not impossibly, but not likely. Someone already answered your question with optimistic scoring.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Played a scramble a couple of weeks back.  It was work related and put on by one of our consultants.  5 ball and 3 of my partners were in their early 60's and one was 72 (Frank).  All owned their own San Francisco based respective companies.  I most certainly do not.  Frank sank a 24' putt on our first hole and the others were decent with the irons on occasion.  Most of the shots and most of the drives used were mine.  I sensed some trouble upon finishing the 6th hole.  Frank has a scorecard and says we're 5 under.  I have a scorecard and know we're really 4 under.  Took me 5 minutes to sort it out.  We continue to play - and it was enjoyable.   On the 11th hole, Frank hits a drive that looks like its going to be his best of the day - 175 yards down the middle.  Since we're required to have a drive from everyone, I suggest we use Frank's.  "oh screw that!  We're going to use your's".   So there it was.  I could only push these guys so far.  We ended up tied with low score (Frank reported it) and ended up with some serious swag and trophies. What could I do?  I guess not using everyone's drive, in the grand scheme of things, is on the low end of cheating.

Yeah, that seems like a tough situation. I'm not sure there's an amicable way to handle it. Luckily for me, I don't run into that problem. The company I work for usually sponsors my team. I'm the "leader" and the scorecard goes through me. I will quickly shoot down any bs from my teammates about how they have "extra mulligans" or how we made eagle when we really made birdie. It's not worth it to cheat. Even if it is some nonsensical form of golf. I'd rather keep a correct honest score and finish middle of the pack.

[Duff McGee]

10 birdies for guys that don't hit that many greens is like a hitting bullseyes 1/8 the time using a gun with a flared barrel. Not impossibly, but not likely. Someone already answered your question with optimistic scoring.

Yeah but the thread has turned into people defending the tournaments and talking about their merits and might be assuming that I am complaining. I was curious more than anything.

[Lihu]

[quote name="Lihu" url="/t/84003/scramble-cheaters/60#post_1190563"]10 birdies for guys that don't hit that many greens is like a hitting bullseyes 1/8 the time using a gun with a flared barrel. Not impossibly, but not likely. Someone already answered your question with optimistic scoring.

Yeah but the thread has turned into people defending the tournaments and talking about their merits and might be assuming that I am complaining. I was curious more than anything.[/quote] To be fair, the thread was entitled ". . . Cheaters" . . .so, I can see why some people got defensive. Scrambles are so lax. They let people take drops a yard away, and many people interpret that as 3-4 yards. There's so many things that can be "interpreted" it's no wonder people don't take them seriously.

[Duff McGee]

To be fair, the thread was entitled ". . . Cheaters" . . .so, I can see why some people got defensive.

But they are cheating. What else would I call it?

[Lihu]

[quote name="Lihu" url="/t/84003/scramble-cheaters/60#post_1190640"] To be fair, the thread was entitled ". . . Cheaters" . . .so, I can see why some people got defensive.

But they are cheating. What else would I call it?[/quote] Fair enough. You could have called it "How creative have you seen the rules get during scrambles?" or something like that? :-D

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

To be fair, the thread was entitled ". . . Cheaters" . . .so, I can see why some people got defensive.

But they are cheating. What else would I call it?

It's not cheating if everyone else can do it too.  Also can't call foul without anything more than suspicions.

[flopster]

First time I saw this thread "Scramble Cheaters" well DUH.

Some of the crazy rules they come up with in these so called "tournaments" are hilarious.

[Duff McGee]

It's not cheating if everyone else can do it too.  Also can't call foul without anything more than suspicions.

There's no way that was the case here.

[Lihu]

[quote name="Fourputt" url="/t/84003/scramble-cheaters/60#post_1190645"] It's not cheating if everyone else can do it too.  Also can't call foul without anything more than suspicions.

There's no way that was the case here.[/quote] The point is that scramble format lends itself to "cheating", not that there is an integrity issue with the people playing them.

[iacas]

Play a game with "rules" like this and you have to expect that people will find every chance to bend them further.

[Pete F]

I would not want anything to do with scrambles where $$ is involved.

I look at them like having a footrace with your kid. Did you feel compelled to win every time?

Some people get started in Golf playing the odd scramble. I know I did.

I wonder how many people get started that way?

[metaswinger]

Play a game with "rules" like this and you have to expect that people will find every chance to bend them further.

Yes, but I honestly don't have much choice on participation. The Marketing dept will stop by my desk -"We need you to take the day off work and go play golf at this very nice country club. Paid" Am I going to say no?

[iacas]

Yes, but I honestly don't have much choice on participation.

The Marketing dept will stop by my desk -"We need you to take the day off work and go play golf at this very nice country club. Paid"

Am I going to say no?

I wasn't replying to you directly, but obviously no, you just don't really get to complain about it. :)