Gambling on the golf course is it a necessity?

[Sante TwoGloves]

I had the unfortunate experience of playing with a coworker that insisted on gambling with his buddy yesterday ... $5 a hole. Problem is they both are high hcp-ers. Practically every tee shot was a slice in the adjacent fairway or off in the trees ... they spent so much time searching for their errant balls with all the leaves on the courses. For a normal round, they would take a quick look around, if they can't find a ball, just drop another one ... BUT ... because there was money on the line, they spend so much time trying to find their balls it was ridiculous. It was so distracting it almost took me out of my game (I somehow held it together & had one of my best rounds of the year).

I have had other bad experiences with Asian players in NJ (not to be racist, I'm assuming it must be a cultural thing). In these instances, these guys would gamble on every hole, and I've never seen such grinding (excessive time taken) on putts. But the really annoying thing is that they would take the time to shell money out AT THE CONCLUSION OF EVERY HOLE !! I swear it added a minute or two extra to each hole just to figure out how much they owed each other.

I really hate gambling on the golf course

did they constantly press too? I remember  playing with a  few gamblers years ago and they would press after every shot.  Seemed kind of lame to me. I think they were the ones who turned me off to gambling. Unfair to the non gamblers in the group. I personally thought it was a macho thing. Who had the most money to lose.

[adam3553]

I love having some skin in the game even if its just a $.50 nassau. I also relish the opportunity to have to hit a good shot to go up or to just stay even in a game with buddies. The guys I play with at my club (30 or so guys) always play $1 skins and either bestball, nassau, hawk, or the like. Skins are the one thats always played. Very few (maybe 10 rounds this year out of 60) are played for nothing. With all that said we dont bet or play for extravagant amounts of cash. The most Ive ever lost on the course is 30 bucks or so.

[mvmac]

But the really annoying thing is that they would take the time to shell money out AT THE CONCLUSION OF EVERY HOLE !! I swear it added a minute or two extra to each hole just to figure out how much they owed each other.

I really hate gambling on the golf course

That sucks but obviously not typical.

[Pendragon]

When I play with my buddies, we always play some sort of game, but we never play for much. In the past 7 years or so, since we moved here and I started playing with these guys, the most I've ever lost is about $15, the most I've won is about $25...and those are the extremes. Usually no more than $5 changes hands.

The situation described by inthehole had to be a nightmare for the playing partners of those morons. 

[spider]

Yes, gambling is our version of professionalism.

[tristanhilton85]

I normally play with a buddy of mine, @Bechambo, and I'd say that about half the time we have a couple of bucks on the line. It's fun to have something to play for even if it is just a couple of dollars or lunch or drinks.

[Kenny Lee]

The kids at our private club are gambling on the course. They play $1 per hole, with carryovers, and auto-press when 2-down.

We taught them well.

 

[Valleygolfer]

I normally play with a buddy of mine, @Bechambo, and I'd say that about half the time we have a couple of bucks on the line. It's fun to have something to play for even if it is just a couple of dollars or lunch or drinks.

Have not seen him lately....