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Playing with guys who 'have to play for something' or its not fun


dave s
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I play on Saturdays with a group of 6 regulars.  We usually have 4 of 6 each Saturday morning.  This past Saturday one guy in the group wasn't going to let the group tee off until 'the bet' was decided.  Ok, it ended up being a $10 nassau.

After the first nine, my partner an I closed out the nine 3 up.  Guy who suggested bet was getting more irritated because we didn't accept his press. After 3 more holes on the back, we're up 5 and closed them out on the 15th hole.  Betting guy was getting so worked up over not playing well and carrying his partner that the back nine was flat-out not enjoyable ... except for the banter with my partner while we're beating 'em like rented mules.

Hearing stuff like "#%$%%, you never #$%! play like this when it's NOT for money, do you?" from the guy who insisted on a 'money game' made a really nice round for me, (shot 84) kind of unrewarding.

Honestly, I'd really just rather play golf, enjoy the company of friends and not have to feel bad about taking $30 from a friend.  I certainly don't need his money.  And losing $30 doesn't mean he'd have to skip a meal, either.

Why do some have to 'play for something' to make a round of golf fun?

dave

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because they are a pain and don't like golf as much as hoping for a chance to hump your leg

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Bill - 

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I don't like playing anything for money because of two things:

I don't need the added pressure right now

and

It hardly ever ends well if the person that pushed for the bet loses.

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It's the rush, and some feel they play better under pressure, which may be true.

Those feelings you had beating them like rented mules? that's the rush they're looking for, it's bravado.

Not for me either, this game has enough emotions, I don't need to add that head to my game.

Edited by MrDC
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It's not the game that bugs me it's the guys that get worked up so I'd rather not. Golf is recreation for me I don't like doing anything that takes it into stress territory.

Dave :-)

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Betting in golf is like a Weekly Poker game with friends, the money usually goes around in circles.
Betting with strangers usually is no fun, it becomes too serious, often.
Guys I golf with, the winner usually buys a few brewski's after a round.

I've lost a couple of hundy's and won a couple of hundy's on rare occasions, but most of the time its just beer money exchanging hands.
with good chuckles afterwards. If and when someone gets their shorts uptight about a loss, they spend a little "Time-Out" until they act in a
Gentlemen like manner.

I also play many rounds with friends without any betting, it's pretty much the same as I have learned to expect and realize "some days your the Winner and some days the Loser"

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Johnny Rocket - Let's Rock and Roll and play some golf !!!

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So do you now have a group of 5 regulars?

My concern is that he will want a chance to win his money back and it will only get worse.  And if you say no it will be worse than betting again.

I don't need people like that.

John

Edited by 70sSanO
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I'm ok playing for money or not, makes little difference.  I probably play half my rounds either way.

What's annoying is the guy who wants to bet on everything.  I had a bet with one dude, a bet with the other, team bet against those 2 dudes, then we were playing greenies.  When he tried to throw a Wolf game in, I stopped him.  Jesus Christ, I got 4 games going on this round, don't need or want another.  He and his partner got a little pissy but c'mon, that's a little ridiculous.

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I enjoy playing anything if it leads to something, but that is just me in all areas of life!
I would prefer to play for something, even if it is a $1 Nassau or a round of beer.
My usual group plays for vanity and that means there is a lot of cheating.
If I try to call them on it the response I get is "we are not really playing serious".

A small bet allows me to hold them to the rules and watch a single digest handicapper turn into a 12.

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2 minutes ago, Elmer said:

A small bet allows me to hold them to the rules and watch a single digest handicapper turn into a 12.

So what you are saying is you really enjoy making other peoples' days suck more than just having a good time playing a 'game' with friends.

Bill - 

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Well its sort of bad form to refuse a two down press, that could have been why he was getting so irritated.  But as somebody who has hustled from time to time, winning the presses is how i take people big time, so maybe he was trying to game you all.  

I understand folks who like to play for cash all the time. It keeps your head in the round a little more. For competitive people it gets the juices going. 

 

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I am okay with a small wager if that is something others in the group desire.  I need to know everyone and know their games.  As others have said, wagering with strangers or people you have not played with previously can be a problem.

My limit for total money changing hands is about $20.  I neither want to take more than that from someone nor lose more than that amount.

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Brian Kuehn

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1 hour ago, dave s said:

I play on Saturdays with a group of 6 regulars.  We usually have 4 of 6 each Saturday morning.  This past Saturday one guy in the group wasn't going to let the group tee off until 'the bet' was decided.  Ok, it ended up being a $10 nassau.

After the first nine, my partner an I closed out the nine 3 up.  Guy who suggested bet was getting more irritated because we didn't accept his press. After 3 more holes on the back, we're up 5 and closed them out on the 15th hole.  Betting guy was getting so worked up over not playing well and carrying his partner that the back nine was flat-out not enjoyable ... except for the banter with my partner while we're beating 'em like rented mules.

Hearing stuff like "#%$%%, you never #$%! play like this when it's NOT for money, do you?" from the guy who insisted on a 'money game' made a really nice round for me, (shot 84) kind of unrewarding.

Honestly, I'd really just rather play golf, enjoy the company of friends and not have to feel bad about taking $30 from a friend.  I certainly don't need his money.  And losing $30 doesn't mean he'd have to skip a meal, either.

Why do some have to 'play for something' to make a round of golf fun?

dave

From what I just read,  you play better when it's for "something". 84? Nice! :beer:

Play with these people from now on for the same stakes and your HC will start to drop! :-D

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39 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Well its sort of bad form to refuse a two down press, that could have been why he was getting so irritated.  

 

I agree with this. In a regular group where I knew all the guys (and assuming we played for our normal modest stakes), having someone decline the press might bother me as well. 

No excuse for the guy lighting up his partner, though.

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1 hour ago, Club Rat said:

Betting in golf is like a Weekly Poker game with friends, the money usually goes around in circles.
Betting with strangers usually is no fun, it becomes too serious, often.
Guys I golf with, the winner usually buys a few brewski's after a round.

I've lost a couple of hundy's and won a couple of hundy's on rare occasions, but most of the time its just beer money exchanging hands.
with good chuckles afterwards. If and when someone gets their shorts uptight about a loss, they spend a little "Time-Out" until they act in a
Gentlemen like manner.

I also play many rounds with friends without any betting, it's pretty much the same as I have learned to expect and realize "some days your the Winner and some days the Loser"

This is very true. In the game I run every week with 30 or so guys, over the course of the last 6 months there are 3 guys who win and 3 guys who lose, and everyone else is pretty much even give or take $20. (I track it on an excel spreadsheet) 

The guys who win got handicap adjustments, and the guys who lose are too proud to admit they are not a 12 handicap and would rather lose. 

Kyle Paulhus

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8 minutes ago, Big C said:

I agree with this. In a regular group where I knew all the guys (and assuming we played for our normal modest stakes), having someone decline the press might bother me as well. 

No excuse for the guy lighting up his partner, though.

No. Theres no excuse from being a dick to playing partners. 

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I like to play for something, helps me keep my focus. Its usually 10 bucks, quota. that keeps the strokes discussion out and lets a guy pick up whenever he wants. But I can play just for fun if that what the group wants, but for me that's more of a practice round.

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18 minutes ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

I like to play for something, helps me keep my focus. Its usually 10 bucks, quota. that keeps the strokes discussion out and lets a guy pick up whenever he wants. But I can play just for fun if that what the group wants, but for me that's more of a practice round.

On Thursdays 12 - 16 of us play for $10 Nassau, no down presses, just $10 each.   It's fun, even though no one gets rich it's enough to keep our heads in the game so not to let down your partners.    We try to play well but no one goes crazy if they have a bad round.

At my old club the wagers got pretty big and tempers flared when someone wasn't playing well.  I avoided most of those games because i wasn't consistent enough to risk playing to my handicap.  It wasn't the guys couldn't afford to lose the money they were wagering, but it was so serious that it didn't seem fun to me.  

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Joe Paradiso

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Note: This thread is 2820 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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