The "friendly wager" dilemma....

[scotth]

Would love to hear opinions on this.  

Sure we have all played a round where a member of the group as you are assembling on the first tee wants to place some kind of bet, and others don't.  Yet that one person keeps hammering away with tired expressions like "if there isn't something on the line it isn't any fun" or "it's not real golf if you don't have a wager".  

In other words they just won't take no for an answer.  

In the past, I would just ignore them and have been known to quit speaking at all until they change the subject.  I then make a mental note to never play a round with that person again.  

What do you do? 

Edited July 20, 2017 by scotth

[David in FL]

Huh.  Nope.  Sorry, I couldn't imagine turning down at least a minimal bet.

 

[Piz]

Simple.  Tell the guy that he owes everybody else a twenty if he doesn't shoot the lowest score...or a fifty...whatever it takes for him to feel adequately motivated.  

[dennyjones]

It depends upon the person with whom I'm playing.   If it is my usual guys, it's just understood lost $$ isn't going to cost me much.  If it is somebody I'm not comfortable playing with, I have no problem just saying, "No thanks".   If they are persistent, silence is golden and speaks volumes.  

A cheap bet, I'm usually game.

Edited July 20, 2017 by dennyjones

[scotth]

6 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

If it is somebody I'm not comfortable playing with, I have no problem just saying, "No thanks".   If they are persistent, silence is golden and speaks volumes.  

That's what I do with somebody I am not comfortable with as well.

[WUTiger]

I don't like to play for $$ with strangers.

Did this several years ago in Oklahoma. It was supposed to be a $5 Nassau, and $3 skins with carry-overs. Between auto-presses and me not winning a single skin, I ended up losing $55.

If I had blundered into something like this in Las Vegas, I could have lost $555.

If I know people, it's different. In our Senior group, it's a $5 buy-in per person: This covers team best ball (modified Stableford), and skins; and, if we have four or five groups, we'll add in low putts and low net. A few $$ and a lot of braggin' rights change hands.

Most of the other people I play with - including my brother - we just go out and play. If somebody wants a small bet, that's OK. But, golf is fun even without betting.

[Shooting29]

If someone wants a game, I will probably be the first to say "that's covered", but I will not play presses or auto presses. 

I've never lost more than 65, usually it's less than $5 changing hands

[Shindig]

Do you know this person?

I will make a small bet if someone I'm with -- and someone I know -- wants to.  

[scotth]

5 hours ago, Shindig said:

Do you know this person?

I will make a small bet if someone I'm with -- and someone I know -- wants to.  

Should have put that in topic opener.  Total stranger that just won't take no for an answer.

[jsgolfer]

Total stranger, not a chance I would play for money.

Other than that, our group of guys always play for money $5 Nassau and $2 Birdies, with auto-2 down presses.  And a few of our guys allow the team that is down after 9 to double the bet on the back and then allows presses on the last hole.  Most I've ever lost is $30 and the most I've won is $100.  

My wife always wants to bet, so I do skins with her.  

[mcanadiens]

If it's a total stranger, I'd offer a beer at the end of the round. Other than that, the fella can wait for someone else.

I'm not good enough for this to be a problem for me, but betting any real money with strangers is dumb. You still got hustlers out there that will take you if they can. I've seen a couple out on old Wagoner Ford Rd.

[chilepepper]

Total stranger.....not happening. A couple of folks i know, known sandbaggers, not happening. Folks from the men's groups I play with and we will play net or points, no problem. 

[Jeremie Boop]

I don't bet, on anything. People have tried to get me to play for money in golf, bowling, and pool. My answer is always the same, I don't play for money I play for fun. I don't understand the "need" for there to be "something on the line" for it to be fun. Heck I rarely get into the skins game in the league, and typically am only in it if my father puts me in or if I won skins the week prior I'll put myself and him in.

 

**edit** Also, once the person is told no and they persist, it no longer is a "friendly wager", they are now badgering and that's anything but "friendly".

Edited July 20, 2017 by Jeremie Boop

[David in FL]

1 hour ago, jsgolfer said:

Total stranger, not a chance I would play for money.

Other than that, our group of guys always play for money $5 Nassau and $2 Birdies, with auto-2 down presses.  And a few of our guys allow the team that is down after 9 to double the bet on the back and then allows presses on the last hole.  Most I've ever lost is $30 and the most I've won is $100.  

My wife always wants to bet, so I do skins with her.  

Not even a small bet, just for fun?  I'll do a straight $2 Nassau with anyone.  Negotiate strokes on the first tee, then have fun.  

The amount of money has nothing to do with it.  It just adds some interest.  

[scotth]

7 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I don't bet, on anything. People have tried to get me to play for money in golf, bowling, and pool. My answer is always the same, I don't play for money I play for fun. I don't understand the "need" for there to be "something on the line" for it to be fun. Heck I rarely get into the skins game in the league, and typically am only in it if my father puts me in or if I won skins the week prior I'll put myself and him in.

That's pretty much me.  I don't even do the skins.  

About the closest I get is closest to the pin wagers that might spontaneously happen as we walk up to a par 3 during the round.

And only with people that I know well.

Edited July 20, 2017 by scotth

[jsgolfer]

10 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Not even a small bet, just for fun?  I'll do a straight $2 Nassau with anyone.  Negotiate strokes on the first tee, then have fun.  

The amount of money has nothing to do with it.  It just adds some interest.  

For a couple bucks I would probably play against strangers.  Although as long as I've been playing, don't ever remember anyone that I didn't know ask to play for money.

Though, I enjoy the game and don't need to play for anything to make it interesting.

Edited July 20, 2017 by jsgolfer

[DaveP043]

I'm with @mcanadiens, I'd play a stranger for a beer afterwards, but nothing more than that.  Like @jsgolfer, I can't ever remember a stranger wanting to play for money, so I've never really had to make the choice.

[jamo]

I almost never play for money, even a negligible amount of money. I just don't enjoy it.

Either we'd be playing for dollars and cents, at which point why bother, since I'd forget about it until I got to the parking lot, or we'd be playing for a lot of money, at which point my nerves would make the round less enjoyable.