Scoring Cheats Drive me Nuts!

[sirshanksalot]

Whenever I play, I try to stay as close to the actual rules of golf as possible and do not try to cheat my scorecard since, you're only cheating yourself. I see countless number of people who are very lackadaisical about their scores and have an "estimated" score on each hole that drives me nuts. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is when a person inaccurately posts their score throughout a round and then informs everyone that they had a "great" day and scored in the 80's when in fact if they really counted the "mulligans", drop balls, gimmes, and out of bound free drops, they'd actually end up in the 120s.

I guess I need to stop playing with these type of people, but it seems like a lot of people actually exaggerate their scores. Do any of you face similar issues?

[Garnet Haze]

Unless we are playing for money or competing in some other way (bragging rights, etc.), I usually don't care what someone else records as their score. If someone is exaggerating their performance by taking mulligans, gimmes, etc., they will be exposed sooner or later.

[klaymon]

I'm in the same boat. I play as close to the rules that I know how. I play with the same people every time I go and they always fluff their lies, take mulligans, etc. I look at it like this: regardless of where I go or who I play with, I can count on my game being the same each time (within reason of course) and I don't have to worry about someone seeing me cheat. I also lend zero credit to anyone who employs these techniques when they tell me what they shot on a given day.

I think part of it goes back to what your aspirations are for the game. If you are just going out on the weekends to have a good time with friends, play like you want. However, if you're ever actually competing or have plans to "do something" with golf, you need to play right.

In short, play your game and know you are doing the right thing.

[Quinn07]

My GF's father is somewhat of a cheater. Fixes his lie in the fairway, and is a bit of a sandbagger. At first it really annoyed me, but now I have learned to deal with it. I chalk it up to that he doesn't take the game as seriously as I do. I mean why play the game if you aren't going to play by the rules, but I suppose that's what makes the game of golf great. You can go out and just whack the ball around or you can go out and play the game its suppose to be.

[rangerat]

I play on leagues and it used to bother me especially when it cost me the match. Now I have learned that people who cheat are only hurting themselves because they get a reputation for said cheating. "win if you can, lose if you must but never cheat".

[popey]

"win if you can, lose if you must but never cheat".

That is a great way of thinking about it!

The one thing worse that losing is cheating!!!!

[lamebums]

If we cheat (even in money matches) we make sure we all do it fairly. We will all take laterals for OB, gimmies inside the leather, or somesuch. Nobody gets an advantage - and if someone does we all get on them about it.

[neudi]

I don't pay much attention to other players when I'm practicing, but it does annoy me when I notice people cheating for no reason. Although it only hurts the person who is cheating in the end though.

[Shindig]

I'm fine with this as long as nothing is on the line - bragging rights or money. In fact, if it's someone I'm going to play later for one or the other, it's just as well that they do this, as long as they know the correct rule. You want a vanity handicap? Fine. It's going to cost you in the nassau when you have to play by the real rules.

[pusher]

I agree with Garnet Haze. If it's for money or a tournament everyone needs to abide by the rules. Otherwise, who cares? I play by the rules and that's all that matters to me.

[boothyuk123]

I think it is disgraceful that people will cheat and claim to have a score on a hole that is totally inaccurate. Personally, I am always keeping an eye on what my partners are doing, I rarely would need to ask them what they have on a hole. However, what I have realized is that although people say that 'the individual who cheats is only cheating himself' well in reality they are affecting everyone else who is in the tournament or whatever format is being played. Cheating is certainly not welcome in sport and certainly not in golf!

[SMC1991]

yea there is this kid on my HS team and his cheating drives me nuts. he cheats all the time in competition and has been caught several times. because of his cheating he is the number one player and i would be if he wasnt. unfourtanetuly the coaches dont have the balls to kick this kid off the team. he should be kicked off the team for the rest of his HS career

[Fourputt]

Anyone can play by any rules he or she chooses as long as I'm not competing against them. If I'm playing someone, either for a wager or in a tournament, then they had better be playing by the Rules of Golf. I have played money games that require slight modifications to some rules, but the basics (hazards, OB, lost ball, unplayable lie) are always adhered to. Anything else and it just isn't really golf. Not to me anyway.

[mutadayen]

major rules should apply when playing in a tourney or organized event, but my friends and i have a two mulligan per nine hole rule that does not carry over to the back nine...you only get two. outside of that rule, all rules apply. of course i have cousins who always shoot par but hey, you just have to accept it for what it is. at the end of the day, you're really playing against yourself and your last best score, so if others wanna cheat, let em feel good about themselves until they have to play in a tourney...then maybe they'll learn...

[golf_junkie27]

I have actually stopped caring about this. I played with a good friend of mine but the guy just flat out, CHEATS. We played a few months back and he had shot a 68....at the turn. At that point, he did not want to continue keeping score.

A few weeks after that, he called me to say he had shot an 86. (Same course) I knew this was just not true but I played along.

Point being, if I wanted to keep my friend, I just won't keep his score. For me, 99% of the time I'm playing as an individual and not in a team concept. So, I learned to only care about my score but I do understand the dissatisfaction with cheats.

[Crafty]

In my eyes their are two times when you are allowed to "cheat":
-Bumping your ball in the fairway when the fairways aerated
-Six-inch rule when the greens are aerated (you can move the ball up to six inches to get it out of a plug)

As for competitors, why bother stopping them. Its only going to make them more disappointed in a tournament when they realize what kind of player they actually are.

[golfEnthusiast]

I think it's annoying when people do it during competition, when posting scores, and when betting.

If it's just a practice round, or playing around with friends, then its fine w.me

[Chilidipper]

I refuse to play with cheaters. I actually know a guy who claimed to his a HIO from 335 yards on a par 4. Had it published and he carries 220 at the most. I refuse to play with cheaters they suck and I can't stand them. When I say I shot a 91 you know damn well I shot a 91.