Scoring Cheats Drive me Nuts!

[meenman]

90% of the people we get paired up with *cheat* - i really dont care what they do - me and my wife count every stroke - she got really pissed at one of them when they picked up her ball because they said a 6 inch putt was a *gimmee* - we laugh when they say they shot in the 80's or 90's - our 115-120's are legit - plus we want our true handicaps recorded

[JonnyGolf]

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".

I would never allow another player to cheat during a tournament or a money match. Just wouldn't happen. I could care less what they claim in a casual round.

[Craig Mac]

We use to have a guy we played with that would regularly lie about his score, it was almost comical at times, but he would huff and puff if we called him out. After a while we didn't even care, but the bragging about shooting 83 when it was more like a 103 did get old. I just worry about my own game and have fun, that's enough for me. Now we have some guys that shoot high numbers(100+) and are honest about it, so we handicap them to keep it fair for betting. Plus the little bit we bet is only for fun anyway.

[JonnyGolf]

90% of the people we get paired up with *cheat* - i really dont care what they do - me and my wife count every stroke - she got really pissed at one of them when they picked up her ball because they said a 6 inch putt was a *gimmee* - we laugh when they say they shot in the 80's or 90's - our 115-120's are legit - plus we want our true handicaps recorded

In a casual round, I'm not sure who they're cheating. No reason to get aggravated over what they're doing. I'd much rather play with someone jovial who picks up 3 footers and improves lies than someone so obsessed that they get upset at what other people do.

[JustMe]

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

Wow. Why in the world wouldn't they kick him off the team? Or at least he should have been turned in to the officials, from the other high school kids that are keeping his score during tourneys. How is he getting away with cheating during matches/tourneys?

[Jack_2251]

I never care about the score, except for when we are playing competition or tournaments as there are prizes and handicaps on the line.

[Shindig]

90% of the people we get paired up with *cheat* - i really dont care what they do - me and my wife count every stroke - she got really pissed at one of them when they picked up her ball because they said a 6 inch putt was a *gimmee* - we laugh when they say they shot in the 80's or 90's - our 115-120's are legit - plus we want our true handicaps recorded

What they did is, to me, far worse than someone improving their lie, taking mulligans, or taking a fifteen foot gimme in a casual round. In no type of round, no matter how casual, are the rules of etiquette up for grabs. If anyone says no one can miss a putt that short, remind them of Greg Owen at the Palmer in '06. Three putts in under a minute.

[wingchamps]

Bobby Jones remarked to someone who was improving their lies, etc during a round:

"I don't know what game it is you are playing but it isn't golf"

[JonnyGolf]

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

Keep him honest, call him on it if he cheats. But, don't get caught up obsessing about his cheating. He'll get his comeuppance. It's a Karmic rule.

[TourSpoon]

Nothing impresses me more than to see someone have a blowup hole and then report the correct score, even if it is for fun. It is telling of their character. I know that they will be rewarded, it may not be until the afterlife, but it will happen sooner or later, sometimes on the next hole.

[lhshurdl3r]

i play by the rules all the time, because it's hilarious playin with buds from work when i blow up a 13 on a par 3. i don't even keep score often, but if you're gonna buff your score for pleasure, whatever.

[Eore]

cheating only bothers me if i'm in a competitive round, or somebody brags that they beat me when they cheated. and sandbagging. i used up one of my guest passes on my aquaintance, and we decided that the winner of our stroke play game would buy food in the clubhouse. on the front nine, i shot a 45, totally honest. he said he shot a 46, but he had been hitting 2 balls off of every tee, and not counting penalty strokes (my card showed that he had a 51) on the back, i shot a 49 and he said he also shot a 49 (again, with out any penalty strokes, really a 56) i said whatever, you still buy food. i was checking my handicap online (it wasn't a 25 it was a 28.5) and i was looking at my scores from that day, a 94. i checked out his handicap and it was listed at a 15.3 his score from that day wasn't listed at the unhonest 95, but as a totaly BS 87. and he was bragging after that match that he whipped me on the course! needless to say, if he is ever playing at my course again, he'll be paying a greens fee

[JerseyThursday]

My problem with cheaters (or rule-rewriters) is they usually want to include everyone else in their nonsense. They stand there on the first tee and spout, “let’s take a mulligan a side, and anything within a putter’s grip is good”. Now you’re on the spot.
Do you come across as the uptight party pooper or go along with this if all the others say okay? I much prefer to play by the book. Otherwise it feels wrong and is not valid in gauging improvement.

My first post, BTW.

[Shindig]

My problem with cheaters (or rule-rewriters) is they usually want to include everyone else in their nonsense. They stand there on the first tee and spout, “let’s take a mulligan a side, and anything within a putter’s grip is good”. Now you’re on the spot.

If you aren't betting with them, just tell them to do what they want. I've seen guys pick up from 3 feet away as a gimme. I'm not betting with them; they're just whoever I was paired up with that day. If someone you're betting with tries that, remind him that, in betting terms, a "mulligan" is called "hitting three" and taking a gimme is called "conceding the hole." Seriously now, why wouldn't anyone want to hear the ball fall into the cup? It's probably the most satisfying sound in all of sports.

[immts007]

I've only been playing for two years, and I pretty much always play with my buddies. There are about 8 of use that rotate through casual foursomes. We are recreational golfers and we never gamble unless it's for who's buying beers or something like that.

So there is almost always some level of 'cheating' going on... mulligans, taking gimmee's that aren't given etc... Me and two of my friends are getting kind of serious about it and don't normally take mulligans or gimmees and we count all our penalties... but we don't really give a crap if others want to continue to 'pad' their scores - it usually results in lots of good-natured shit-flicking, and we are out to have fun and hang out with our friends, not get overly serious about it.

[SteelDriver]

I really enjoy it when they Tee off nearly twice per hole and play their best ball, then insist that they are better than you because they posted a lower score for the day.

[bcp]

90% of the people we get paired up with *cheat* - i really dont care what they do - me and my wife count every stroke - she got really pissed at one of them when they picked up her ball because they said a 6 inch putt was a *gimmee* - we laugh when they say they shot in the 80's or 90's - our 115-120's are legit - plus we want our true handicaps recorded

How long does it take you and your wife to play 18 holes while shooting 115-120 and putting 6 inchers? Have you met anyone that enjoys playing with you?? I am all for playing by the rules, but part of learning the game is keeping the pace. If you can't break 100, you don't need to be concerned every detailed rule, but you should focus on the fundamentals and keeping pace.

[Jeepthrills]

I have posted, in great length on this site, about the guy in our league that flat out can't count in my league. So I won't get into it again. The thing that pisses me off is that they won the league this past year and everyone knew they cheated.

Anyway, when I play with my regular foursome on Sunday mornings we allow a mulligan on the 1st tee and we play a max of 9 per hole. However, when I do take a mulligan I still count my true score when posting the round for handicap purposes. I never improve my lie and I count everything. The only thing I generally won't do is measure out a club lengths when the ball goes in the water, etc. I just drop within what would be a reasonable distance (less than 2 clubs).

The way I see it, how will I know if I am getting better if I cheat. I want to lower my handicap, but what good is it if I can't play to it.