Do you cheat at golf?

Question

It has been my experience from being paired up with many other people that very few are really honest about their golf game. Most people think nothing of moving their ball from a bad lie, not counting lost ball and lateral strokes, taking muligans and giving and taking "gimmies" that are not really gimmies. I have played with people who's final score was off by as much as 15 strokes. How can someone who shot a 95 convince themselves they shot an 80? For the sake of pace, I can understand not going back to the tee box on a lost ball, but you still lie 4, whether you hit a provisional or take a drop. Sometimes it's a little discouraging and you have to wonder if they live their lives like that too.

I think I was behind some of you guys last time I played.

I vote the following as the most bullshit answer so far. Why would someone with a 4 handicap need to take 3 mulligans or "throw his ball" onto the fairway. Puh-lease.

Answer 1

I don't. I used to. Gimme a five footer with 3 feet of break? Sure.  Take a mulligan? Sure let's all take one! I think the problem is that golfers know they could do better. Maybe it was this shot that their mental let them down. Oh! I didn't look at the ball, that's it! Well I'm better than that I'll take a mulligan. As if because they knew what they did wrong it's ok. Sorry, that's not how it works. Tiger knows what he did wrong does that count? Yup. I think the overlying problem is pace of play though. Rarely do I ever get 14 minutes per hole. Maybe if I'm lucky I get about 5 before the people behind me tee off anyway. Like they payed money and I didn't. I just don't get it I guess. Some dude behind me is gonna mulligan his way to 3 under and I'm gonna shoot an honest 78 with etiquette? That just bums me out.

Answer 2

I think you play to enjoy yourself. I have played when I count everything and times when I don't. I don't consider the those times real scores, just me going out and enjoying myself. If I play with someone who is into counting everything I may or may not. I am not playing against them, I am playing against myself.  I started to play as a way to get out and enjoy the weather with some exercise.  I have played with one person who would tee up his shot in the fairway, didn't bother me a bit, he was an older man and he was out having fun. I don't know what me handicap is because I don't care, I will never be a pro or win a local tournament but I will have fun.

Answer 3

Okay, the extent of my "cheating" would be the foot wedge, if I am on a tree root or somewhere that I can hurt myself by hitting the ball there, I will move it to an area where I will not injure myself.

Answer 4

Never played it.

Answer 5

I' ve never cheated at golf or missed counted. You only cheat yourself.I have played with friends who do and they drive me crazy with some of their score i'd get 92 for 18--they would get 95 and they would be in the trees or water regulary.I  asked them 1 day why don't count every stroke and they said we only play for fun and i said you can't know how good you are until you count correctly & and begin to beat that score.

Answer 6

no

Answer 7

no cheating with counts or ball moving .... but sledging the other guy is ok for an aussie, isn't it?

Answer 8

No, I absolutely count every stroke.  And I hit it as it lies.  I see no point in not doing this as this is a game to measure myself, how good my game is.

It does tick me off if the person that I am playing with cheats, and uses it to brag, like I got par last hole so I am gonna tee off first.  Or at the end of the round he said great game I shot a 74, it's like come on dude, did you count all the strokes, how bout that last tee shot that you put in the ditch, TWICE.

But I don't care if people move their ball if we're just playing for fun.  I get paired up with hackers who shoot 90's and 100's and if they get bad lies, they will throw it in the fairway, that's fine with me.

Answer 9

No cheating.  My course has been very wet so far this year as we have been getting a lot of rain.  I've hit balls right into the middle of the fairway that have plugged so deep I can't find them.  If I know I hit the fairway in a wet spot and can't find the ball after a minute or so I will drop one without penalty.  I would not, however, do this is a tournament unless agreed to buy the other players in my group.

The only time I will take a mulligan is when playing a charity tournament and you buy a certain number before you go out to raise more money for the charity.  I won't take a mulligan any other way, even when the other players in a friendly match allow themselves to do so.

Answer 10

All I usually do is play a lost ball as a lateral for pace of play and gimmies. Playing the lost ball as a lateral doesn't affect the score too much, but if I was playing in a match, I'd have to go by the rules.

Answer 11

I believe that all golfers have had moments of indiscretion during their career identifying balls in rough off the fairway, moving objects which are supposedly immovable, stretching the limits on " no penalty " ball drops, relief from conditions which are not marked as " ground under repair " and the like. As a competitive golfer, one learns to live and play by the rules . You only are fooling yourself if you cannot play to the handicap you have established. Not only that, but in social matches or club matches, you put your partner at a disadvantage. There are others who seldom post the very good score for they want the strokes so they can win the " net score" tournaments.