League Partners Giving Putts

[Parrot]

Do you give putts to a playing partners competitor is my question? Not the person you’re playing against but rather they are?

Absoltely not. If I'm not in that match, I have no call to say a f'n thing.

But, he is speeding up play so that's good, right? I'll be here all weekend, try the veal it's the best in the city, and don't forget to tip your waiter.

 

[USAF Retired]

Giving a 7 footer, not easy line, points in play? A swift kick in the nuts should do the trick.

One or 2 kicks should fix it

 

[WLG1952]

Where do you stand on this? I play in two leagues and have a different partner in both and both will give my playing competitor putts that are anywhere from 3’-7’ and not easy lines where points are still in play. How do you handle it as well?

I never give any putts in a sanction event. Now if others give putts in those events that's their business. I don't care much for it. I just make it a point to tell them I think those given putts count as a stroke. Also, any putt given outside of a foot, I might frown on.

Now on friendly get togethers, league, or otherwise, I really don't care what others do. I just still think given putts should count as a stroke.

My whole thought on given putts is they are just a way to help with pace of play, when the score is no big deal.

 

[echico]

It does matter what the format is. If it is straight stroke play I really don't care if someone gives a putt after par. Maybe if they are high capper they get pops but it also means they are putting in a potentially lower score in their cap. Long range planning. Match play obviously there are some mind games that can be played. If it is the alternative scoring games then there are times where giving a putt doesn't matter but you are not going to gift yourself an advantage with me there.

Usually I see people give themselves bogey putts or worse. No problem. If someone tries to give a birdie putt I question their manhood. Mark it or tap it in but you are not giving yourself a birdie. I accept that people expect me to roll those in and that sometimes I miss the shorties.

 

[Parrot]

I don’t know what else to do as he said later we needed to get some points when he gave away 1.5 in my match

My suggestion: "Hey moron, don't talk to me about points when you gave away 1.5 in MY match. Let's see how it goes in your match next week. I think it'll be a doozie!"

 

[USAF Retired]

I have before, I don’t know what else to do as he said later we needed to get some points when he gave away 1.5 in my match

Maybe before the match starts, tell your competitor you are the only one who can give him a putt

 

[Scott F]

My senior league is pretty informal and it isn’t very competitive. A couple of the guys don’t concede anything but most of us will give most putts under 3 feet or so.

 

[jlew]

For our league it's stated the A player can give the other A player putts, and the B gives B, but A can't give B. So I don't have the issue of my partner giving any putts and vice versa.

Side note- I've also started forcing myself to putt out as I want to force myself into doing so in prep for December.

 

[Birdman03]

Most guys in my league will give putts out to about 3 feet. And get more generous with someone that's having a horrible day or a blowup hole.

Our league rule is 3 ft or less. Personally I putt all of them that are outside obvious tap in distance to make sure my HC is accurate.

I like your second sentence. Stopping the bleeding with a generous gimme or two helps that player to re-set and move on. Good for pace of play also.

 

[JW Smoove]

Speaking from limited experience, I’ve never seen @Golfers Anonymous ever give a putt.

 

[mikewohlwend]

I have given putts to my partners opponent and he has done the same for me. But we also won't give anything that's a hard putt.

 

[donny475]

I will generally say something like this on the first tee, "how about we agree anything inside the putter grip is good, the rest we putt out?" Set the tone up front, and stick to it...I have played with some that will roll one up to 3 and a half feet and just outright ask, "this good?", well no sir, cause if you thought you could make it, you would just knock it in.....i'm a really good putter, so i tend to ask you to putt yours out

 

[Muchmore]

Them giving your opponent putts? That would frustrate the hell out of me. Especially after some more of your posts in here about it.

I’ve given some longer putts to opponents before but I know where we are in the match and I know what they have or haven’t done for me. But if my partner ever told them that was good and that wasn’t my plan, I’m upset

 

[Raiderboost]

My partner and I only give putts to the player we are against. Usually if I've already won the hole and they are "close enough" that is when I give a putt. Never to the guy my partner is playing though. That is for him to decide.

My older brother runs our league and he has to send an email out about gimmes every year. I told him to just change the rule to you don't have a score until ball is in the hole but he doesn't want to go that harsh.

That's why I like having to putt the ball out. Some guys/groups won't give more than a foot but other will give 4-5 footers. Putting it out makes everyone on equal footing.

 

[Mikey D]

In my work league, playing for points, people were giving putts and it got out of hand. We made a rule that any putts for points had to be holed out, no matter how close.

I strictly enforced it. I'm no longer in the league, so everyone's probably happy and went back to handing out gimmes willy nilly.

 

[KY Golfer]

I don't play in any leagues and haven't read all of the responses here but my opinion is if it isn't your match, you shouldn't be giving anyone putts. It should be between the competitors only.

 

[Bus]

Do you give putts to a playing partners competitor is my question? Not the person you’re playing against but rather they are?

Hell no, I'd only give putts to the person I'm playing, unless maybe it's < 2ft.

 

[GoldenBuff]

For most of our league matches, we each play our own ball and our scores are combined (with pops). We also get points for low gross and net. So every stroke matters if you care about the competition; why play if you don't? I'm not a fan of giving any putts in that format, and if my partner started going over the top with giving putts, we would have a discussion. That three footer is never guaranteed and counts just as much as that 280 yard drive.

Match play is a different beast where giving putts can be a competitive tactic.

Casual rounds and giving putts is an entirely different beast. It's all good. It does, however, crack me up when people start giving 5-8 footers. But that's the culture. Personally, I always putt out in all types of rounds. It builds my skillset. Those short putts can be tricky. I don't want to avoid them.

 

[Doubleb21]

Maybe before the match starts, tell your competitor you are the only one who can give him a putt

In match play the only people who should be giving putts or any advice on anything are the two playing. The rest can sit back and watch.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

Bring this up as just yesterday my playing partner gave a 5’ side hill putt to my competitor while he was getting a stroke to tie the hole.

Its a con and your partner is in on it. They're going to split your money in the parking lot.

 

[bigbov]

That's why I like having to putt the ball out. Some guys/groups won't give more than a foot but other will give 4-5 footers. Putting it out makes everyone on equal footing.

Yeah... that's what I tell my brother. He just has to remind people that a gimme is within putter grip or whatever.

It's not too formal of a league but we do have skins & low score pots.

 

[Trevino81]

In the league I play in we do length of the putter grip except if the person is putting for birdie/par. Other exception is if they putting for double or worse we tend to be a little more generous.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

I never give any putts in a sanction event. Now if others give putts in those events that's their business. I don't care much for it. I just make it a point to tell them I think those given putts count as a stroke. Also, any putt given outside of a foot, I might frown on.

Now on friendly get togethers, league, or otherwise, I really don't care what others do. I just still think given putts should count as a stroke.

My whole thought on given putts is they are just a way to help with pace of play, when the score is no big deal.

I feel I needed to come back to this post for some clarification. Do you play with people who don't count gimmes as a stroke? Like, if they have a par putt, and it comes up a foot short, they pick up the ball and still count it as a par? I've always played a gimme was just the next putt is good, not giving the previous putt. Or am I misreading you?

 

[WLG1952]

I feel I needed to come back to this post for some clarification. Do you play with people who don't count gimmes as a stroke? Like, if they have a par putt, and it comes up a foot short, they pick up the ball and still count it as a par? I've always played a gimme was just the next putt is good, not giving the previous putt. Or am I misreading you?

No you are not misreading me. I probably should have explained it better.

I've played with folks who's first putt would be a bird. They missed it. Someone gave them the putt. They still counted the hole as a bird.

To my thinking, when given a putt, its the next putt. Not the previous one missed. The given, picked up, next putt gets counted as a stroke

 

[Chef23]

How would you handle it if someone else gave the guy you’re playing a winning or tying putt?

I would be upset. It it is not your match you stay out of it. You should only concede putts in the match you are playing.

Conceding putts in match play is strategic. How long a putt I will give depends on lots of things. In match play I never feel bad if someone makes me hole a putt. That doesn’t mean I won’t chirp them a little after I hole the putt about how they are just wasting time making me putt those. It is all part of the game.

In match play I think it is a mistake to say everything under a certain distance is good. If you are going to say that I think you should say everything needs to hit the bottom of the cup.