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Tap ins'...give em', take em'...tap em'?

jdb1911 said:
I am very generous about gimmes and don't expect the same, but I will say this (and this is one of the many reasons I never play for money). I have tee'd it off with some guys who played for money and because they did I never gave anything. One guy who was clearly better than the other 2 guys is just giving away gimmes. Anywhere from 2 inches to 10 feet he's saying GOOD, yet he is putting all of his out. In my head I am thinking wow he's a nice guy.

So fast forward to the back 9 and we are hole 14 and the past 3 holes have been pressed. One guy chips it really close and has a tap in for par. He looks at the better player expecting him to say GOOD. Of course he doesn't and makes the guy putt it out. He misses and the better player takes 4 skins. It was like he was waiting for that moment.
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In all honesty he probably was waiting for that moment. That is part of gamesmenship. I have heard of a lot of people doing this to get in their competitors head.
 
I learned a lot about gimmies the first time I played with Freddie in a THP Invitational. He was very generous and it set basically a Golden Rule tone to gimmies. Give what you would expect to be given to you. I've always tried to continue that in the other THP events and gatherings I've participated in. I have played with a few people that will putt out even when given putts and that's fine, but it does bug me a little when they line it up and then knock it in rather than just go ahead and finishing up quickly. I'll usually ask first before picking up someone else's ball, too.
 
We ended all the drama in my foursome...PUTT EM ALL! If you think it's good, make it and prove it.
 
I don't mind the gimmie. If it's close enough I will usually say "that's good" and let them finish if they want to. I will on occasion smack it back to the person but not on a regular basis.

Like the OP sometimes I just like to hear the ball drop in the hole, not a big deal if someone knocks it back but it's just nice to hear sometimes. Especially if things are going bad and you just need to hear the ball drop to right the ship a bit.
 
JB said:
Giving someone putts should not always be kicking their ball away. If they want to finish, fine by me.
But it also speeds up play a bit for a lot of people that spend far too much time lining up 2 footers.
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This is basically how I look at it. If it's a busy day or a spot where groups are behind, there's no reason to putt everything out, keep everyone moving. If you have space, putt out everything you want. I generally as people. I'll tell them it's good, then just say something like, "Here, you want it?" or something along those lines.
 
I give hem and I take them, I'm not a fan of 2 and 3 foot freebies but it depends on the match and the playing partner.
 
I play with a few different groups and they all seem to have a different idea on "gimmie distance" so I kind of try and find a happy medium. I don't want a 4' gimme because I don't get that in 75% of my other rounds. At the same time some of the other guys basically play putt it out. If you are within a putter head you will probably get it, otherwise there is a lot of lining up 18" putts. All in all I'm pretty comfortable taking and giving them "within the leather"
 
I pretty much go with the group I am with. Even at that I don't knock anyones ball back to them without first asking if they want it back. Usually people will let you know early in the round if they want to putt out or just take them.
 
DawgDaddy said:
I pretty much go with the group I am with. Even at that I don't knock anyones ball back to them without first asking if they want it back.
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I did that to either jaysfan or skibum last weekend on the back 9 without asking if they wanted it and immediately was kicking myself. But.... they took it and ran so I guess I got away with one.
 
Like most here, I'll definitely take and give them. I'll ask "do you want it" and if they say yes I'll knock it to them.
 
It makes me no difference if my ball goes in the hole. To me, if someone hits it back to me, that tells me I hit a good shot and that is my reward. I've learned that if someone says 'good', to just pick it up and walk away. Anything I don't have to hit is a good thing.

I don't mind giving putts, but unless I know the person pretty well, I won't touch their ball unless they ask me to. In one group I play with, if it rolls past the hole and slows into 'good' range, we'll just hit it back before it stops. Most of those guys won't putt them anyway,so it saves a little time.

I will however, in a money game, watch the first few holes and see if they can make the 3-4 footer before I start giving them. I've found some people can't handle the pressure, especially when they think they shouldn't have to putt.
 
I agree with you completely, though if someone gives me a putt I just take it. It bothers me normally for about 2 seconds.
 
Inside a foot I usually don't think twice and knock the ball back to the guy if im closer to the hole or if I'm pulling the flag out, but outside a foot I usually leave them the option of putting it in anyway if they want, but to the same effect come tourney time you have to drop em all and those 2 footers can get twitchy if you never have to putt them

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pudge said:
We ended all the drama in my foursome...PUTT EM ALL! If you think it's good, make it and prove it.
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This is another slant on it that I agree with, removes any potential bad feeling, esp later in the game. I've seen a lot of dirty looks exchanged when guys are expecting gimmes but are asked to hole out, even in light hearted games (not me, I expect to have to putt out everything, gimme is a bonus but I'll usually have go like I said before).
 
I like to hole 'em out because I've missed a few 2 footers in tourneys.
 
Personally I don't mind either way. If it's a 10 footer that I miss and knock close to within a foot, I'll put out the gimme. If I somehow get a 50 footer to within a foot, I expect someone to hit/throw it back to me if they give it to me, that's a long walk just for me to go pick my ball up.

I just did this the other day actually. A new playing partner, I was pretty much the only one giving putts, and gave one and smacked his ball back to him. He didn't say anything about it and picked it up. Again my rule applied, it was a long putt/chip and saved time from not having him walk all the way to his ball.
 
I'll say something like "that's good.by me if you want it" if its a casual round. I'll straight concede a putt if there's cash on the line and ill accept one in that instance but I HATE when people touch or hit my ball. That crosses an etiquette line for me. You can concede if you want, but it isn't the other guy's ball to whack away from the hole, especially birdies.
 
Some golfers in our league give nothing and take nothing - and most of them take forever lining up their "gimmees" and hold other groups up. Most of the folks I play with, however, are more reasonable. We'll give putts and take putts, usually within ~2' or less.
 
If it's a 2ft maybe then I'll be happy with a gimme every time.
 
Casual round, I don't care, smack it, throw it, toss it back to me. It is just a practice round (Europe, normal rounds don't count towards our handicaps). I might pick it up or tap it in if you leave it but concede the putt.
Match Play, different story, I like to tap it in anyways.
 
If someone is giving me a putt, I'm taking it. No doubts about it.
 
If a putt is given I rarely, if ever, tap it in. I would prefer just to pick up and move on.
 
I always take putts when given to me.

I never touch anybody's ball unless they ask or they've putted out already. If they are within gimme range I'll tell them it's good if they want it, then let them make that decision.
 
I will give and take 'gimmes'. However I will only move someone's ball if they motion to me to toss it to them.
 
It doesn't usually bother me, but I can see your point; nothing better than the sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup. Sometimes it's a blessing though, because some 3 footers can be somewhat nerve-wracking.
 
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