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Honesty among hackers

jefffann

jefffann

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I belong to a discounted green fee website and often get to golf with guys I have never met before.On quite a few occassions I've had the priviledge of playing with some that never seem to count all of their strokes but seem to have determined their score before playing the round.Or as we say "have filled out they scorecard in advance".The friends I normally play with play em where they lay-no fluff or lie improvement,no gimmies and count drops for lost balls and penalties for o.o.b..The premise that you can't find out if your improving if your score isn't honest.What's your guys take on this.To me it's of no concern what the other guy does unless we are playing skins.This question is really aimed at the recreational golfers out there.What's your take on this?
 
I count everything, and I always putt out.
 
Although I'm not always pleased with the result, I count them all. With my dad we used to do one mulligan per nine, but I no longer participate. If conditions do warrant, we will "lift, clean and place".

Ben
 
If you don't count everything you are NOT playing golf. It is a game of honesty and integrety granted there aren't any officials out there but if you are not man or woman enough to call a penalty on yourself and cannot play by the rules DON'T PLAY GOLF. Sorry this is a touchy subject with me.
 
You mentioned the reason that I count every stroke - how will I know if I'm improving or what I need to work on if I don't keep accurate score? It's my personal measure of progress.

I have no problem with vanity handicappers - it's your business, not mine. And if I played competitive tournaments (something I hope to do), I really don't mind if your index is low but your true scores are sky high.

But don't brag about your score, give me advice, or tell me how you went from a 36 to a 6 in 7 months.
 
amollerud said:
If you don't count everything you are NOT playing golf. It is a game of honesty and integrety granted there aren't any officials out there but if you are not man or woman enough to call a penalty on yourself and cannot play by the rules DON'T PLAY GOLF. Sorry this is a touchy subject with me.
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I'm sorry but I have to disagree with that. If you are keeping a handicap then you must count every stroke!! However, I have played with guys who would shoot 150's if they counted every stroke. They are just out there to have fun and not worry about their score. I am not going to make them go back to the tee after a lost ball and after they have putted three times on each green I'll tell them to pick up the 3 footer.

I understand you are a league above most on here Andy, but some people play golf for fun and don't carry a handicap. But I agree that if you are entering for handicap purposes you must count everything. And don't brag about your scores if you are shaving strokes.
 
Craig Mac said:
I'm sorry but I have to disagree with that. If you are keeping a handicap then you must count every stroke!! However, I have played with guys who would shoot 150's if they counted every stroke. They are just out there to have fun and not worry about their score. I am not going to make them go back to the tee after a lost ball and after they have putted three times on each green I'll tell them to pick up the 3 footer.

I understand you are a league above most on here Andy, but some people play golf for fun and don't carry a handicap. But I agree that if you are entering for handicap purposes you must count everything. And don't brag about your scores if you are shaving strokes.
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I have to agree about the golfers who wouldn't be able to break 150 and are out there just for fun.I feel their pain and don't want to add to it. But they are what they are and make no bones about it.Mostly those guys are out to get a buzz and have a good time and making them count every stroke just makes for slow play.
 
If I'm playing with strangers I really don't care what they do. I find it a bit humorous but I don't care. If it is with friends we normally have a set agreement on whether we give our worse golfer some mulligans. Normally we don't play with any though with my regular group I play with.

I've played with people that will intentionally move their ball around a tree or onto a better lie and state that "they don't want to mess up their game", which then is a crock of ****. They feel they want to have less frustration of playing. What's the point of golf without obstacles geez.

Overall I have a largest grace for those that do not play well and are constantly losing balls. Then I let them do whatever they want since I'm sure their score is the least of their concerns.
 
Great site Gummi! hehehe
 
I will play by the rules unless it was determined beforehand by the group that we are doing something differently. I play with a group of friends occasionally and we tend to do some goofy things to keep it interesting and fun. It is fine with me, as long as everyone is playing the same rules.

If I am playing and someone gets paired with my group, or even someone in the group, they can do what they want. I could care less what someone else is doing unless their is a bet on the line. I just play my game and try and do it right.
 
benk777 said:
Although I'm not always pleased with the result, I count them all. With my dad we used to do one mulligan per nine, but I no longer participate. If conditions do warrant, we will "lift, clean and place".

Ben
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Thats about what I do...I play with a couple of guys that do the 1 mullie per nine thing..They paid for their green fees and they are the first to say, "well..Bama beat me anyway since he counts everything"
 
Craig Mac said:
I'm sorry but I have to disagree with that. If you are keeping a handicap then you must count every stroke!! However, I have played with guys who would shoot 150's if they counted every stroke. They are just out there to have fun and not worry about their score. I am not going to make them go back to the tee after a lost ball and after they have putted three times on each green I'll tell them to pick up the 3 footer.

I understand you are a league above most on here Andy, but some people play golf for fun and don't carry a handicap. But I agree that if you are entering for handicap purposes you must count everything. And don't brag about your scores if you are shaving strokes.
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I play with a few friends that aren't always very good at all, I really don't care & will tell them to take a mulligan...hell I will let them take a mulligan on every hole if it speeds them up a bit. It's all just for fun & none of them take the game all that seriously. There are days I go out & just play sorta golf as well. Will screw around & hit 2-3 balls off every tee, spend 10 minutes around every green chipping, spend more time in the woods lookign for balls than I actually spend playing the game, etc.

Playing in torunaments, keeping an official handicap, playing friends for beers or $$, then yes play it legit & count every stroke. Other than that, who really cares?
 
-No mulligans ever.
-I'll take an occassional gimme if I'm sure I'd make it (1-2 footer).
-To speed play, I never take a provisional off the tee. I'll look for it and drop where it went out with the appropriate penatly.
-Lift, clean, and place if conditions dictate.
 
I cheat.

I'll drop a ball or improve a lie when there's groups behind me waiting on me...if there's a shot I know I can't make and I know I'm going to end up hacking around on that hole a lot, I'll move the ball a bit or play from my partner's spot or put the ball down after the hazard. Golf is a game and should be fun for me, my partner, and all the people on the course if I can help it.

I keep on my scorecard
-actual score
-shots to green
-putts
-asterisks (for hazards)
-Xes (for blow ups/uncountables).

I have all my scorecards in a notebook, and I compare them same course to same course as I improve. I'm only trying to beat myself, no one else...I'm just not competitive that way.
 
julie_m said:
I cheat.

I'll drop a ball or improve a lie when there's groups behind me waiting on me...if there's a shot I know I can't make and I know I'm going to end up hacking around on that hole a lot, I'll move the ball a bit or play from my partner's spot or put the ball down after the hazard. Golf is a game and should be fun for me, my partner, and all the people on the course if I can help it.

I keep on my scorecard
-actual score
-shots to green
-putts
-asterisks (for hazards)
-Xes (for blow ups/uncountables).

I have all my scorecards in a notebook, and I compare them same course to same course as I improve. I'm only trying to beat myself, no one else...I'm just not competitive that way.
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Man Julie
I have a hard time remembering to write down the score sometimes
All that info would give me brain freese
As far as hazards all I remember is I hit into them and I wish I could find some balls that weren't wood magnets
 
jefffann said:
Man Julie
I have a hard time remembering to write down the score sometimes
All that info would give me brain freese
As far as hazards all I remember is I hit into them and I wish I could find some balls that weren't wood magnets
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Haha, really? You can't remember shots to green and putts? That's all it is, really.

(And you know, you should try to avoid hazards, not hit into them. :wink:)
 
I don't even have to try to hit into hazards...I'm so good not trying gets me there.Maybe that's my mistake I should try hitting into them then I'd miss em.
 
amollerud said:
If you don't count everything you are NOT playing golf. It is a game of honesty and integrety granted there aren't any officials out there but if you are not man or woman enough to call a penalty on yourself and cannot play by the rules DON'T PLAY GOLF. Sorry this is a touchy subject with me.
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i agree with that completely. if you dont call penalties, take a dishonest score, or move the ball/ fix lies when the conditions don't call for that, then you are cheating.
 
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AK jr. said:
i agree with that completely. if you dont call penalties, take a dishonest score, or move the ball/ fix lies when the conditions don't call for that, then you are cheating. and that just pretty much discredits your honesty and reputation
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So what about the hackers that don't care about their score, and are out there to have fun and relax with their friends??
 
Craig Mac said:
So what about the hackers that don't care about their score, and are out there to have fun and relax with their friends??
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it is possible to do both. i mean they are still cheating but i guess at that stage it has no relevance and doesnt matter to them. i guess my problem is when its in a situation with people who play enough to know the rules. this question is for hackers, that is true, so my opinion and ideas probably dont have any meaning. and i grew up playing at a country club and keeping a handicap since i was 10, so that doesn't help my input because i don't know the situation as well as somebody else may. its the ignorance that some people can have to is really what bugs me. especially especially especially when the hackers have no respect for the people who do care about their score, ie: taking forever and not letting people play through, and not being golf ready. that is my only complaint really, a lot of those people give golf a bad name, the ones who have no respect for others
 
AK jr. said:
you can do both. i guess my problem is when its in a situation with people who play enough to know the rules. its the ignorance that some people can have to is really what bugs me. especially especially especially when the hackers have no respect for the people who do care about their score, ie: taking forever and not letting people play through, and not being golf ready. that is my only complaint really, a lot of those people give golf a bad name
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Well considering most players can't break 100, several of the guys I play with fall in to that category. They have a love for the game but moreso it is a good excuse for them to get out of the house and have a few hours of away time from the wife and kids. Sure, they fluff lies and take mulligans, but they know the ettiquite involved with the game as well. They don't enter their scores for handicap and they have their own rules for the game and that is fine with me.

I haven't entered a score in 6 months for my handicap, and while we were in Myrtle Beach we played gimmies during our bets and the other team had to give you the putt. I was called out because I was "stingy" with the gimmies, but that is how I play, you make the putt. 8 of us were on vacation for a week and it was all about having fun, and I don't dare question anyones honesty or reputation because of the way we played that week. These are all guys who would do anything for you and can be counted on 24-7!!
 
AK jr. said:
i agree with that completely. if you dont call penalties, take a dishonest score, or move the ball/ fix lies when the conditions don't call for that, then you are cheating.
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unless you're playing me for money or some kind of bet or are paying for my green fees and cart then who really cares? I just started out golfing and am learning the game everytime I go out. I try to count every stroke since as someone said how else can I monitor my improvement. But on occasion I take a provisional off the tee or don't count a lost ball. you can say Im cheating all you want but to the beginner who is struggling or the casual golfer this is a game last time I checked. and I think most people golf to actually have fun. I can see if its a tournament or skins etc but seriously...I cant believe people actually get bent out of shape over this. I never slow play and am always very considerate on the course and try as hard as I can to learn and practice the proper golf etiquette. but Im only on the course because I think its fun and enjoy it. Leave the hardcore seriousness to the professionals. Im here to enjoy life...not worry about what everyone else is doing.
 
I am one who does not keep a "written" score card. I just keep the number, relative to par in my head as I play. I count everything, per the rule book. That being said I sometimes keep a written record of what my first putts are for. Those being birdie, par, bogey, or worse. Tells me alot about how my overall game is going.

I was golfing today with a couple of gentleman in the Fort Worth area who both beat me on paper. On just about every hole they both moved their ball to a better lie, with out counting it. I played all my shots as I found them. At the end of the round I finished last by 2 strokes....on paper. Made little difference to me, as I was a visitor, and they were locals. I just know in my own mind that I probably out scored both of them by at least 10 strokes. The only time I have a problem with some one else's creative scoring is during a tournament situation. :comp:
 
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