Cheating in golf | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Cheating in golf

freescooter said:
Two things I think

1. Know your club. I used to play at a club where it was just accepted practice that you roll it over on your fairway. It was a local rule even. Apparently it began when they put in a new watering system years ago so fairways were kind of a mess for a season or two. The members liked it and kept it after the fairways were really good. I guess as long as the rules are the same for everyone, it is fine. I played in a match play thing over the course of the season and lost to a guy who marked his balk with a Kennedy 1/2 dollar. Put it down in front of his ball to mark, then put the ball down in front of the marker. And he kept dropping putts that would just fall. He clearly cheated but he was also a really good putter. But I decided it wasn’t worth getting into a fight about it since I was new. Now I’d call him out.

2. Just like every other sport, guys sometimes play way over their heads or way below their potential. I’m around a 15 nowadays. In my younger days I was 9-12. But I shot 82 a few weeks ago and have put together some other very solid rounds. I also shot 106 one day when nothing went right. I suppose if a guy regularly puts up good rounds in tournaments, and bad at other times it might be different. But sometimes it’s just golf.
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I would call that trick out in a second and laugh while doing it. What is the deal with people being scared to call out cheaters/bums, as if it then makes you the bum?
 
@NHRich, you recently joined the club so it may take you a year or two to sort out who does what. If you like the group your playing with but not that one individual I would stay with that group and bite my tongue for awhile longer. It may piss you off but things may change down the road. At my club everyone knows the guys who massage their handicaps. My club is strict about the enforcing the rules during all tourney play. We've instituted a rule that in any match play event as soon as the match is over any holes played in on the way to the house don't. Say, a team or individual closes out 6 and 5 but both individuals/teams decide to play in, all scores are adjusted to the players handicap. Bitd, I had a guy close me out on 14 with nary a double and proceed to double the last four holes. It was my first year at the club and after the match I remarked to my partner that I wished the guy would have started playing lousy earlier in the match. What a rube I was.
 
I never could understand gimme putts. Make the putt. There are no gimme layups.
 
prankster said:
I do not play golf. Nearly all of my golfing experience has been in Boneyard tourneys.

I played one golf game, totally clean, counted every stroke, improved no lies, took no "gimmies", took no drops.

Shot 124, or so.

I am told that that is a high score for golf. I must be a natural to score so many points.
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Depending on what course this was, this isn't that bad when you think about how many people cheat...in normal golf...
 
Golf is different for everyone who plays. It’s not about scoring for me because I want to just hit the ball well, straight and flush( it happens infrequently)_. The short game chipping and putting lead to better scores but requires touch, feel and a lot of rounds played to get there. You can actually score without all good shots sometimes and that gives me no satisfaction. So cheating out there to score better doesn’t help either but I’m not in the golf club game which is a whole different social and playing structure. I can see how things can get out of hand because ( and those in the leach field might find this hard to believe), but there are a number of balloon knots out there.
 
freescooter said:
Two things I think

1. Know your club. I used to play at a club where it was just accepted practice that you roll it over on your fairway. It was a local rule even. Apparently it began when they put in a new watering system years ago so fairways were kind of a mess for a season or two. The members liked it and kept it after the fairways were really good. I guess as long as the rules are the same for everyone, it is fine. I played in a match play thing over the course of the season and lost to a guy who marked his balk with a Kennedy 1/2 dollar. Put it down in front of his ball to mark, then put the ball down in front of the marker. And he kept dropping putts that would just fall. He clearly cheated but he was also a really good putter. But I decided it wasn’t worth getting into a fight about it since I was new. Now I’d call him out.

2. Just like every other sport, guys sometimes play way over their heads or way below their potential. I’m around a 15 nowadays. In my younger days I was 9-12. But I shot 82 a few weeks ago and have put together some other very solid rounds. I also shot 106 one day when nothing went right. I suppose if a guy regularly puts up good rounds in tournaments, and bad at other times it might be different. But sometimes it’s just golf.
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Hey, I earned those doubles!
 
.-.
Umami Zen said:
Two things bug me..The guy who gets to the green ahead of the foursome and attempts to make his putt.. If he misses-gives himself the "gimme" putt coming back instead of putting out.--even if out of gimme range.
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I hope this was not in a serious competition or a money match. A gimme always has to be conceded by your opponent. If its a casual round, who cares. Gimme range is an automatic putt, guys begging for 3 or 4 footers is pathetic.

Umami Zen said:
And the guy who tries to get in your head after your first good shot/putt.. Just be quiet and respect the game/your opponent. Bustin' among friends is ok but not in a competitive game/match.
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Honestly, sounds like it worked. If I can get in an opponents head, I will. As long as your not talking in backswing or anything disrespectful. I was playing in an alternate shot tournament at my friend's club some years ago. We were playing against some older gentlemen. Everything was fine, we were chatting a bit. On the 5th hole we refused to concede a 2 1/2 putt. Guy misses badly then proceeds to blame me for talking too much lol. Wrong move my guy. I was annoying the rest of the round. We went on to take the match. Never show your opponent you're mentally weak.
 
prankster said:
I do not play golf. Nearly all of my golfing experience has been in Boneyard tourneys.

I played one golf game, totally clean, counted every stroke, improved no lies, took no "gimmies", took no drops.

Shot 124, or so.

I am told that that is a high score for golf. I must be a natural to score so many points.
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I played through my teen years, when it was mostly free and I had all kinds of time. Since summer '73, very little, and that's okay by me.

My last round was a baseball-themed fundraiser a dozen years ago, and I got grouped with a guy who similar to you counted every stroke. Everybody who teed off after us ended playing through. Our guy broke 80 on both nines, and scored somewhere in the high 140s. It was excruciating, though partially redeemed by being so surreal.

When we got back to the clubhouse, people were heading out of the parking lot. The awards had been given out, and as for lunch, there were only 2 incomplete hot dogs sitting in a warming tray. All other food had been cleared.

Three Fridays from now, I'll be going to an Irish wake to celebrate the life of the guy who organized the tournament (and so much more) to benefit so many others. He died 9 months ago at 60 or so. Riffing on John LeCarre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," I've already lauded him in written condolences as "Tummler, Fresser, Macher, Mensch." Long ago, I forgave him for putting me in that foursome, but I wish he were around so I could remind him that he did so.

I caddied at the club where I grew up playing and saw endless varieties of what's in this thread. Every single golf shot is an encounter with the player's self. The ways that players inflate, reduce, and manipulate their scores is certainly revealing.
 
I haven't played for over a year. I've been trying to strengthen a shoulder after a second dislocation.

I used to work at a golf course in VA, and did take advantage of my free rounds before then. Before the injury I was shooting in the mid 80's. It's a shame because a new manager drove the course into the ground and out of business, but that's another story.

My personality made me play just straight up, following the rules straight up. Only course repair or weather that caused standing water would ever make me entertain the idea of taking a drop... etc.. I just competed with myself to try to see if I could improve. But over the years I've played all sorts of personalities. I usually only played for money with my brother and/or his friends.
My brother would talk about how much better he was, but he played with his own rules. One time my dad and I were on the putting green waiting for my brother to arrive. My dad said, "On what hole do you think your brother will ask for a mulligan on?". I said, "Number 8", and my dad replied, "I think 13."
Sure enough, on 13 my brother hit what we call a 'blinker' hook because the ball looks like to goes 60 yards and turns directly left or so it seems. He turns and says how many mulligans do we get. My dad and I just started cracking up.
 
I’d like to say when I’m not playing a match or in a tournament, I don’t pay attention to others. For 99% of the people I play with, I really don’t care. However Mr Handicap manager tries to be very secretive about his score. He doesn’t like being asked what he shot. It’s so obvious that he is cheating, he’s not fooling anyone. He’s clearly not posting good scores, managing his score or he’s posting inaccurate scores. He should be about a 9, and has the skills to be lower.

Also, in addition to being long offf the tee, good iron player, good chipper, he’s right up there with the best putters I’ve seen. Very good at reading greens. Our greens are large, fast (11.5 rolled) with very subtle breaks. He putts very well.

I guess in his head he’s justified winning much more than he loses. I don’t know what I’ll do if I decide to play in the member member next year and he’s in my flight.
 
NHRich said:
I’d like to say when I’m not playing a match or in a tournament, I don’t pay attention to others. For 99% of the people I play with, I really don’t care. However Mr Handicap manager tries to be very secretive about his score. He doesn’t like being asked what he shot. It’s so obvious that he is cheating, he’s not fooling anyone. He’s clearly not posting good scores, managing his score or he’s posting inaccurate scores. He should be about a 9, and has the skills to be lower.

Also, in addition to being long offf the tee, good iron player, good chipper, he’s right up there with the best putters I’ve seen. Very good at reading greens. Our greens are large, fast (11.5 rolled) with very subtle breaks. He putts very well.

I guess in his head he’s justified winning much more than he loses. I don’t know what I’ll do if I decide to play in the member member next year and he’s in my flight.
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As the saying goes, " Cheat, if you want. It's only a game, to me."
 
.-.
Funny story about a buddy who was playing in a foursome with a notorious cheater. Playing a par 3 they walk to the green and the cheater is walking on the fringe and can't find his ball. My buddy sees him pull a ball out of his pocket, drop it and says he found his ball. My buddy then tends the pin and sees the guys ball in the cup. Freakin guy got a hole in one. My buddy reaches down, picks up the ball and puts it in his pocket and doesn't tell the guy. Guy never knew he got the hole in one! Screw him.
 
ucp990411 said:
Funny story about a buddy who was playing in a foursome with a notorious cheater. Playing a par 3 they walk to the green and the cheater is walking on the fringe and can't find his ball. My buddy sees him pull a ball out of his pocket, drop it and says he found his ball. My buddy then tends the pin and sees the guys ball in the cup. Freakin guy got a hole in one. My buddy reaches down, picks up the ball and puts it in his pocket and doesn't tell the guy. Guy never knew he got the hole in one! Screw him.
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Karma proves, once again, it is a bitch.
 
Obviously the guy doesn’t put in the right scores. It’s easy to figure out on GHIN app. Also, they tried to limit sandbaggers when they implemented the new handicap system. If you go up a certain amount which I think is 3.0 shots on your index within a year you become soft capped, which limits your upward progression by 50%, which in turn makes it extremely hard to go up anymore.
 
ucp990411 said:
Funny story about a buddy who was playing in a foursome with a notorious cheater. Playing a par 3 they walk to the green and the cheater is walking on the fringe and can't find his ball. My buddy sees him pull a ball out of his pocket, drop it and says he found his ball. My buddy then tends the pin and sees the guys ball in the cup. Freakin guy got a hole in one. My buddy reaches down, picks up the ball and puts it in his pocket and doesn't tell the guy. Guy never knew he got the hole in one! Screw him.
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This story is so good that it wouldn't matter if you witnessed it, knew the guy who shared it, had only friend-of-a-friend or similar tenuous connection, heard it as fable, or made the damn thing up.

I'll be sharing it with my sister who recorded her second hole-in-one last month, during a championship qualifying round.
 
When I lived in CT I played regularly with my two best friends. Two guys I would trust with my life, my wife and my bank account. Each time out the scoring duties were rotated among us. For 6 straight weeks the guy who was scoring had the best score and I know those two guys wouldn't cheat. Would they?
 
HuskylnSC said:
When I lived in CT I played regularly with my two best friends. Two guys I would trust with my life, my wife and my bank account. Each time out the scoring duties were rotated among us. For 6 straight weeks the guy who was scoring had the best score and I know those two guys wouldn't cheat. Would they?
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The band gets free beers too.
 
.-.
Here's a couple more little ways some of the "best' find ways to score better. How about this:

Winter rules are fine with me. From December to March or in that area in the northeast. We play early year/late year in the cold when the grass is all fd up and they haven't mowed so club length everywhere but do not improve your lie. Do not take it out of trouble, or from behind something like trees, bushes, wall etc.. I play with multiple guys all of whom are friends and we all discuss this because most of us are honest. We have 2 who find ways to beat the rules every round and although they hardly ever play together it's like they're in a competition of who can pull the wool over our eyes. They never do of course but hey, at least they think they do. They both always are able to putt when they are near the green. They're always on the fringe or at worst on the edge of the rough so they can putt and don't have to chip it's hilarious. And these guys both have been seen tossing coins or markers while going to mark their balls on the green. They hardly know each other as I said yet they are so alike it's unbelievable. One of them one day drove up so fast and left his cart mate behind to mark his ball for his birdie putt I watched the event on purpose. Funniest thing ever as I was closer but made it up on time but he thought being in the cart I couldn't see him. Tossed the coin out a little from his 25 footer and the damn thing did a turn and came back behind him LOL I almost laughed my butt off. You could tell by then he knew someone may have noticed something so he sued a different coin to make sure we thought he dropped the one which rolled back to 30 feet, beautiful stuff. We have another buddy who I refuse to play with for money ever, who has never lost a ball on 17 at Fairview Farms on a dogleg right trying to hit it over the woods and yet 75% of the time we hear clanking around. It's crazy how many birdies and even an eagle or 2 he's made without finding the original and is ok with that? Nuts, lose respect for him and was a good friend. That's just one hole in his world of cheating we've seen him under a hill where we can't see him below an area we are in and he's walking in the rough with a club in his hand, rolling his drive 15-20 years further along while he walks - I kid you not. We can't see the ball because of the level to the right we are but we know what he's doing. He's whacked. I haven't played with him in a few years and really don't care to ever again, remain friends with him and watch UConn games together but he's ridiculous. The other guy is a decent player 80-90 player who I think beating his is a challenge with his extra efforts on the course. Funny thing about these 2 the one who I won't play with anymore is the one who wins your money but won't pay for anything but his after at the bar. The other guy is more than generous no matter win or lose and the only reason he cheats is because he wants to win the score, not the money.

Hence playing golf with those who play like you is most important. Reading most of these I'm good with rolling them in the fairways on public courses no reason not to. Play TPC, The Ranch, Meadowbrook, Blackstone and alike don't touch them anywhere. No worrying about who's doing what just play your own game and enjoy the day whether you play well or have an off day. Drink some beer and have some laughs with others who love the game. Cheaters just bring in an extra concern not needed for a fun day. I honestly don't go crazy over it but I have others we play with who it ruins their game as well and I get it. So at some point even though their great friends, they eventually need to know they're just not getting away with what they think they are. Funny thing is in our group none of us step up we just talk about it amongst each other after and share what others may have missed. LOL
 
Mike1984 said:
Obviously the guy doesn’t put in the right scores. It’s easy to figure out on GHIN app. Also, they tried to limit sandbaggers when they implemented the new handicap system. If you go up a certain amount which I think is 3.0 shots on your index within a year you become soft capped, which limits your upward progression by 50%, which in turn makes it extremely hard to go up anymore.
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Or making your tournament score account for 75% of your handicap input
 
NHRich said:
I’d like to say when I’m not playing a match or in a tournament, I don’t pay attention to others. For 99% of the people I play with, I really don’t care. However Mr Handicap manager tries to be very secretive about his score. He doesn’t like being asked what he shot. It’s so obvious that he is cheating, he’s not fooling anyone. He’s clearly not posting good scores, managing his score or he’s posting inaccurate scores. He should be about a 9, and has the skills to be lower.

Also, in addition to being long offf the tee, good iron player, good chipper, he’s right up there with the best putters I’ve seen. Very good at reading greens. Our greens are large, fast (11.5 rolled) with very subtle breaks. He putts very well.

I guess in his head he’s justified winning much more than he loses. I don’t know what I’ll do if I decide to play in the member member next year and he’s in my flight.
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I can't imagine other members putting up with that BS. Massaging a handicap is one thing(we have a guy at our club who is famous for saying "never make a putt you don't have to"), not posting good scores or altering them to increase your handicap is the biggest no no. Clubs will kick members out for that stuff. I wouldn't let my best friends get away with that. Improving lies is a penalty but if he is doing what you say that is a golf crime.
 
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