Cheating

[leezer99]

Yes, and I trust he will handle it appropriately.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

I hate freaking cheating. Like dude how does that 9 shot equal par.

[kekoa]

Yup, it is pretty tough with the younger kids. Some kids out there are very aware and keep track of their score along with the 3 playing partners. If they they hear an incorrect score being called out, they will nip it right there, which is the best way to handle it. Once the round is done, its almost too late and the rules official will side with the player.

 

I don't think others cheating is a reason to leave the sport though. Does cheating happen? Of course it does, but when scores start to matter the cheaters will likely be the ones quitting golf or falling to the back of the field. Also, parents and kids talk. Once a kid's blatant cheating is called into question they are almost marked by the organization and are watched much more closely in tournaments.

[leezer99]

My son caught the same kid cheating that started this post this weekend and was forced to call him out at the scoring table. This time it happened in a two day JGS ranked event.

[wildcatden]

 

Sounds like the coach didn't get through to this kid that cheating isn't right.

[GeorgeHWB]

This is going to get more and more common with Patrick Reed being an unapologetic cheater who wins tournaments.

 

Sad!

[tiger1873]

If parent allows a kid to cheat it should be no surprise to anybody that the kid would continue to cheat until some sort of outside influence punishes the kid.

I also doubt the coach really cares otherwise they wouldn’t teach the kid.

[Tannerbug33]

Are you able to tell us the outcome. Also how did the kid respond and how did the scoring table handle the situation.

[leezer99]

Well my son called him out on course when he saw it happen so he put down a ? but also a 3 (his score without penalty) on the card. When they got to the table to read through scores the tournament director (TD) asked first off if there were any scoring issues which is when my son brought up that hole. He went through the scenario, the tournament director then radioed another tournament director and a two shot penalty was added. They went through scores, signed them and turned them in but as the TD was reading final scores the kid with the scoring issue asked to go through the scores again because on his card he still had a 3. He maintained that it was an accident so I expect the behavior to continue but I did mention it to his coach again because I saw the entire incident from just a couple yards away and yes, it was blatant cheating. As we walked away my son said, 'I guess we aren't going to be friends after that'.

[MK7Golf21]

There was a lot of cheating in junior golf, as they get older most grow out of it. Not to mention as they get older their competitors do too and are more likely to call you out.

[kekoa]

These tours need to keep a secret list of these 'cheaters.' More times than not, they are repeat offenders and eventually need to be DQ's from playing future events. I have a feeling they will learn really fast.

[leezer99]

They do keep track of those kids and they keep track of the parents behavior as well.

[tiger1873]

I can confirm that this is case with tours on the east coast. Everyone knows who cheats.

most of us don’t have the luxury of watching all the kids but an official told me it is easy to tell because they always get a low score when they can’t hit a fairway or green.

The big takeaway for us parents is scores are not what you always think they are and ignore social media.

[tiger1873]

This not true cheaters only get worse and don’t grow out of it. The only thing I have noticed is the cheaters get better or just avoid certain tours because they get caught.

The other thing is these same kids also play games and get a thrill in messing with other players. There just bad playing partners and when you run across this type if you kid focuses on Their game and make sure they get officials involved the cheaters will almost certainly implode.

[MK7Golf21]

Well I wouldn't expect any other response from you, let's remember these are kids and they will mature.

[BFD3]

What types of cheating are people seeing most commonly? Not counting penalty strokes? Improving lies? “Finding” balls in play that should have been OB?

[leezer99]

Anything that creates an advantage.

[tiger1873]

 

The cheaters I seen don’t mature because they learned it from there parents in the first place. I am sorry but these kids who cheat and then put it on social media are the worst kind and yes it needs to stop.

when you spend thousands of dollars to travel and do lessons and practice only to see those kids cheat and bring home trophy’s week after week you start to wonder why you even do golf. I personally know more then One junior who quit golf because their parents gave up.

the sad fact is useless lowlife parents will do anything to discourage better players who they think will beat their kids.

It’s tough to stay the course seeing this but lately I am seeing the light at end up the tunnel as kids get older and tournaments get better I am finally seeing these blatant cheaters get DQ and run off that for years have been getting away with it.

the absolute worst offenders are foreign players who have no problem cheating because of their culture or have money at stake in how they place. I have found the parents and players will pull almost everything they can on you. Most disgusting thing you could ever see how they treat other players.

[JuniorGolfParent]

My son was once questioned by the scoring official at a US Kids Local for an incorrect score.

It was right after USK shortened yardages dramatically for local tour events last summer. The official didn’t believe he shot below par: “That can’t be right.” His playing partner had to confirm the score was accurate. That was annoying.

The most typical cheating we notice involves taking a lower score on a blowup hole. One kid is notorious for it and will say he got a 7 instead of a 9, double instead of a triple, etc almost every time.

[tiger1873]

This is the unfortunate other side that happens too where kids are unfairly targeted because they did better then expected. The vast majority of junior golfers go out of there are very honest I would say 90-95% of the kids my kids have been played with have been great. I only count on my hand out of hundreds that have been truly bad. (Although you never forget those kids)

reading this thread it is easy to think everyone out there is cheating but you really have to put it in perspective.

[MK7Golf21]

I've played with people who cheat, blowup holes they cut a stroke or two but what I realized is they still couldn't beat me. They are cheating because they aren't as good. Junior golf it's common because golf is hard and as a junior you are generally less skilled/strong, add in the lack of maturity and pressure from parents. Just takes some coaching from the parent to the kid.

[Kcct82]

I’ve only seen 1 kid cheat out of the dozen or so kids we’ve played with locally here in So Cal (6 and 7 age group).

[Tannerbug33]

We haven't ran into any cheating yet. Have scene a kid forget a stroke but I believe it was an honest error and they didn't have a problem when I mentioned it they corrected it.

We have however played with the crazy caddie parents twice one is on our local tour and the other was on a tournament we played out of our area. I have to say it has helped me remain calm and not be that guy.

I have had long conversations with my son about expected behavior and this is just Jr golf we are not playing for millions of dollars and to stay on tour. His life does not revolve around a golf score no matter how good are bad.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

Just wait! you will get plenty of chances. I never thought it was this bad. I mean some kids if you look away they're looking to cheat.

One kid at a Hurricane hit it OB. Went into the OB with a rules officials about 100 feet away. Then punched it out and made par. Kid was 17. I asked the rules official did you see what he did.

Totally clueless.

[tiger1873]

It’s bad but honestly it’s really only a few bad apples.

if the kid does what you say they will be DQ in no time especially in a hurricane event. They have tons of officials everywhere watching.

I think the big thing is you need to be aware it happens but at the same time not so paranoid that it affects your game.

I think it pretty easy to spot the cheaters if you watch them play.

The next time your at a tournament watch the players warming up. I can almost always tell the better players. If you see a horrible ball striker who somehow scores low 70’s all the time you know there lying.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

What I'm telling you happened at a Hurricane event in Virginia over labor day weekend. The kid when into the OB and then punched while the rules official was no more than 100 ft away.

So this comment "if the kid does what you say they will be DQ in no time especially in a hurricane event." is false.

 

[tiger1873]

I have also seen more then one kid get DQ for stuff like that too at a hurricane event. Usually hurricane is one of the better tours that does something about cheaters. Not saying people don’t get away with stuff but It is one of the few tours I’ve seen actually do something..

for what ever reason local pga sections and I done more then one region all tend to ignore the fact that cheaters exist and just issue warnings when stuff happens . I think it has to do with there mission though there events in general are a lot more low key and usually have kids who are not as serious.

moving to more national and state level tournaments and tours seems to have less problems and the scores on average also tend to be higher by a lot which indicates to me there probably a little more honest in general.

[leezer99]

>moving to more national and state level tournaments and tours seems to have less problems and the scores on average also tend to be higher by a lot which indicates to me there probably a little more honest in general.

It's that there are more eyes watching. Cheaters don't become 'more honest' the higher the level of golf.

[JimmyC59]

I have never played competitive golf at any level, but the idea that my Father would condone, let alone encourage and facilitate cheating, is incomprehensible to me. Really terrible for the kids with integrity

[tiger1873]

Honestly I think first and foremost when you travel the the less likely of someone being paired up with someone they have known for a long time. So other players watch each other more closely and it is a big factor. You also tend to have more officials which means if you cheat the chances are much higher.

local events seem to have crazy low scores too. I am sure the boys you see the same thing but I have girls so I usually see crazy low scores locally in the low 70’s from 5700-6000 yards. While I agree that it is Florida these are not your top players either and they are not playing high level events. In the Fall after high school season seems to be worse with a lot cheating going on since high school players play regular tournaments that time of year. In a lot cases the kids suddenly can’t break 85 when they travel.

a good example of a local event I have seen In one case a kid got 90’s paired with my kid and made sense because well she could not square the club. Next day paired with someone from her high school team and they got 74. If your swing is not consistent to square a club your not scoring in the low 70’s.

in better bigger tournaments you just don’t see that stuff.