if your going to gamble - know the rules

HeadonaStick · April 14, 2007

I cannot stand sticklers like that. Just the other day I was playing hit a drive on a 555 yard hole looked all over for it could not find it anywhere figured it went into the creek and hit my second shot after dropping. Drove the cart up the fairway to where a 435 yard drive would have been and there was my ball. I asked my playing partners (we were playing like a 20 dollar bet) if I could just play it and they honestly looked like they were not going to let me. I then said look there was no way I would have known it would have hit the path and went all the way down and they let me play it. If it is not a tourney who the hell cares rules or not he beat you.
Anyone can win if they cheat. If we were playing for money I wouldn't have paid you - you cheated.

What those of you who choose to ignore the rules when they are inconvenient is not golf. Whatever it is, if you enjoy it, fine. But don't tell someone you are going to play golf with them for money and then trot out your game.

Some people can't stand sticklers; some people can't stand cheaters.

First off I ASKED THEM IF I COULD PLAY THE BALL. I did not cheat. Boy your group must be a blast put out 6 inch putts if you dont mark your ball perfectly you get penalized etc etc. Anyone can win if they cheat that doesnt even make sense. The point is there is cheating IE dropping a ball when yours is out of bounds when no one is looking and there is things like not marking your ball and cleaning it etc. It is all in who you play with...obviously your the type of guy who is no fun to be in a bet with. And would love to win on a technicality because you dont have the game to beat someone.

For the record, I typically don't play for money with people I don't know for just this reason. In fact, less often for money for the same reason. If I play with someone I don't know, I really don't care what he thinks; if I play with a friend you run the risk of him being a "stickler hater" and you being a "cheater hater.". That said, if you read my other posts you know how I feel about the difference between friendly games with regular partners and games with strangers. I won't rehash it - you can go back and read it if you like.

If you or your partners waived any of the rules of golf you have broken the rules of golf. Whether or not you asked is irrelevant. In fact, I might not say it out loud, but I would think it was un-gentlemanly to put your partners in the position of having to make that decision.

If marking your ball is not important, then why are there rules specifically covering it? The point, as has been explained, is that there are rules for a reason. They are written down for a reason. People agree to follow them ahead of time for a reason. Who, exactly, gets to decide which rules are "real" rules and which are not? The winner or the looser?

I'm not sure what is unclear about the statement that anyone can win if they cheat. Maybe if you think about it for a few minutes it will come to you.

If you and I agree to a bet and to the parameters ahead of time, I expect you to abide by them, not change them out of convenience. If you don't abide by the rules you and I set ahead of time, then you are a cheater and I would not enjoy playing with you either. Nor would I pay you.

I would never beat you on a technicality. You might loose if you cheat and I catch you.

golfernut78 · April 14, 2007

Oh I have one little question, did Golfnut tap in or was the correct order of play strictly followed I can not really tell from the post as most people just will tap in a lip out and not mark it. that rule seems to get broken all the time and no one ever calls it.

Rick

it is not against rules for you tap in your putt - its "continuation" and used by many pga pros. yes, i did tap in - after i asked which side he wanted me to mark on and he said tap it in.

HeadonaStick · April 14, 2007

Oh I have one little question, did Golfnut tap in or was the correct order of play strictly followed I can not really tell from the post as most people just will tap in a lip out and not mark it. that rule seems to get broken all the time and no one ever calls it.

Rick

it is not against rules for you tap in your putt - its "continuation" and used by many pga pros. yes, i did tap in - after i asked which side he wanted me to mark on and he said tap it in.

Wouldn't matter anyway since the hole was already forfeit.

In match play you cannot putt of order without permission from you opponent - if you do then your opponent can make you replay the hole in the correct order. That said, if you were playing match play I think you have to notify your opponent when the infraction occurs. I didn't think about that before.

FlyFish · April 14, 2007

Like Harvey Penick said, when you show up at the golf course - you can play golf - or any other game that you want.

When money is involved, you should absolutely play by the rules. Otherwise, what game are you betting on? Do you just arbitrarily pick what rules to abide by and which to ignore on a whim? Nonsense.

Skippy11 · April 14, 2007

Oh I have one little question, did Golfnut tap in or was the correct order of play strictly followed I can not really tell from the post as most people just will tap in a lip out and not mark it. that rule seems to get broken all the time and no one ever calls it.

Rick

it is not against rules for you tap in your putt - its "continuation" and used by many pga pros. yes, i did tap in - after i asked which side he wanted me to mark on and he said tap it in.
Wouldn't matter anyway since the hole was already forfeit.

In match play you cannot putt of order without permission from you opponent - if you do then your opponent can make you replay the hole in the correct order. That said, if you were playing match play I think you have to notify your opponent when the infraction occurs. I didn't think about that before.

Sounded like it was just the two of them in the bet for a single hole, so I figured it was match play, that was th reason for the question.

Rick

banistr · April 15, 2007

I cannot stand sticklers like that. Just the other day I was playing hit a drive on a 555 yard hole looked all over for it could not find it anywhere figured it went into the creek and hit my second shot after dropping. Drove the cart up the fairway to where a 435 yard drive would have been and there was my ball. I asked my playing partners (we were playing like a 20 dollar bet) if I could just play it and they honestly looked like they were not going to let me. I then said look there was no way I would have known it would have hit the path and went all the way down and they let me play it. If it is not a tourney who the hell cares rules or not he beat you.
Anyone can win if they cheat. If we were playing for money I wouldn't have paid you - you cheated.

What those of you who choose to ignore the rules when they are inconvenient is not golf. Whatever it is, if you enjoy it, fine. But don't tell someone you are going to play golf with them for money and then trot out your game.

Some people can't stand sticklers; some people can't stand cheaters.

First off I ASKED THEM IF I COULD PLAY THE BALL. I did not cheat. Boy your group must be a blast put out 6 inch putts if you dont mark your ball perfectly you get penalized etc etc. Anyone can win if they cheat that doesnt even make sense. The point is there is cheating IE dropping a ball when yours is out of bounds when no one is looking and there is things like not marking your ball and cleaning it etc. It is all in who you play with...obviously your the type of guy who is no fun to be in a bet with. And would love to win on a technicality because you dont have the game to beat someone.

Ummm..first of all, You really do not seem to understand the fact that Golf is a game that has rules. Not the kind of rules that are only followed "some"of the times or "just when you feel like it". Why bother even playing if you cannot play it like its meant to be played?

ava08 · April 15, 2007

Hey

Not that you need one more bit of apporval but you did the right thing. I know a group that plays together and they have been for years, minor rules infractions happen all the time, but they are all friends, and no-one really gets screwed in the end. When you play agains someone you don't know you always play the rules, and I believe and it may have been said earlier, but you are technically playing match play, so it's loss of hole.

RagingAardvark · April 15, 2007

man, from the number of times people complain about how hard it is to mark their ball correctly, I really have to ask: "how frigging hard it is it??"..come on, even in our casual games, with no money, we all mark our ball, and we all do it RIGHT. It's just second nature anymore to walk up, place the marker, pick up the ball, clean it, then wait to put it back and remove the marker. yeesh.

seasuks · April 17, 2007

I would of paid him. We have a pretty serious money game ($XXXX.XX) every weekend at my club and if a guys beats you he beats you. We dont pull out the magnifying glass on the USGA rulebook. IMO I know when I am beat and I wont try to find a loop hole to dodge it and we wouldnt look kindly on anyone else who did. That said we follow the rules of golf and nobody really screws around but it would have to be pretty blatent thing for any of our group to call it. I guess it depends on the guys and if you ever want to play in the money game again.

RG

Hey I remember those games! It was like I took a pay cut when I moved away from Virginia Beach! :lol: