Rules Question regarding amateur tournaments

[stevestrike]

"Gimme Putts" and other nonsense

I played with a friend today. You know this kind. The guy who gives himself every 1, 2, and sometimes even 3 footers--some with some pretty nasty break. I finally got so sick of it, I said to him that he should putt those out, and he would be surprised at how many he would miss. Hilariously, he grabbed his ball, and putted out the shot he just picked up, and missed!

Anyway, then he started to tell me that "amateurs don't have to putt out on 2ft or less". He said that it was a RULE! He said that when Tiger was playing as an amateur, he would just pick up his ball if it was within the "gimme" distance. I called Bull$h** and told him that gimme putts were for guys who couldn't play to help them feel better about their score.

So the guy bets me a c-note that he's right, and I'm wrong. I've come to you all to help me in this, figuring you guys would know. What's the official rule on gimme putts?

[AirTime23]

I don't think there's an official rule concerning gimmes, but I would think that using gimmes in a round counting toward your handicap is a major no-no. Unless you're already way past your adjustment threshold. ;-)

If I were to give myself a gimme in one of my handicapped rounds...I'd be faster DQd than I could write my score down...

 

Bag the c-note and see him miss!

[SadTrombone]

Depends. Stroke play or Match Play? Just check out rules (I think...) 2 and 3. They talk about holing out at some point in there. Short end of it is: in stroke play, you hole it all out. In match play, your opponent can concede any stroke, hole or match at any time.

 

-mini

[cowboynjungle1]

He owes you $ 100.00! Of course guys like this usually never pay their bets. In stroke play you must hole out, period. In match play your opponent can concede the hole at any point, but nothing is automatic. Good luck getting your money.

[2DOWN3TOGO]

I'll never play w/ those gimmee guy's again if they do that crap. I can't stand the cowards -haha.

[Lefty44]

I might be in the minority here but I think gimmies are fine in a casual round...They help to speed up the round and keep it light. If there was money on the line it would definitely be considered poor sportsmanship for a person to give himself a putt (definitely would have to be done by the opponent).

 

Of course in stroke play tourneys everything must be putted out. As for the official rules, there is no difference between amateur and pro...everything must be putted out in a stroke play environment...since you are playing the entire field and not just the opponent in your group.

[larrybud]

I played with a friend today. You know this kind. The guy who gives himself every 1, 2, and sometimes even 3 footers--some with some pretty nasty break. I finally got so sick of it, I said to him that he should putt those out, and he would be surprised at how many he would miss. Hilariously, he grabbed his ball, and putted out the shot he just picked up, and missed!

 

Anyway, then he started to tell me that "amateurs don't have to putt out on 2ft or less". He said that it was a RULE! He said that when Tiger was playing as an amateur, he would just pick up his ball if it was within the "gimme" distance. I called Bull$h** and told him that gimme putts were for guys who couldn't play to help them feel better about their score.

 

So the guy bets me a c-note that he's right, and I'm wrong. I've come to you all to help me in this, figuring you guys would know. What's the official rule on gimme putts?

 

What your buddy is thinking about is during MATCH play, any shot may be conceded. So he would have seen Tiger picking up balls that his opponent gave him.

 

It has nothing to do with being a pro or amateur. In stroke play, everything is putted out. Everything. I was in a tourney once where a guy missed a 3" putt. He went to tap it in with one hand, and nearly whiffed. It moved about an inch.

 

What I say is that you let him pick up whatever he wants when you're not playing for money. I mean, who cares what the other guy is doing if it doesn't affect you?

 

Then, with both of you having established handicaps, you make sure he knows the rules, and you play him a little match play, and make him putt everything out. He'd probably shoot a couple higher than his average just because of that!