Count all your strokes? really?

[bchester6]

Do you count ALL your strokes really? This means no mulli's or breakfast balls.... Everyone loves to whip out their index (especially if it's a single digit) but how many are really what they say they are? I play with guys that say they're a 8 but they can hardly get off the first tee box or they take about 2-3 mulli's throughout the round. Those same guys pick up 3 foot putts and call "gimme" all day long. How about the buddy that "convienently" puts himself down for a 5 when you know good and well he got a 6. I guess it amuses me, laughable at times, that golfers and fisherman struggle with telling the truth as if we won't find out how bad they really are by playing with them.

[ddavey4923]

I count every shot, play small nassau's and two man matches every weekend. Most of the time the guys in my group aren't on my team so taking mulligans or gimmes isn't possible. The only thing I would say is that the muni I play is rated much harder than it really is so my index is lower than it really should be, but thats not my fault.

[bchester6]

[quote name='ddavey4923' date='15 February 2010 - 04:27 PM' timestamp='1266280079' post='2253972']
I count every shot, play small nassau's and two man matches every weekend. Most of the time the guys in my group aren't on my team so taking mulligans or gimmes isn't possible. The only thing I would say is that the muni I play is rated much harder than it really is so my index is lower than it really should be, but thats not my fault.
[/quote]

buy you know the guys i'm talking about right?? they are everywhere!!

[AP2 712]

[quote name='bchester6' date='15 February 2010 - 07:19 PM' timestamp='1266279556' post='2253955']
Do you count ALL your strokes really? This means no mulli's or breakfast balls.... Everyone loves to whip out their index (especially if it's a single digit) but how many are really what they say they are? I play with guys that say they're a 8 but they can hardly get off the first tee box or they take about 2-3 mulli's throughout the round. Those same guys pick up 3 foot putts and call "gimme" all day long. How about the buddy that "convienently" puts himself down for a 5 when you know good and well he got a 6. I guess it amuses me, laughable at times, that golfers and fisherman struggle with telling the truth as if we won't find out how bad they really are by playing with them.
[/quote]


The only person they are fooling is themselves. They probably aren't the single digit handicap they think they are if they are taking mulligans, breakfast balls and gimme's at the 3 ft range. I guess it's a pride thing for that person to be a single digit handicap but they might as well not keep score.
Gimme's don't exist! Unless your putting sucks and you don't want to make a fool of yourself!

[usaglfho]

Everbody plays golf for a different reason. I count everything when i do 18 and don't keep score when i play additional holes unless i am doing a skins game. You can add: how about the guys who roll there ball to a better lie several times a round or if it is in a divot. The list goes on. I play sometimes with older guys (70+) who are out to just hit some shots, have fun, get some exercise, get away from the witch and don't even keep score. Good for them.

Only worry about my score unless i am in a game with someone and if hats the case we agree prior to putt out (or good if your opponent gives it to you). Only relief is if your in a footprint in a sandtrap.

Again everbody plays for different reasons. As for the guys you talk about they are just delusional and thats fine as long as they are not in a game with me they can put 18 down as far as i am concerned.

[HOFLegend47]

I played with my father in law at his course one time & this member comes up & asks to join. he's all about the hdcp & how good he is. I didn't see the guy take a putt from 5 ft. Each time he lagged it & just grabbed the ball regardless of where it finished. 1 inch or 6 feet.
I will admit, if I get there late & don't have time to hit a ball, I will hit 2 tee shots & get going.

[BBeal20]

I love those guys, Because I make good weekend money off them. They play the way you described durning the week but when money is on the line and they have to play it out they are always in there pocket. I love it.

[-GoldenHawk-]

I had a problem with this up until my sophomore year in HS. You know, high school underclassmen on the golf team, wanted to impress some people. But last year is when I quit that forever, the game of golf is the honest man's game and you're only doing yourself a disservice by shaving strokes like that. Don't get me wrong there are some times when you want to tell yourself you did better on a hole than you actually did, but that's no excuse. It will make you better in the long run and creates more mental focus.

[Cobber]

I always post an honest score even though it pains me to do so sometimes. I play to an 8ish index and have a good grasp of my game and where I need to improve. Often when I play others, they say "take another" on the first tee or "thats good" on putts, and I politely decline. I really look forward to playing tournaments where some people aren't used to holing out..... seems I always pick up a few points in Match play. Keep it honest and feel good about your game.

[mcfet]

I can't understand that stuff. Why would someone do that? Are they palming aces when they play poker with their buddies or bowling 400's? I guess some people don't take the game that serious. I'm not the most serious on the course either but would never post something I didn't shoot. I don't see the point.

[Tmiller72]

Every club has that 5 handicap that only plays with his wife and picks up putts under 5 feet. Then can't break 90 in the club championship.

[gdb99]

I count everything. I know the people you are talking about tho.

[Johnny]

let em kill themselves..

just make sure when you play for $$$$ they play by the rules, in the end they are only hurting themselves.

[MtlJeff]

every club has people who give themselves putts and conveniently leave out scores. Every club also has haters that accuse everyone of cheating with no real proof, simply because they are upset others are better than they are

[coxrl]

You can learn a lot about someone by how they conduct themselves on the golf course.

[Greggz]

It's not only mulligans, breakfast balls, and gimme's.

In my usual game, I play with guys who play for money and play by the rules of golf.

When I get outside my group, I see many other rules infractions. And these guys are posting scores.

Fluffing the ball up...I can't tell you how many times I am asked if we are playing them down. Is there any other way? In case you don't know, YOU CAN'T MOVE THE BALL!

Very generous drops. I've seen guys chunk it in the water, and drop on the other side. Or knock it in the woods, and drop it 20 yards further up and 20 yards over into the fairway.

Grounding the club in a traps and hazards in general. I see it all the time.

Clearing, breaking, bending branches, trees, bushes, etc.

Hitting it OB, and playing it as a lateral hazard. Or even worse, just kicking it back on the course and playing it like nothing happened.

Too many clubs in the bag........And the list could go on.

The other thing I see are guys whose handicap is based on playing short tees at a course with a very low slope. The kind of place where you can bang it over into the other fairway and still make birdie.

The courses I play are about 6900 yards and the slopes are about 137 to 142. They are darn hard, and there is trouble to found on every hole. Even still, I am a single digit handicapper (med/hig), but I got to tell you, I ain't proud. I usually play in games where I am the highest handicap in the whole group. Watching these guys play makes me feel like I don't have a clue as to what I am doing. They only good thing is I get a couple of strokes here and there...but, man, I gotta make those work just to tread water.

[feedlotdoc]

Nope, I don't count them all unless it is for $$ or a tourney. But, I'm an 18 (based on league scores) and don't pretend to be better than that.

[Ian]

[quote name='coxrl' date='15 February 2010 - 08:46 PM' timestamp='1266284783' post='2254176']
You can learn a lot about someone by how they conduct themselves on the golf course.
[/quote]
Oh ya! I'm getting pretty good at summing up someones character by the first green, and sometimes even on the first tee. I had one guy telling me how good a golfer he was, as the starter was trying to introduce us. He kept going on and on! What a horendous round that was.

However, I can thankfully say that the vast majority of golfers that have been paired up with me have been beyond reproach. You know you've had a good day when you invite or get invited for a beer at the 19 hole. That's icing on the cake for me.

To answer the OP's question, I add everything and never take mullies. I can't take "the little voices" in my mind after the round.

[-GoldenHawk-]

[quote name='Greggz' date='15 February 2010 - 08:07 PM' timestamp='1266286069' post='2254219']
It's not only mulligans, breakfast balls, and gimme's.

In my usual game, I play with guys who play for money and play by the rules of golf.

When I get outside my group, I see many other rules infractions. And these guys are posting scores.

Fluffing the ball up...I can't tell you how many times I am asked if we are playing them down. Is there any other way? In case you don't know, YOU CAN'T MOVE THE BALL!

Very generous drops. I've seen guys chunk it in the water, and drop on the other side. Or knock it in the woods, and drop it 20 yards further up and 20 yards over into the fairway.

Grounding the club in a traps and hazards in general. I see it all the time.

Clearing, breaking, bending branches, trees, bushes, etc.

Hitting it OB, and playing it as a lateral hazard. Or even worse, just kicking it back on the course and playing it like nothing happened.

Too many clubs in the bag........And the list could go on.

The other thing I see are guys whose handicap is based on playing short tees at a course with a very low slope. The kind of place where you can bang it over into the other fairway and still make birdie.

The courses I play are about 6900 yards and the slopes are about 137 to 142. They are darn hard, and there is trouble to found on every hole. Even still, I am a single digit handicapper (med/hig), but I got to tell you, I ain't proud. I usually play in games where I am the highest handicap in the whole group. Watching these guys play makes me feel like I don't have a clue as to what I am doing. They only good thing is I get a couple of strokes here and there...but, man, I gotta make those work just to tread water.
[/quote]

Good post...but I am in LOVE with your bag in your avatar. Exotics baby.

[tigerfan23]

who cares. If I'm not playing for money I don't care what you do. I play with chronic fluffers. I never do. I usually don't even keep score unless its the weekend and I'm playing 18 to put in the computer. During a quick 9 after work I usually play 2 balls if nobody is behind me.

I find the opposite at my course - 10 handicaps shooting par at the club championship!

[steveh1591]

i dont understand how people can claim to have played to 6, when in their head they know they played to about 10
you just end up cheating yourself in the end and put yourself at a disadvantage in any comps, but i guess thats not my problem if i beat them 5&4

[elrey23]

Depends on what kind of round I'm playing. If I'm just gonna play a practice round then obviously I don't post that score for handicap purposes because I'm hitting 2 or 3 shots from the tee sometimes or whatever. If I'm gonna use the round for handicap purposes I play the ball down and play by the rules, period.

[bchester6]

I'm all for not keeping score and just hitting shots but that's totally different. I don't keep score, or post, when I play by myself. Just doesn't feel right and I usually play lights out. It's the guy that tells you everybody's score at the end of the round and he has magically shaved 3 off as if it was his payment for keeping the groups' scores. Beware of this guy, he is usually the guy with the most expensive golf equipment and dresses the part to boot.

[tigerfan23]

But I don't understand why that's bothering you so much.

Like most people said, they are really really hurting themselves in competition.

[evanrfid]

I don't go back to the tee on lost balls in a casual round. I take a drop. If it disappears somewhere it shouldn't(stolen or plugged) I take no penalty. If it's in the trees or some other junk I'll drop like an unplayable and add two as if I'd hit three off the tee to there.

I justify this to myself by thinking that if I'm taking the proper drop from a shot that went in a terrible position to begin with, I'm probably sitting much worse in three than I would if I had gone back. I always walk and it's just not practical to do otherwise.

I will however hit a provisional if a ball is possibly OB. Other than that I play by the book. No reason not to.

[bchester6]

i guess it's because i play with "the guy" about twice a week and it's really buggin' me to the point where I'm about to hurt his feelings. It wouldnt' be so bad if "the guy" didn't always have his team winning all the time either, albeit with his creative scoring methods. It seems as though I can't shake him because he practically lives at my home course. He's extremely nice, buy you beers all day long nice, but nobody wants to call him out. I will soon though and the results might possibly be "post worthy". ONE more thing, , nobody cares how bad you might be because we've all been there and struggled mightily at some point during our golfing careers. The psyche is fragile and we're all one shank shot away from circling the drain pipe.

[Ski]

I'm a 15 and I count everything, except if hit a tee ball somewhere and can't find it, I'll just drop around where it passed thru and take a penalty stroke...no way I'm going back to the tee box and hitting another, especially on a crowded weekend at a muni. Otherwise pretty much everything gets putted out...except if its a foot or less from the hole.

I'd be single digits if I could get 3 foot gimmies and mulligans!

[scratchswinger]

I went out as a single on Saturday and they put me with a threesome that was playing dollar skins. I did not get involved in their game as they didn't ask and I stayed out of their way. I kept watching one of the guys and on some short puts he would mark his ball in front of the ball and then when he set the ball he would put it in front of the mark. Thus making the short putts two balls closer. I most had saw him do this 3-5 times. I almost said something but figured it was none of my business and didn't want to make things uncomfortable. But had my money been involved with this cheating or any other cheating I would call them out in a heart beat and would not play them for money in the future.

[golfnuthb]

I see allot of strokes thrown away around the greens. People get frustrated with their poor short games and just start giving themself short putts. I'm talking 3 footers here. Recently I implemented a new rule in one of my regular group's and they agreed as I told them I would keep their real score and they could write down whatever they wanted so it was a tough one for them to wiggle out of.. NO more gimme putts. If it didn't fall in the hole..then guess what... it didn't go in..and its a stroke. I tell you what, I almost felt bad for my 2 buds. They started getting plenty demoralized and the reality of the importance of putting is actually setting in. I think its helping them.

[Par Fore]

I "generally" count all my strokes, but I am guilty of the "travel mulligan" and taking some gimmees that may not be. I know that a couple of years ago when I decided to establish my handicap I found out the my scores were a lot higher when I made myself count my OB's and hazards and lost balls, and whatever. The great thing is that after two years of being honest with my scores I am much better. There are times when I declare a round, usually nine holes, as "practice" and I hit extra balls and don't keep score. I don't know if that is honest or not, but I do it.