[Realist]

Second time I've had this happen to me. I'm playing a round, got paired with a total stranger.

First hole, I putt to about a foot, he knocks my ball back to me and says, "That's alright, pick it up."

Second hole, I miss right a few inches, before he knocks it back, I say "I'll finish." He replies, "No, it's alright." And knocks it back.

I tell him I'm recording the scores for handicap purposes, and he says putting out just wastes time if I'm that close, and we need to keep pace of play.

I'm thinking in my head, next time he misses a putt,I'm gonna pull out a wedge and skull his ball towards the trees. Or better yet, next time he pulls out his ball grabber thing to pick up lost balls, I'm gonna s*** in his bag when he's not looking.

I ended up not even keeping the score. I faked a leg cramp and told him to go ahead after the 4th hole.

[hos]

I feel for you. Even some of the people I play with regularly will attempt it now and then (as if I've changed my mind).

Best trick I've found - tell them you can't start the next hole till you hear the ball rattle in the cup. Something to do with OCD or whatever it is. Makes you sound about half mental which helps. I've actually had other people in the group agree with me after bringing it up.

Guess we're not alone.

[parmark]

I think it would depend on pace of play, and how crowded the course is. No money on the line, just you and another stranger... glad I'm not playing with or behind you. But if the course isn't crowded - no biggie. (and yes I know the rules of golf, and yes I also enter my scores.)

Rather interesting coincidence that there's a thread on here as well about how to combat slow play that addresses this very same affliction some folks have, confusing their leisure rounds with the final pairing in the US Open and making for a long day for the folks playing with and behind them.

Then again - maybe because we play in the first group off on Saturday's for over ten years now - and keeping or determining pace of play is part of our responsibility for being able to have that time, I might look at this in a different manner. (We are usually done in 3:30-3:40, so I'm spoiled) I would maybe take issue if it's backing folks up. At times common sense has to come into play.

But you guys on here are a bit more serious about your game, which you have to respect. But in talking to a friend who's a Pro who runs a course and sees Pace of Play as being a real key concern, he'll sit for hours and complain about this very thing. Again it's just common sense.

While you might think you are doing the right thing and have all the right reasons , on the other hand you can't expect every single person to not want to strangle you with their own putter over 18 holes. At least in our group this would last about 3 holes and then you would be tossed!

[Bluefan75]

parmark, on Jul 24 2008, 08:32 AM, said:

I think it would depend on pace of play, and how crowded the course is. No money on the line, just you and another stranger... glad I'm not playing with or behind you. But if the course isn't crowded - no biggie. (and yes I know the rules of golf, and yes I also enter my scores.)

Rather interesting coincidence that there's a thread on here as well about how to combat slow play that addresses this very same affliction some folks have, confusing their leisure rounds with the final pairing in the US Open and making for a long day for the folks playing with and behind them.

Then again - maybe because we play in the first group off on Saturday's for over ten years now - and keeping or determining pace of play is part of our responsibility for being able to have that time, I might look at this in a different manner. (We are usually done in 3:30-3:40, so I'm spoiled) I would maybe take issue if it's backing folks up. At times common sense has to come into play.

But you guys on here are a bit more serious about your game, which you have to respect. But in talking to a friend who's a Pro who runs a course and sees Pace of Play as being a real key concern, he'll sit for hours and complain about this very thing. Again it's just common sense.

While you might think you are doing the right thing and have all the right reasons , on the other hand you can't expect every single person to not want to strangle you with their own putter over 18 holes. At least in our group this would last about 3 holes and then you would be tossed!

I'm calling BS on this one. I was off in the second group every weekend at my old club. We putted out and we never had an issue with pace. Rarely did we approach 4 hours, and even then, we couldn't see the group behind us when we did.

Nowhere did he say he wanted to mark his ball, go through his routine, or wait for someone else to putt out. They were one and two feet. Those there I wuld just wakl up and knock them in. But I am knocking them in, and he wants to as well. That takes no more time than it does for the dufus who insisted on knocking them back to do that.

Plus, like the title of the thread said, why is the other guy touching his ball? If you want to talk common sense, explain to me how that is common sense at any time? That guy wouldn't last a hole with my group if he starts touching my ball.

[FlyFish]

Gimme putts are a bad habit to get into. Someone complaining about you wanting to follow the rules of golf doesn't have a leg to stand on.

[Titleist1455]

Realist, on Jul 24 2008, 02:19 AM, said:

Second time I've had this happen to me. I'm playing a round, got paired with a total stranger.

First hole, I putt to about a foot, he knocks my ball back to me and says, "That's alright, pick it up."

Second hole, I miss right a few inches, before he knocks it back, I say "I'll finish." He replies, "No, it's alright." And knocks it back.

I tell him I'm recording the scores for handicap purposes, and he says putting out just wastes time if I'm that close, and we need to keep pace of play.

I'm thinking in my head, next time he misses a putt,I'm gonna pull out a wedge and skull his ball towards the trees. Or better yet, next time he pulls out his ball grabber thing to pick up lost balls, I'm gonna s*** in his bag when he's not looking.

I ended up not even keeping the score. I faked a leg cramp and told him to go ahead after the 4th hole.

do you really feel the need to putt out a 3 inch putt every time???

have you ever missed a 3 inch putt???

[kitsoasis]

Titleist1455, on Jul 25 2008, 12:57 AM, said:

do you really feel the need to putt out a 3 inch putt every time???

have you ever missed a 3 inch putt???

i think it's not just the putting
you'd want to play your own game and not have other people give you 'gimme' putts, it is quite intrusive

[glennmaitland]

Solution. . . . wait for him to drive off from the next tee and when u get to his ball pick it up and hand it to him, saying "I'll give u that for a 2" After a hole or 2 of this, he'll realise that he's only gonna hit 18 shots for his entire round with every 2nd shot being a "Gimme"and he will get the point!!!

[Wsc04forever]

i once had a guy do that to me, it was a 350 yard par 5, i smoke one down the fairway leaving me about 160 to the hole, so the guy is walking ahead of me, he picks my ball up off the fairway, turns around and tosses it to me sayin "its good boss", so i proceeded to get angry and swung a 4 iron into the ground mid-stride, the iron head flew off and almost decapitated my playing partner, so the same guy walks ahead of me, he picks up my 4 iron head up off the fairway, turns around and tosses it to me sayin "its good boss", you know what the worst part is, when he tossed me the ironhead, a sharp edge sliced through my stand bag spilling all of my clubs, ill tell you one thing, thats the last time ill ever pull driver on a par five, lesson learned

[Bomb and Gouge]

ASK me before touching my ball!

If someone hits my ball back to me before I've holes out I politely say, "I don't take gimmies, I've been known to miss really short putts so I like to putt everything."

It's a nice way of saying, "Don't touch my ball you jagbag!"

Since people are usually just trying to be nice I don't get mad but it's pretty annoying.

[Bomb and Gouge]

Wsc04forever, on Jul 24 2008, 10:13 AM, said:

i once had a guy do that to me, it was a 350 yard par 5, i smoke one down the fairway leaving me about 160 to the hole, so the guy is walking ahead of me, he picks my ball up off the fairway, turns around and tosses it to me sayin "its good boss", so i proceeded to get angry and swung a 4 iron into the ground mid-stride, the iron head flew off and almost decapitated my playing partner, so the same guy walks ahead of me, he picks up my 4 iron head up off the fairway, turns around and tosses it to me sayin "its good boss", you know what the worst part is, when he tossed me the ironhead, a sharp edge sliced through my stand bag spilling all of my clubs, ill tell you one thing, thats the last time ill ever pull driver on a par five, lesson learned

Your post makes no sense...and I'm not sure I believe your story.


If it did happen, you could have just replaced the ball and explained that you don't want him doing that.

[PurePursuit]

This doesn't happen with my group, a few guys will sometimes say "Thats good" as you are marking it..But you always have the option of putting out the 6 inch putt. Knocking it back is a no no.

[lahinchnsnglmalt]

Who is he to tell you about pace of play?

Good job keeping your cool.

[klaymon]

For those of you preaching pace of play, how long does it take the average player to hole out a 1 foot putt? I'm not talking about the slowest guy you know, I'm talking on average. 10 seconds or less? Over the course of 18 holes (if it happens every hole), you're talking about a whopping 3 minutes over the course of 4+ hours. Come on.

I can't stand for people to be knocking my ball back to me before I get to putt out. I've had guys "gimme" one and I still walk up and cup it. You either play by the rules or you don't.

[Dizzub]

I'll pick up anything that someone will give me, if they think I'm gonna make it then I'm gonna make it. Obviously its gotta be 3 feet and in, I'm not talking about from the fairway or 15 footer, 10 footer, 5 footer or whatever. Honestly I think its funny that it would even bother you, I can't imagine how many tantrums you throw on the course if you got mad at a guy for giving you a putt under a foot. I rarely play with people I don't know except in golf league and I give those guys 3 and 4 footers all day because I can't stand when someone is walking up to mark or tap in their ball and either have no clue where your line is or try to avoid it and step in it anyway.

[withdrew]

Dizzub, on Jul 24 2008, 12:15 PM, said:

I'll pick up anything that someone will give me, if they think I'm gonna make it then I'm gonna make it. Obviously its gotta be 3 feet and in, I'm not talking about from the fairway or 15 footer, 10 footer, 5 footer or whatever. Honestly I think its funny that it would even bother you, I can't imagine how many tantrums you throw on the course if you got mad at a guy for giving you a putt under a foot. I rarely play with people I don't know except in golf league and I give those guys 3 and 4 footers all day because I can't stand when someone is walking up to mark or tap in their ball and either have no clue where your line is or try to avoid it and step in it anyway.

The guy the OP was playing with was a stranger. He's not "giving" him anything.
The hole is over when the ball is in the cup. PERIOD.

[kencanuck]

glennmaitland, on Jul 24 2008, 09:12 AM, said:

Solution. . . . wait for him to drive off from the next tee and when u get to his ball pick it up and hand it to him, saying "I'll give u that for a 2" After a hole or 2 of this, he'll realise that he's only gonna hit 18 shots for his entire round with every 2nd shot being a "Gimme"and he will get the point!!!

'
Hate to see the reaction on that one...however I agree...just leave the ball alone...let the person play their game! I always say, "You can have that one if you want..." rather than assume anything or touch another person's ball. If you get behind then state we need to pick it up, etc. to quicken the pace.

For what it is worth it burns my butt as well when someone touches my ball...I have the advantage of being 6'3" and 270 so a quick dirty look ends any retort when I state I would like to putt it out.

Ken

[tonyd99]

I have had this happen to me as well. It threw me off for the entire round. In a 2 some I do not see how the 3-5 sec process of tapping in and picking up the ball would grind the entire pace of play down for the day. We all talk about sticking to the rules. In stroke play doesn't the ball need to be holed prior to scoring? I know we are not talking about a tournament but other posts complain of too many clubs, making a lie better ect.

Realist, good job with the fake cramp. I will have to try that the next time!!

[Dizzub]

withdrew, on Jul 24 2008, 12:28 PM, said:

Dizzub, on Jul 24 2008, 12:15 PM, said:

I'll pick up anything that someone will give me, if they think I'm gonna make it then I'm gonna make it. Obviously its gotta be 3 feet and in, I'm not talking about from the fairway or 15 footer, 10 footer, 5 footer or whatever. Honestly I think its funny that it would even bother you, I can't imagine how many tantrums you throw on the course if you got mad at a guy for giving you a putt under a foot. I rarely play with people I don't know except in golf league and I give those guys 3 and 4 footers all day because I can't stand when someone is walking up to mark or tap in their ball and either have no clue where your line is or try to avoid it and step in it anyway.

The guy the OP was playing with was a stranger. He's not "giving" him anything.
The hole is over when the ball is in the cup. PERIOD.

Go play in tournaments or money games then and you have to hole everything out. If you're just out there for fun and keeping your "handicap" and you're gonna flip out about a putt thats a foot, hell even 18 inches then you got more problems then those on the golf course. I'll be honest, this has never happened to me...a complete stranger walking up and slapping my ball over to me. But if it did I would just say thanks and pick the ball up. I've never pick up someone elses ball but I have never had anyone tell me they'd rather tap in that 6 inch putt then have me tell them that its good.

[bortass]

I don't like gimmees either. The group I play with will do it sometimes. We play a fun match style game, 1 pt for low score on the hole and 1 point for lowest team score per hole. So from a match perspective gimmees are fine. But I'm playing stroke play as far as counting my score. I track stats to see how I'm doing. I never take or offer a gimmee. I guess i don't have that match play mentality.

Now if you are playing stroke play, your fellow competitor just earned himself a penalty. I want to say it's 2 strokes for moving your ball w/o authorization. Mention that to him if you feel like, just verify the rule and penalty first.

All you need to do is replace your ball and hole out. Actually you must if you are following the RoG. He should get the hint.

If you don't mind looking real anal about the rules, you can also drop the whole failure to hole out and if you tee off w/o correcting your mistake, it's a serious breech and you won't be able to enter your score for HCP purposes.

[RightHandRough]

I think alot of these guys giving the gimmies are really hoping that you will offer them back. If I'm on a fairly open course with some guy i play with only occasionaly and he offers me a gimmie i always decline, but i will in turn give him the oppurtunity. Alot of poor putters offer them imo.

[Titleist1455]

I don't necessarily like gimmees, especially when somebody slaps back a 2-3 footer, but putting out from 1 foot and in is just stupid. NOBODY misses those putts!! And yes, 90% of the time if it's hanging on the lip or 6 inches away, i'll knock it in left handed or with the toe of my putter, or whatever...but if somebody slaps back a 1 footer, I COULD NOT CARE LESS. I know that I have never missed a 1 foot putt in my entire life, so who cares!!

[hos]

FWIW, I wasn't joking about wanting to hear the ball go in the bottom of the hole. I play golf for enjoyment. I don't care if it's a 1 inch putt or a 30 footer. That sound is gratifying to me. Sue me for taking small pleasures in an otherwise difficult game. Holding up pace of play my arse! That's weak.

[stage1350]

You should have punched him in the throat for that transgression. How dare he not follow the rules of golf!

[ezra76]

Realist, on Jul 24 2008, 03:19 AM, said:

Second time I've had this happen to me. I'm playing a round, got paired with a total stranger.

First hole, I putt to about a foot, he knocks my ball back to me and says, "That's alright, pick it up."

Second hole, I miss right a few inches, before he knocks it back, I say "I'll finish." He replies, "No, it's alright." And knocks it back.

I tell him I'm recording the scores for handicap purposes, and he says putting out just wastes time if I'm that close, and we need to keep pace of play.

I'm thinking in my head, next time he misses a putt,I'm gonna pull out a wedge and skull his ball towards the trees. Or better yet, next time he pulls out his ball grabber thing to pick up lost balls, I'm gonna s*** in his bag when he's not looking.

I ended up not even keeping the score. I faked a leg cramp and told him to go ahead after the 4th hole.

1 footer and a 3incher? Give me break. Make sure you mark that thing and line it up.

[FlyFish]

I think that the next time that this happens to me, I will politely explain:

"I appreciate your offer to concede the putt, but one thing that you never do is touch another man's balls."

[toddnt]

Didnt Sergio miss a 1 footer at the Open!

[Bomb and Gouge]

ezra76, on Jul 24 2008, 12:29 PM, said:

1 footer and a 3incher? Give me break. Make sure you mark that thing and line it up.

That's a totally separate issue. People who mark close putts like that are a real problem and one of the major causes of SLOW PLAY.

If you have to mark a putt under a few feet than you probably shouldn't be on the course in the first place. The whole hand-eye coordination thing just isn't working for you!

[mjc694]

defenition of a gimme: an agreement between two losers who cant putt. (got that from an old golf dictionary my wife gave me. It had some pretty funny defenitions)


i frequently tell people i am playing with, whom i dont know well, or at all that "that is good in OUR match." but i never presume to touch their ball.

While i dont disagree that its possible to make much ado about nothing when it is an extremely short putt, after being asked politely not to touch the op's ball his playing partner should have kept his hands off. Regardless of my personal opinion of the putt in question if they guy wants to putt it i would let him.

[Asleep]

There must be a specific penalty under the rules of golf for picking up another player's ball.

Anyone know the exact rule???


Where's the "Rules Guy" when you need him?

[Slapjax7s]

not for nothing guys, but were not playing for the US Open or the Masters. Now granted the guy shouldnt touch the ball but if I was playing in back of a guy who was putting everything out id go nuts. Especially on a busy golf course.

[withdrew]

I don't think it's so much about "putting everything out" as it is about "let me decide if I putt out and don't slap back 1 footers back to me." This especially goes for someone you have never met before.

As far as gimmes and hoping to "get them in return" I don't think it's about that either, in this case.
If I'm paired up with a stranger, I really don't care what he does because we're not in competition and we're not really keeping track of eachother's scores- at least I'm not. I'll acknowledge a great hole (aka "Nice birdie") or what-not, but I'm not in a position to "give him" a putt and he's not in a position to "give me" a putt. We're just two people playing the course against ourselves.

Just my .02

[S70B]

My ball. My game. My Choice. Period.

I play fast by taking less strokes and shooting a better score than my playing partners on the course.

Another peeve - People who pick up your ball in the fairway/rough/bunker/green to identify it.

[Bluefan75]

Titleist1455, on Jul 24 2008, 12:54 PM, said:

I don't necessarily like gimmees, especially when somebody slaps back a 2-3 footer, but putting out from 1 foot and in is just stupid. NOBODY misses those putts!!

So does that mean I can go back and make the 70 I shot a 69, since I missed a one footer on the 17th hole. I could use the excuse that since I was trying to avoid a guy's line while I tapped it in, I should have taken the gimme.

I've spent all this time trying to break 70, and turns out I already have!!!

/sarcasm off

[Pars Win!]

I love to play against people who take gimmies all the time on the golf course. In fact, I encourage them to do so when I'm playing with them. I do not take gimmies unless they are tap ins. The reason I love it is that these same folks have nice vanity handicaps and most often in competition can't make a 3-4 foot putt to save their lives. By the way, I always ask all the players in the group if they want the putt before I knock it back.

JUST DONT TOUCH MY BALL!

[Bomb and Gouge]

CPCfitter, on Jul 24 2008, 01:16 PM, said:

not for nothing guys, but were not playing for the US Open or the Masters. Now granted the guy shouldnt touch the ball but if I was playing in back of a guy who was putting everything out id go nuts. Especially on a busy golf course.

I don't think that's the cause of slow play. I hole out everything and usually play 18 in under three hours (walking).

Playing by the rules doesn't cause slow play.

[Bomb and Gouge]

I'm starting to understand why there are so many "scratch" golfers here at WRX.

[Titleist1455]

Bluefan75, on Jul 24 2008, 02:01 PM, said:

Titleist1455, on Jul 24 2008, 12:54 PM, said:

I don't necessarily like gimmees, especially when somebody slaps back a 2-3 footer, but putting out from 1 foot and in is just stupid. NOBODY misses those putts!!

So does that mean I can go back and make the 70 I shot a 69, since I missed a one footer on the 17th hole. I could use the excuse that since I was trying to avoid a guy's line while I tapped it in, I should have taken the gimme.

I've spent all this time trying to break 70, and turns out I already have!!!

/sarcasm off

wait....are you serious? you're having the "round of your life" and you're about to shoot in the 60's for the first time ever and you can't make a 1 foot putt.

SHAME!

[Dizzub]

Bluefan75, on Jul 24 2008, 03:01 PM, said:

Titleist1455, on Jul 24 2008, 12:54 PM, said:

I don't necessarily like gimmees, especially when somebody slaps back a 2-3 footer, but putting out from 1 foot and in is just stupid. NOBODY misses those putts!!

So does that mean I can go back and make the 70 I shot a 69, since I missed a one footer on the 17th hole. I could use the excuse that since I was trying to avoid a guy's line while I tapped it in, I should have taken the gimme.

I've spent all this time trying to break 70, and turns out I already have!!!

/sarcasm off

You can really tell whos played tournament golf and who hasn't. If you're looking like a dumbass trying to tap in a 1 footer because you're straddling 2other players lines while avoiding anothers then just pick it up. Chances are you already stepped in someones line anyway trying to do the "right" thing. If I'm playing in a tournament and this situation happens then I'll jus mark intead of wasting time trying not to hit everyones lines and then doing it anyway.

Although I agree if I was playing with a stranger thats jus hitting my ball back to me anytime it ran up near the hole then I'd be ticked. But 6 inches....a foot....even 18 inches...seriously?

[Titleist1455]

for argument's sake and for people worried about "scoring" and "making sure their handicap isn't messed up"...let's say that the "avid" amateur golfer posts 50-60 rounds of golf per year.

and let's say during those 50-60 rounds, they lag putts up to within 1 foot of the hole 350 times. I'm pretty sure that most people would make ALL 350 of them, but let's say that 5 TIMES out of 350 they miss that 1 foot putt.

now, if you go back and add 1 single stroke to every 10 rounds of golf, that MIGHT adjust your index by 0.01 points, which would ABSOLUTELY NEVER effect your handicap.

so let's stop the BS about people having illegitimate handicaps because they don't putt 1 foot putts every time!!!

the day that i miss a 1 foot putt (that i honestly TRY to make) i will quit golf.