What Is A Cheater?

[Diane]

I have been playing golf on and off for over 30 years. During that time, I've played with only 1 true cheater. A couple of people I've played with made errors when they didn't know specific rules, but when told, adjusted their scores and noted it for the future.

I think it's sad that people think most golfers cheat. If I thought that, I'd find a new game to play.

 

[Kmac]

I dont think it really matters unless you are playing in a tournament. Weekend hacking and just playing for fun is just that, for fun. Have fun and enjoy it. Now if you are talking about cutting strokes for whatever reason, you are only cheating yourself.

 

[Dent]

I remember playing in a tournament, and one junior in our group had lost a ball on the 16th hole, we told him to drop and he had played out. On the walk down the 17th hole parallel to the 16th he had claimed he found his ball and started playing the 16th again. This guy had been cheating all game and I just realized how stupid he looks doing so.

I on the other hand was having a great round. On almost one of the last holes, I took an 8 on a par 4. Rather than being mad, I felt almost proud that I wasn't like the kid in our group. I felt great that I wasn't viewed as a cheater like him, and even though it did screw up our chances of winning. I felt gratified and thankful I didn't have the views of cheating that that kid did.

What I'm trying to say is: When you finish off 18, and look at your score you will be much more happy knowing your score was truthful rather than feeling guilty at the end with a good score knowing you cheated.

 

[C-Tech]

On scoring properly, I want to know if I am improving my game, not if I am improving my ability to lie. A pencil is the best wood to improve a lot of people's games.

 

[MO_Hacker]

On scoring properly, I want to know if I am improving my game, not if I am improving my ability to lie. A pencil is the best wood to improve a lot of people's games.

There's nothing like getting pencil whipped in a charity event.

 

[provisional]

Funny you mentioned the "pencil". I went to our 19th hole today for breakfast. Outside the window was a group of guys working on their score cards. Obviously I could not hear what was going on, but more than a few times the guy with the card would erase something, and then write something down, at someone else's instruction. . I see this type score reconciling going on all the time.

On scoring properly, I want to know if I am improving my game, not if I am improving my ability to lie. A pencil is the best wood to improve a lot of people's games.

 

[Golf Chick]

If you aren't sure of the rules, then if you break them, you didn't know

 

[Badger_Golfer]

I have one word for this... BULL!!! If that's what you see then you don't hang out with golfers.

Good for you. The thing you apparently dont realize is that not everyone is a stickler for every little rule.

 

[madmike]

Well... breaking the rules of golf is cheating- that is the definition. I think though there is a difference between someone who had 'cheated' and a Cheater.

Is 'winter rules' where you can drop out of a divot on the fairway or very swampy ground that is normally dry 'cheating'? Yes. Does it make someone who is using that when everyone in the group has agreed to it due to bad course conditions a 'Cheater'? I think not.

Another example is muni course bunkers with rocks in them. It is 'cheating' to move the ball so that you don't send pebbles and small rocks flying in all directions or maybe jumping up and hitting you in the face... but is a person that does that a 'Cheater'? Again, I don't think so.

On a busy course where you don't hit a provisional (for whatever reason) or if your ball is lost despite every having seen it land in the fairway, is it cheating to not walk back to the last tee and hit again? Absolutely.
Is that person a Cheater? Nope.

On the other hand, not counting all the strokes is cheating, and the person doing this is a Cheater.

 

[Badger_Golfer]

Funny you mentioned the "pencil". I went to our 19th hole today for breakfast. Outside the window was a group of guys working on their score cards. Obviously I could not hear what was going on, but more than a few times the guy with the card would erase something, and then write something down, at someone else's instruction. . I see this type score reconciling going on all the time.

The person holding the pencil should always win!

 

[Badger_Golfer]

Bucky - Did you just call most, if not all of us, cheaters?

Yup and I stand by that statement.

I was raised in Minnesota.

Hmmmm...nah, too easy!

I dont think it really matters unless you are playing in a tournament. Weekend hacking and just playing for fun is just that, for fun. Have fun and enjoy it. Now if you are talking about cutting strokes for whatever reason, you are only cheating yourself.

Exactly. Some people just like to get out there and knock the ball around and dont obsess over every little rule.

 

[Fourputt]

Yup and I stand by that statement.


Hmmmm...nah, too easy!


Exactly. Some people just like to get out there and knock the ball around and dont obsess over every little rule.

Just one quick question. If you don't "obsess" over every little rule then how can you claim a 12 handicap? :confused2:

BYW, the people I play with don't obsess, we just play by the rules. There's a big difference there. And I'm talking about a variable bunch of guys and gals more than 20 in number, not just a weekly fourball.

 

[NikeGolf]

Yup and I stand by that statement.


Hmmmm...nah, too easy!


Exactly. Some people just like to get out there and knock the ball around and dont obsess over every little rule.

Wait, a guy from Wisconsin is going to try to make fun of people from Minnesota?

I've heard it all now.

 

[dynarider]

Must be a Wisconsin thing... I don't see it here from anyone who actually professes to be a golfer. :confused2:

I'm not a golfer & never claimed to be one. I enjoy playing the game but am not fanatical about it.

That's how I read it, and what I took offense at. And then he was backed up by another Cheesehead, thus justifying my generalization. :confused2:

If you are actually taking offense & getting upset because of a few folks opinions on the web...you have issues that should be addressed elsewhere. Last I checked opinions were allowed, you don't see cheating, that's great. We see cheating, so what????

Good for you. The thing you apparently dont realize is that not everyone is a stickler for every little rule.

Exactly, i'm not out there to bust my ass over every small rule. I just want to hit a few balls & have some fun, I deal with enough rules & other crap everyday at work, don't need to subject myself to a thousand golf rules......end of subject.

 

[Esox]

What other kind are there?

A bunch. Mopping, wiping, vacuuming, and scrubbing, and that's just a few of the cleaning generalizations. There're many species of generalization.

Wait, a guy from Wisconsin is going to try to make fun of people from Minnesota?

I've heard it all now.

Oh, please. The only thing easier than making fun of a Minnsotan is making fun of a French Canadian.

Kevin

 

[NikeGolf]

A bunch. Mopping, wiping, vacuuming, and scrubbing, and that's just a few of the cleaning generalizations. There're many species of generalization.

Oh, please. The only thing easier than making fun of a Minnsotan is making fun of a French Canadian.

Kevin

:skywalker:

 

[Fourputt]

Oh, please. The only thing easier than making fun of a Minnsotan is making fun of a French Canadian.

Kevin

You ain't seen nuthin' until you've seen a Montanan and a North Dakotan go at it. :zsimpsons:

Back in the politically incorrect days of Polish jokes, we made them socially acceptable by turning them into North Dakota jokes... :laughing:

 

[Diane]

Playing by the rules and having fun are not mutually exclusive.

 

[GenErr]

I think if you intentionally do something "covert" during your round, (report a lower score, move your ball in the rough when no one is looking, etc...) you probably know you're cheating. For me, that is cheating vs. doing something out of ignorance. JMHO

 

[Sean]

I could care less what other people do on the golf course, as long as they follow the rules during tournament play.

By the way, that was a funny first comment Kevin.

 

[provisional]

What are some opinions of "playing by the rules" versus "slow play"?

 

[C-Tech]

What are some opinions of "playing by the rules" versus "slow play"?

Here is the desert, as I am sure you see in NV, many local courses have a local rule referred to as the "desert rule". Basically, to keep up the pace of play, they treat balls hit into the desert as if they were hit into a hazard. You drop the ball nearest to the point of entry with a one stroke penalty. In actuality, it is a lost ball and the player should have played a provisional or go back to the tee. The premise is that it speeds play, and it probably does, at the expense of the rules of golf.

Last year, my men's club voted not to use "desert rules" and it has been the source of much gnashing of teeth amongst the group. Particularly, the poor drivers have been crying that it is hurting their handicaps. Duh, when you stop cheating, your handicap is going to rise.

 

[NikeGolf]

Here is the desert, as I am sure you see in NV, many local courses have a local rule referred to as the "desert rule". Basically, to keep up the pace of play, they treat balls hit into the desert as if they were hit into a hazard. You drop the ball nearest to the point of entry with a one stroke penalty. In actuality, it is a lost ball and the player should have played a provisional or go back to the tee. The premise is that it speeds play, and it probably does, at the expense of the rules of golf.

Last year, my men's club voted not to use "desert rules" and it has been the source of much gnashing of teeth amongst the group. Particularly, the poor drivers have been crying that it is hurting their handicaps. Duh, when you stop cheating, your handicap is going to rise.

I can see the reasoning for the rule though. I would think it speeds up play quite a bit.

Also, what's the margin for error in regards to how close the desert is to being out of play? I mean, if you're only talking a 20 yard margin for error, then I could see the complaint of having to go back to the box to hit three, not to mention a narrow hole can be very difficult, maybe too difficult, for inconsistent drivers. I would know, I used to be one!

As long as their HCP stays within that particular course and is used solely at that course for your league, I don't see the harm in letting them drop where it entered the "hazard" and shooting three from there.

 

[C-Tech]

I can see the reasoning for the rule though. I would think it speeds up play quite a bit.

Also, what's the margin for error in regards to how close the desert is to being out of play? I mean, if you're only talking a 20 yard margin for error, then I could see the complaint of having to go back to the box to hit three, not to mention a narrow hole can be very difficult, maybe too difficult, for inconsistent drivers. I would know, I used to be one!

As long as their HCP stays within that particular course and is used solely at that course for your league, I don't see the harm in letting them drop where it entered the "hazard" and shooting three from there.

As I see it, the rules are the rules. If you hit it where you can't find it then it is a lost ball and the rules say you go back to where you last played and replay from there lying two. If you can't hit the driver straight enough to keep it in play then that is a course management problem the player needs to address, not an excuse to change the rules.

 

[NikeGolf]

As I see it, the rules are the rules. If you hit it where you can't find it then it is a lost ball and the rules say you go back to where you last played and replay from there lying two. If you can't hit the driver straight enough to keep it in play then that is a course management problem the player needs to address, not an excuse to change the rules.

I'm not arguing what the rules are. I fully understand that part.

But if the desert is considered OB, why couldn't you lay two at the point where it went into OB?