Just venting

[al m]

I'm not the greatest golf,but love the game,happy when I break 90
Here's the thing,I am usually the highest scorer of my foursome,but one guy fluffs the ball every shot,yes every one,the other guys fluff a bad lie.i always play it as it lays as I see it as a important part of the game.they say it's not the pga. I say we follow the rules when we play hockey,it's not the nhl.
I truely believe the five or so stoke I am behind would be quickly erased if they stopped cheating,although I can never prove it ,they just laff at me saying that but refuse to play a round without fluffing the ball
Thanks,it's off my chest

[Kilroy]

If you play for a few coins you can require that the game be played by the rules or you can opt out of the wagering.
If you don't play for anything stop caring and enjoy the day. No point in comparing your scores at all. Just get over it.

[al m]

The only reason it bothers me at all is we always play a beer hole,and it's fun to do that,and they always point out when they beat me
But,I play against my own score and will always follow the rules as I understand them,it's just being honest to myself
Nothing to get over,just thought someone must understand where I'm coming from and might agree fluffing the ball does affect the final score.

[Kilroy]

Of course it affects the score. If you are playing for beer or loonies then it certainly does matter.
There is only one set of rules. Either you follow them or you don't. You can't play for anything if you don't follow the rules. Otherwise there are too many instances of "we allow that" or ""we don't allow that" subject to the moon and the stars and the weaknesses of the other players.

[Chambokl]

It is a hard call. It seems to bother you as you mention it here. Fluff it... don't fluff it... it is your choice. AT the end of the day you know and they know. It should all be for fun... and playing for beers is fun. You seems to like these guys so... don't sweat it!!

One day you will probably get better than them!!!

[SnazzyD]

Try taking out a tee the next time you're in the rough or in a bad lie on that beer hole and see if they comment. There's not a huge difference between fluffing the ball and putting it on a tee, so by taking it to the extreme you point out how ridiculous and unfair it is.

The only exception to this is when the weather's been poor or it's early Spring, and "preferred lie" rules are in effect...

[al m]

I agree with most of this,except the tee it up,I'll continue to play the rules I know and try and learn more.we all have fun,guess I needed to share because all my partners truely believe they have beat me ,And state it every round,I do try and ignore that,just nice to have it reinforced that its a closer round than the score card reflects
I always insist on a par three for the beer hole,they think I want a easier hole,I think it more likely to remove the fluff factor,if it does happen,hopefully I'm on the green anyway and on my way to a free pint

[Chieflongtee]

If not a par 3 then just ask for a stroke. If they ask why just say you get one because of the of the fluff factor. Or just give yourself any putt within 5 feet.

[al m]

The gimme is a whole other can of worms,don't believe in them,it's in the hole when you put it in,simple as that,certainly not a foot and a half away,and on the edge of the cup is not close enough,count it as in

[Chieflongtee]

The gimme is a whole other can of worms,don't believe in them,it's in the hole when you put it in,simple as that,certainly not a foot and a half away,and on the edge of the cup is not close enough,count it as in

There are a whole bunch of other cans of worms out there.Take the handicap factor for one. A fellow picks up his ball cause he already is at 7. This happens twice during the round. He then gets to the clubhouse and claims he shot 87. I beg your pardon....

[Marcos]

We usually have a little wager when i play with my good friend and yes, we dont always go 100% by the rules. In the end it doesnt matter cause i got to enjoy the day with someone i care for. For what its worth, i usually lose out but i try and play as fair as possible and apply the rules that i am familiar with. Unfortunatly i dont know them all.

[Gobble_It]

The gimme is a whole other can of worms,don't believe in them,it's in the hole when you put it in,simple as that,certainly not a foot and a half away,and on the edge of the cup is not close enough,count it as in

Simply put, don't play if you don't think it's fair. If it's play by the rules then unless your friends all agree to it, don't play.

At 18-20 handicaps, even if you give them a best lie possible, the chance for that player to hit a perfect shot is small anyway.

[Gord222]

Seems to me that you can't alter the personality or the rules that your buddies have, but you can change how you approach the subject. The way I see it, you have 3 choices:
1) accept the way it has been happening and continue
2) play by their rules when (and only when) you play with this group
3) find new playing partners

Either way, somebody will be affected by your decision, so choose what bothers you the least.

[SnazzyD]

At 18-20 handicaps, even if you give them a best lie possible, the chance for that player to hit a perfect shot is small anyway.

True, but the chances of them hitting a poor one and ending up in further trouble is quite high. Back when I was just starting to play, I used to fluff the ball on less than perfect lies because I could rarely hit it clean otherwise. Each fluff saved me 1-2 strokes and the mounting frustration that affected the next few shots as well.

Then again, I was mostly playing the bottom of the barrel courses where being middle fairway was just as bad as being in the rough at one of the better courses. Try playing a decent course where the only bad lies are the ones you "earned"...

[AAA]

H'cap 18-20 means dropping one stroke on each hole. There are two main causes for that.

1) Length. Many bogey cappers can't reach many par 4s in regulation. Standard for Bogey is 370 yards in 2 (Scratch is 470)

2) Recovery from trees is a guaranteed shot loss (witness the Course Rating system making no recognition of successful recovery for the bogey player).

That leaves poor shots to account for the rest. Not a high percentage of 90 strokes all told.

[al m]

Was just venting guys,lol,thought others may experience tHe same.
I will never give up playing with my buddies,enjoy the game and there company.i will not change the way I play,would only be cheating myself.if I learn more rules,great.if anything was to change,no one would claim to beat the other,and that will happen,and does ,when it's me with the low score,then it's simply,great game lads,let's get back out ASAP

[Chambokl]

Was just venting guys,lol,thought others may experience tHe same.
I will never give up playing with my buddies,enjoy the game and there company.i will not change the way I play,would only be cheating myself.if I learn more rules,great.if anything was to change,no one would claim to beat the other,and that will happen,and does ,when it's me with the low score,then it's simply,great game lads,let's get back out ASAP

Way to go Al... friends are more important than golf... I am sure you will get a few jab in there also...

[justsomeguy]

Was just venting guys,lol,thought others may experience tHe same.
I will never give up playing with my buddies,enjoy the game and there company.i will not change the way I play,would only be cheating myself.if I learn more rules,great.if anything was to change,no one would claim to beat the other,and that will happen,and does ,when it's me with the low score,then it's simply,great game lads,let's get back out ASAP

When conditions warrant, LCP (Lift, clean and place) should be invoked at most courses around here in the early spring and this IS in the Rules of Golf (thankfully many courses were unusually dry this spring). The course is supposed to post when LCP is in place, but very few of them ever do.

My general rule of thumb is that if no carts are allowed or it is Cart Path Only, then I play LCP.