LAST YEAR I WAS FACED WITH A DILEMMA. A GUY I HAVE PLAYED WITH OFTEN HIT HIS BALL LEFT OF THE FAIRWAY WHERE THERE IS OUT OF BOUNDS. I FELT THE BALL WAS CLEARLY OUT OF BOUNDS BUT HE REFUSED TO PLAY A PROVISIONAL BALL. WE ALL LOOKED FOR PROBABLY MORE THAN THE ALLOTTED 5 MINUTES IN AN EFFORT TO FIND THE BALL FOR HIM. WE ALL AGREED THAT THE BALL WAS LOST AND HE HEADED BACK TO THE TEE. A FEW STEPS LATER, HE EXCLAIMED "HERE IT IS!" HE SAID HE FOUND THE BALL. A BALL WAS LYING THERE, THE SAME TYPE AND NUMBER BUT IT WAS IN AN AREA WHERE IT CLEARLY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MISSED BY THE FOURSOME. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. HE CLEARLY DROPPED THE BALL AND THEN SAID HE FOUND THE ORIGINAL BALL.
WE PLAY ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF GOLF AS BEST WE CAN AND IF THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT A RULING WE USUALLY FIND THE ANSWER IN THE RULE BOOK.
MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU HANDLE SOMEONE WHO FINDS IT NECESSARY TO CHEAT? HE IS A GOOD GOLFER AND DOES NOT NEED TO DO SO BUT THIS TICKED THE REST OF US OFF.
WONDERING ABOUT THIS COMING SUMMER.
ANY THOUGHTS, PLEASE EXPOUND.
Well if you play with him again the thought of what occured will not allow you to play your best. Especially if you have to keep one eye on your ball and the other on him.
I wouldn't play with him again.
I say call them out. Maybe not in a public way but just let them know that you know what was going on and I think that will help to deter them from doing it again at least when the guilty party is playing in your group in the future.
I would pull the aside at an appropriate time for a tiny talk.
If search time was up - ball was deemed lost anyway.
GO HOKIES
It all depends. If I have money on it, there is no way he is getting off the tee without a provisional, if it's a tournament, I don't think they would try it and if it was a casual round, I could care less.
If you feel the need to cheat and save a stroke so be it. All I focus on is my golf and let the rest do their thing. If I know you cheat, I won't have you be my scramble partner or let you play with me during a tournament/event because I don't want to be associated with a cheater when it matters.
THANKS FOR ALL THE WELL THOUGHT OUT ADVICE. YOU GUAY AND GALS ARE GREAT!!!!!!!!!
EMKelly0106: It all depends. If I have money on it, there is no way he is getting off the tee without a provisional, if it's a tournament, I don't think they would try it and if it was a casual round, I could care less. If you feel the need to cheat and save a stroke so be it. All I focus on is my golf and let the rest do their thing. If I know you cheat, I won't have you be my scramble partner or let you play with me during a tournament/event because I don't want to be associated with a cheater when it matters.
I AGREE ERIC LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES.
SOMETIME DURING A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR "BUDDIE" JUST MENTION WHAT A GREAT GAME THIS IS AND MENTION THAT I'S THE ONLY GAME WHERE YOU CALL YOURSELF FOR RULES INFRACTIONS. HE WON'T DO IT AGAIN.
The golf gods will get him one day.
wow bruce, tough one. i guess you all have to decide whether or not this person is someone you want to keep playing with or not. then act appropriately. it will all work out.
Sometimes it is best to just ignore the cheating and not get too concerned about it. I have had similar instances of the same type of thing and let it go, but later made some comment about another party cheating and got the point across about not playing with them again. It is probably going at it in a roundabout way, but usually works and it doesn't seem to happen again. It is basically up to you and those you golf with to determine how to handle the issue, but discretion is always a better way to handle this type of thing.
This is exactly what I was going to say. It completely depends on the situation for me.I have had the same thing happen. If it's just a typical round with nothing on the line I would say nothing (personally), because I know he really cheated and he can lie to himself all he wants it doesn't bother me he is just cheating himself. If it was a tournament or there was a bet on the line, then inform him he SHOULD hit a provisional to avoid coming back to the tee in that situation. If you know he dropped one then call him out right there on the spot and have your fellow group members back you up until he realizes he didn't fool anyone.
I say string him up by his titleists. I thought this thread was about Tiger at first