Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
are you a giver, or a taker
Is it Friday or Tuesday?
Corporate Golf
- Thread starter USER1999
- Start date
Is it Friday or Tuesday?
haplesshacker
Money List Winner
I regularly play with someone that can quite easily miss tiddlers like this.
If it's a Friday afternoon knockabout, I'll normally give it, but if it's a comp, sorry, but the hole has got to be finished surely?
If it's a Friday afternoon knockabout, I'll normally give it, but if it's a comp, sorry, but the hole has got to be finished surely?
john0
Journeyman Pro
Free driver or no free driver, a 15" putt would always be given to anyone in any match. I wouldnt insult anyone by asking them to putt it 
viscount17
Money List Winner
ah but the fun that can be had by not giving it.
they expect to be given it but you don't.
they get annoyed that they have to play it and miss,
so you win a hole you probably shouldn't have.
ok, so they won't give you any more but the chances are they'll still be sufficiently irritated that you win the next, and that might lead to the next.
they expect to be given it but you don't.
they get annoyed that they have to play it and miss,
so you win a hole you probably shouldn't have.
ok, so they won't give you any more but the chances are they'll still be sufficiently irritated that you win the next, and that might lead to the next.
TRS30
Head Pro
make them go through the full pre shot rountine, marking the ball, practice strokes and then just as they about to it, then give it 
Faldo_Fan
Head Pro
So what's the full story then?? You don't just set up a senario like that unless it has actually happened.....come on spill it???
AndrewG
Assistant Pro
Where do I get a job where I get invited on these?
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
No beans to spill, no rights, no wrongs, just canvassing for opinions. I thought it was an interesting scenario.
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
It was nearer 18 inches... and he missed it.
Do I care? No.
Did we go on to win a half and bring back the victory over Ping? Yes.
Do I care? Yes.
Do I care? No.
Did we go on to win a half and bring back the victory over Ping? Yes.
Do I care? Yes.
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
From what i can remember the scenario in my head was that he was an 18 h/cap who had holed a 30 footer on the first, parred the SI1 4th, chipped in from 40yds for a net eagle on the 5th and hit a 20 foot putt to 18 inches above the hole on the 6th. As I was standing right below the hole I could see that it had a dribble of right to left on it and unless struck firmly might miss on the left edge.... do I give it?
I didn't and he missed it. I didn't want to just give everything and lose from such an early stage. He was playing unbelieveable and if it was that easy then he should have stepped up and knocked it in. He then went on to chip stone dead on the next hole from 20 yds for par... made clutch putts on 11 and 12... hit a full wedge to 18 inches on the par5 14th for a birdie, had a putt for birdie/par on the 15th a putt for par on the 17th (which the other guy birdied anyhow) and then parred the last for a net birdie after flushing a drive and 7-iron to 20feet!
Come on! What exactly is it you want from me?
No one told me it was OK to lose. The way the guy was playing I felt like we were EXPECTED to lose.. An 18 h/capper playing like a pro and a 3 h/capper who was scorching the ball off the tee and flushing irons like they were going out of fashion, playing Smiffy.... and me.
It felt like playing against HTL when he's on a course where he can open his shoulders... blimey, Smiffy has moaned enough about the 18th at Lewes enough times already.
Do I want to log into the forum and say "Hey, guess what? Smiffy and I lost because I was just giving putts?" or "Yeh, I played crap and we lost 6&5" of course not.
I want to say that I was level par through the front 9, battled frikkin' hard to not lose it on the back 9 and then Smiffy came on strong to win two important holes and we picked up the half for GM victory!
There are winners and losers. I play to win. You think I stand on the practice ground and putting green all day to lose? No.
I don't know what the right or wrong is.. if it was uphill from 2 feet I'd probably have given it, it wasn't, he missed and I wouldn't expect my playing partner or caddy to then berate me for it.....
...although i understand your reason for putting it to the forum as it's an excellent talking point.
If Murph gets drawn against me at Goswick he'll be asked to hole out from 15'' each and every time.....if you moan about a putt you think you should have been given it must bother you otherwise you just stand up and knock it home.....Murph has issues I feel...??!!
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
I'm not sure at what point a putt actually becomes a gimme?
Is it 2 feet?, more?, less?, if more how much more... is 25 inches acceptable or it must be 24? ...it wasn't a gimme in my mind.
Can someone enlighten me, bearing in mind that the putt was MISSED!
Was the issue that he was an 18 h/capper and therefore was guaranteed to knock it in like 18 h/cappers always do?... because you 9-12 h/cap guys always do right? It was unmissable right? ...and he missed it because?
Maybe you're thinking he was a scratch player just because he had holed a long putt already and chipped in for an eagle? I know who won't be getting any gimmes from me from now on. I'll watch Smiffy 4-putt and not mind so much now I know he's in such a rush to get round
Is it 2 feet?, more?, less?, if more how much more... is 25 inches acceptable or it must be 24? ...it wasn't a gimme in my mind.
Can someone enlighten me, bearing in mind that the putt was MISSED!
Was the issue that he was an 18 h/capper and therefore was guaranteed to knock it in like 18 h/cappers always do?... because you 9-12 h/cap guys always do right? It was unmissable right? ...and he missed it because?
Maybe you're thinking he was a scratch player just because he had holed a long putt already and chipped in for an eagle? I know who won't be getting any gimmes from me from now on. I'll watch Smiffy 4-putt and not mind so much now I know he's in such a rush to get round
Similar scenario.
I'm off 18. Our oppo on the day kindly gave me a 2 footer on the first, for the hole, I think. Then I popped one in on the 3rd for a birdie, used my shot on the 4th, and then two putted on the tricky 5th for a par.
Basically I was putting them under a bit of pressure.
Then on the 6th I left my first putt short. It could have been given, but they made me hole it, to keep me honest. no problems, that'll be a a bogey, net par, and another hole to us.
Next time I left a putt of similar distance ( but possibly with a tad more turn ) they gave it to me.
There's nothing wrong with testing anyone, every now and then. Especially a higher handicapper.
As far as I was concerned, I was out there to win. I don't believe in gamesmanship, but I don't believe in gifting ANYONE a game either.
Putting is part of the game ffs.
I'm off 18. Our oppo on the day kindly gave me a 2 footer on the first, for the hole, I think. Then I popped one in on the 3rd for a birdie, used my shot on the 4th, and then two putted on the tricky 5th for a par.
Basically I was putting them under a bit of pressure.
Then on the 6th I left my first putt short. It could have been given, but they made me hole it, to keep me honest. no problems, that'll be a a bogey, net par, and another hole to us.
Next time I left a putt of similar distance ( but possibly with a tad more turn ) they gave it to me.
There's nothing wrong with testing anyone, every now and then. Especially a higher handicapper.
As far as I was concerned, I was out there to win. I don't believe in gamesmanship, but I don't believe in gifting ANYONE a game either.
Putting is part of the game ffs.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Dodger, I wasn't playing, and will bang in 18" putts all day long. No issues for me.
Shanking chip shots, now we are talking, but they aren't gimmes.
Shanking chip shots, now we are talking, but they aren't gimmes.
jammydodger
Tour Winner
IMO it depends on lots of circumstances all taken into account.
1. Has the chap shown any nervousness over shorter putts
2. Whats the match situation
3. Is there any borrow at all in the putt
4. Is it downhill/uphill/sidehill etc
5. Do you want to employ any gamesmanship at that stage of the match
6. Do you want him to hole it to give him confidence on short putts or do you want him to wait until later in the match to test him
7. Are you not bothered what happens either way#
8. Are you fiercely competitive
9. Are YOU a nervous short putter and are hoping that by giving them one they will then give you some short ones back
I/we gave a 2-3 footer in our match but at the time it just seemed right to do it IMO (Clive may disagree but its history and we won the money)
1. Has the chap shown any nervousness over shorter putts
2. Whats the match situation
3. Is there any borrow at all in the putt
4. Is it downhill/uphill/sidehill etc
5. Do you want to employ any gamesmanship at that stage of the match
6. Do you want him to hole it to give him confidence on short putts or do you want him to wait until later in the match to test him
7. Are you not bothered what happens either way#
8. Are you fiercely competitive
9. Are YOU a nervous short putter and are hoping that by giving them one they will then give you some short ones back
I/we gave a 2-3 footer in our match but at the time it just seemed right to do it IMO (Clive may disagree but its history and we won the money)
I/we gave a 2-3 footer in our match but at the time it just seemed right to do it IMO (Clive may disagree but its history and we won the money)
I think our game was played in exactly the right spirit. They gave me a putt on the first when it was bleedin obvious I was kacking myself, and you had a very holeable putt yourself.
Then, after they realised I was in some kind of form, they made me putt one to win on the 6th ( I kind of expected a gimmie, but it was boarderline tbh ). I got it, we lost the 7th to a birdie and then on the 8th I left myself a slightly longish one, which they gave me again. Obviously confident that I could pop the short ones in, by that point.
I remember we gave them a putt on the 9th for the hole, but that was after a miraculous bunker shot, and we were about 4 up at the time. The putt James left on the 12th for the win was also an easy gimmie. That was about it, as far as I can remember. For them to win a hole, they had to pluck up a birdie, most times. Because I had so many shots I could just roll up my first putt, to leave a tap in.
I'm sure that if they had been a couple up instead of down, they'd have given me the putt on the 6th. And if I'd missed it I wouldn't have been given the putt on the 8th.
Matchplay is such a situational game. I don't think there is a time I would guarantee to give a putt, it just depends very much on feel.
But I wouldn't take it personally if I did/didn't get given any particular putt.
Like I said, I could be playing in the friendliest game ever, and I'm still trying to win.
And everytime that ungiven putt is missed, it proves that it was a good decision.
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
IMO a match is a match is a match - so some putts you give and some you don't.
Corporate shouldn't come into it - otherwise its tantamount to bribery for a win (ok, I use an overly strong word, but you know what I mean)
Corporate shouldn't come into it - otherwise its tantamount to bribery for a win (ok, I use an overly strong word, but you know what I mean)
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
If a putt is so easy that it could be a 'gimme' then you shouldn't have no problem in 'tapping' it in....
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Indeed, but sometimes the greens at this time of year turn short putts into a bit of a lottery, a good putt can bobble off, a dodgy nervy one can drop.
Prepare to hole every putt and then if you're asked to it won't come as a shock to the system. Anything else then is a bonus
