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Is cheating in golf a common thing?

Liverpoolphil said:
What about it ?
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Rule 27 seems pretty clear: "You are allowed 5 minutes to search for a ball. If it is not found within 5 minutes it is lost." and "If your ball is lost...you must play another ball from the spot where the last shot was played, under penalty of one stroke, i.e. stroke and distance."

As I read it, the ball is deemed lost under the rules after the five minutes is up. If it's subsequently found then it's still treated as lost and should not be then hit from the spot where it was found.
 
jpjeffery said:
Rule 27 seems pretty clear: "You are allowed 5 minutes to search for a ball. If it is not found within 5 minutes it is lost." and "If your ball is lost...you must play another ball from the spot where the last shot was played, under penalty of one stroke, i.e. stroke and distance."

As I read it, the ball is deemed lost under the rules after the five minutes is up. If it's subsequently found then it's still treated as lost and should not be then hit from the spot where it was found.
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As I said to Region - I was new to golf at the time and didn't know the full ins and outs of the rules
 
jpjeffery said:
Rule 27 seems pretty clear: "You are allowed 5 minutes to search for a ball. If it is not found within 5 minutes it is lost." and "If your ball is lost...you must play another ball from the spot where the last shot was played, under penalty of one stroke, i.e. stroke and distance."

As I read it, the ball is deemed lost under the rules after the five minutes is up. If it's subsequently found then it's still treated as lost and should not be then hit from the spot where it was found.
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But is cheating common in Golf?
 
I don't think I would call it common but I think it is more prevalent than many would like to think. I am sure most clubs have stories about members who are not always on the straight and narrow or 4 balls that always win the team comps etc. Clubs seem unwilling in many instances to act or investigate partly due to the ever present threat of litigation.

My suggestion, all comps, including team comps should be drawn and the those who play in groups who are unwilling to report or play in groups with complicit members will be weeded out.
 
The op is blatant cheating and the poster has a responsibility to report it, by leaving it imho you are letting the club down.
Golf is self policing and must be held to the highest standards possible.
 
woody69 said:
Cheating isn't particularly common I don't think. General ignorance is probably the biggest issue golf has, i.e. misunderstanding / interpretation of the rules.
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I'll add my tuppence to this in that I believe that most golfers don't really bother or even know how to think through what they think doesn't really matter (if you see what I mean) - they just don't have 'golfing awareness'.

So for instance when the first ball is lost off the tee - just chuck another ball down in the approx area a 'new' ball in play would end up rather than go back to the tee - what does it matter? What difference does it really make? It's no big deal. They simply don't have the golfing awareness, experience and knowledge to know that these things actually DO matter - and to know WHY they matter.

As far as they are concerned - cheating? They know what they should do; they know what they are doing is actually against the rules; but it's only a game and does it really matter? Not really - so just chuck one down there somewhere - that'll do. Cheating. Nope - just getting on with it.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
I'll add my tuppence to this in that I believe that most golfers don't really bother or even know how to think through what they think doesn't really matter (if you see what I mean) - they just don't have 'golfing awareness'.

So for instance when the first ball is lost off the tee - just chuck another ball down in the approx area a 'new' ball in play would end up rather than go back to the tee - what does it matter? What difference does it really make? It's no big deal. They simply don't have the golfing awareness, experience and knowledge to know that these things actually DO matter - and to know WHY they matter.

As far as they are concerned - cheating? They know what they should do; they know what they are doing is actually against the rules; but it's only a game and does it really matter? Not really - so just chuck one down there somewhere - that'll do. Cheating. Nope - just getting on with it.
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Agreed. Although if it's a social game, then I'm cool with it. If it's a practice game then I think you'd only be cheating yourself (in the back of your mind you'd be thinking that it doesn't really matter, and so you'd relax). If it's a serious (comp, or inter/intra-club friendly) then do it properly..but of course you'd need to know how to do it properly and so you should do it properly in the practice matches!
 
Terrible position for the OP to be put in but the fact you saw one of them failing to hole out and then going on to win means you need to report it and the other incidents. Personally, as it involves someone claiming a prize and potentially a few quid in cash/vouchers you have to name them and get them DQ'd. May get unpleasant but you can't let people cheat to win. If you get put in a similar position again, I would suggest telling your PP to take the penalty shots for whatever the infringement and carry on or refuse to sign the card and tell the handicap secretary why
 
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