Is this acceptable?

[Bdill93]

Glad to hear you won!

No room for that in my mind, even if you arent looking hard, you should still go and look.

I would have acknowledged the behavior and given them the same back though - If you want to be a dick I can certainly swing it with the best of them!

 

[sweaty sock]

In my opinion, you did the right thing. Maintain your dignity, play the game as you expect it to be played, go home in a good mood with yourself.

Every club has its try hards who think that winning a meaningless handicapped match with never ending gamesmanship is somehow a positive comment about their steely determination. It's not.

We're all playing it for fun. And anyone who goes out of their way to make it less fun for their playing partners, well, it's their prerogative, but I'll not be playing with them again...

 

[rudebhoy]

When I started back playing again and entered one of the knockout comps I had to actually ask some lads if I should help look for my opponents ball or not. They both burst out laughing and said "why wouldn't you help?" and I said "because deep down I don't want them to find the ball, I want to win the hole". Anyway I helped look for any balls that went astray even when I didn't want to find it.

As for not giving the putt, to be fair they were 2 down, I'd be making my opponent putt out a 2 footer and I'd expect them to tell me to putt it out as well. I'd obviously concede ones right next to the hole but after that I'd be seeing them. 2 footers aren't 100%, they do get missed occasionally.

Like I said earlier, I'm not bothered about not conceding short putts, but it did get farcical, they were making us putt from inside a foot. I would normally give anything within 3 feet, but we stopped doing so, and quite ironically, they missed two very short putts late on which swung the match

 

[rudebhoy]

In my opinion, you did the right thing. Maintain your dignity, play the game as you expect it to be played, go home in a good mood with yourself.

Every club has its try hards who think that winning a meaningless handicapped match with never ending gamesmanship is somehow a positive comment about their steely determination. It's not.

We're all playing it for fun. And anyone who goes out of their way to make it less fun for their playing partners, well, it's their prerogative, but I'll not be playing with them again...

I was absolutely fuming with them for a couple of holes, but realised that was playing into their hands, and tried to put it to the back of my mind. I did go home in a good mood, but probably wouldn't have had we had lost.

 

[Slab]

I guess it's possible, but in those circumstances, the obvious thing to do would be to leave his trolley in the vicinity of his ball so it didn't get played by mistake. It's not as if it was a blind tee shot, the guys behind knew they were being called through and could see the 4 of us. That said, I have called folk through when looking for a pp's ball, only to have one of the group behind play my ball in error!

Ouch that's gonna hurt... and a far more likely scenario that the one I suggested.
So being 2 down early, the 4th player 'stands guard' to protect against going 3 down after 6. third player on his way to help search, thinks his partner is doing gamesmanship and does an about turn... awkward

 

[Springveldt]

Like I said earlier, I'm not bothered about not conceding short putts, but it did get farcical, they were making us putt from inside a foot. I would normally give anything within 3 feet, but we stopped doing so, and quite ironically, they missed two very short putts late on which swung the match

I've just looked at the tee sheet and saw who you played. I know both of them and they are actually great guys to play with. I wouldn't be giving one of them any putts either btw, he's liable to miss a couple of short ones every round. I'm surprised they didn't concede it just to cover up their own weakness in that area. He's normally good off the tee and solid in his approaches but his short putting lets him down massively.

 

[Bdill93]

I was absolutely fuming with them for a couple of holes, but realised that was playing into their hands, and tried to put it to the back of my mind. I did go home in a good mood, but probably wouldn't have had we had lost.

Just think how sour they must feel now because of you though..... Gagging to win and they only cost themselves the match by being shlongs

 

[Deleted member 29109]

I’d help you look for the ball as long as it wasn’t happening too often or in a stupid place. I would certainly be keeping an eye on you looking for it though. ?

As for the putt. The fact that it was missed justified the decision not to give it. And if you missed one from 18 inches, the chances of me giving another are slim to none.

 

[chrisd]

You do get all sorts in knockout matches , that's if you can actually arrange them ! We had 5 weeks to arrange one recently, saw one of the pair weekly at the club and asked him to check with his partner and give us a day/time they can play, and they never did. We won by default , standing on the tee at 12 o clock on the deadline day and claiming the match when they failed to turn up.

I'd always help look for a ball but wouldn't try too hard if our opponents didnt help and I hear very often the "I'm not giving shots away AND gimmee's " especially from the low handicappers. I give them if I'm pretty certain they won't miss but rarely over 2 foot.

 

[Orikoru]

Like I said earlier, I'm not bothered about not conceding short putts, but it did get farcical, they were making us putt from inside a foot. I would normally give anything within 3 feet, but we stopped doing so, and quite ironically, they missed two very short putts late on which swung the match

This is exactly why I think it's fine. They made the bed, they lie in it. Swings and roundabouts isn't it?

Three foot is very generous in match play though to be fair. I've missed a lot of three-footers in my time, ha.

 

[tugglesf239]

I played in a pairs knockout a few weeks back.

I’d previously avoided this type of comp as I could not be arsed with silly buggers and OTT gamesmanship tbh.

Anyway. We played against two top fellas. Both chatty and the Like.

I did notice on a few holes though that they had this peculiar habit on par 3’s of measuring the distance to the flag with a laser, saying it out loud and then huddling together.

Nothing strange about that until on two holes he zapped the flag then said a yardage that was actually 10-15 yards longer than the back of the green (according to my gps) ?.

It was then obvious that the ‘huddle’ was so they could discuss the actual real yardage, away from my an my PP’s ears ?

Was comical tbh. Did they really think we would just swallow the fact that holes we have played about 200 times had just been extended without us realising. Ha

Takes all sorts

 

[Bdill93]

This is exactly why I think it's fine. They made the bed, they lie in it. Swings and roundabouts isn't it?

Three foot is very generous in match play though to be fair. I've missed a lot of three-footers in my time, ha.

I reckon Ive missed more than ive sank in the last 2 years since starting playing

Stat will slowly turn the other way I hope!

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

Something similar happened in my minor K.O game. I played a person I just found a little ‘different’. He has been playing the game for many years.

I played poorly from the start but after 13 holes found myself 2 up.

He corrected me on the 13th hole for standing behind him to see his line when putting. Due to being new I was unaware of this rule but apologised and we carried on.

Hole 14, shanked my second shot about 50 yards into short rough / trees . Easily findable. He had a very effortless look around with me and after around a minute he said ‘your times up we better get going, you only get 2 minutes’. This threw me and I corrected him with the 3 minute rule which is something I have NEVER timed with anyone but sometimes you just know when enough is enough. It was honestly around 1 minute we spent looking for my ball before he called that.

Now to paint a picture…. We were held up by a 4 ball in front of us and had no one behind us for around 3 holes.

I’ll be honest with you, it got in my head and I said I’ll just concede the hole as I was more bothered about my ball than anything as I had played with it for around 40 holes prior. Needless to say I couldn’t find my ball as my head had gone and no longer wanted to play the round. Mainly because I just did not enjoy his company.

Lost 2 & 1.

We had a beer and that after the round as I thought it would polite and he encouraged me to put his name down with him whenever I saw him playing.

No thanks

 

[slicer79]

My own take is not helping look for ball is really unsportsmanlike. Obviously not a rule but it's one of those unwritten etiquette situations where somebody just does the right thing
Not giving putts I'm ok with, if they're that short anyway just tap them in

Good to hear you did the correct thing all through and got the win!!

 

[bobmac]

Next time, ask him if he breathes in or out on his backswing.

 

[rudebhoy]

I've just looked at the tee sheet and saw who you played. I know both of them and they are actually great guys to play with. I wouldn't be giving one of them any putts either btw, he's liable to miss a couple of short ones every round. I'm surprised they didn't concede it just to cover up their own weakness in that area. He's normally good off the tee and solid in his approaches but his short putting lets him down massively.

I'm sure they are most of the time. They were very friendly for the first few holes, but there was a definite change when they went behind. I don't know if they thought it would be an easy win against a couple of high handicappers. Funnily enough, the atmosphere became more friendly when they went ahead a few holes later.

 

[Foxholer]

My own take is not helping look for ball is really unsportsmanlike. Obviously not a rule but it's one of those unwritten etiquette situations where somebody just does the right thing
Not giving putts I'm ok with, if they're that short anyway just tap them in

Good to hear you did the correct thing all through and got the win!!

I agree. Plus there's always the possibility, with folk you don't know, that the ball, magically found with an excellent lie could get in your head! To me, it's part of the etiquette of the game to help search for wayward balls.

 

[Oddsocks]

Clearly willing to win by any means. There’d be an half a***ed help looking for their balls, just to ensure there was no foul play.

 

[DanFST]

Each to their own. I would say you are in a pretty small minority, most people I've played with are the polar opposite to that.

Probably!

Was in the woods most holes on a round yesterday looking for my pals shots. I think I found one ball out of maybe 30.

Covered in bites and scratches, shorts and shirt covered on wilderness. - not worth it. The one I sent into the deep, no one found.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In match last night we searched for each other’s ball when it was in the rough. He found mine once, I found his three times, twice when right close to the 3mins. If I hadn’t found it he’d most probably have had to accept it was lost. I would always look for an opponents ball, and expect his help looking for mine. I dont recall an occasion when that didn’t happen so I don’t know how I’d feel.

We gave each other putts of less than 18” but putted anything longer. To the last. He had an 18”-20” to win the match. I thought hard about giving him it but as that would be conceding the match I left him to putt it. He horseshoed out. And I won on the 19th.