Touchy subject - but is cheating at golf on the increase?

[imanhacker]

Are the 'leather wedge brigade' on the increase? Do you have your suspicions about fellow members? How come when we hit it in the rough we get a bad lie, yet 'you know who' can get his hybrid to it every time, or are all of us just unlucky when dealing with the rough as it is this year? And rough it is too, those two Taiwanese golfers spring to mind Nee Hi & Thi Hi Hay!!

 

[AliB]

We've just had a cheating incident at our club in a competition. The member has been banned from competitions this year. How do others deal with it?

 

[madandra]

I had an incident about 8 weeks ago where the guy we were playing in a doubles match cheated 4-5 times in the match. My dilemma was that his partner was afriend of mine and I told him 2 weeks ago and he was shocked and said he would no longer be his partner. We can't let it rot away the honest reputation it has around the world.

 

[muttleee]

I always carry a rule book so there's no room for disputes when people who don't know much about the rules try to get away with something that the rules disallow. (Contrary to the list of uncool things to be seen with in this month's GM, I think it's essential to carry one!) I've had too many occasions where opponents have tried to take favourable drops etc, insisting that they're permitted to do so. Generally they don't know as much about the rules as they think they do so I think that ignorance is a much bigger problem than out-and-out cheating. Of course, they both have the same effect in that they lead to artificially low scores.

As I've said before though, the problem with being a stickler for the rules is that pretty soon, no one will want to play with you!

 

[JamieD3]

I'm with you on this one Muttleee - the reason that golfers tend to be the best sportsmen in the world is because the game is largely self-regulating. If you don't have such strict, hard and fast rules people will start taking the p!ss

 

[imanhacker]

As I've said before though, the problem with being a stickler for the rules is that pretty soon, no one will want to play with you!

In general, I believe most golfers would rather be told if they are inadvertantly breaking a rule. My problem is more about people who are cheating by preferring there lie in the rough, march after it as quick as possible and give it the 'leather wedge' treatment!

 

[Trueblue]

I'm sorry Muttlee and JamieD3 but I have to disagree with you... in a big way!

The reason that golf is such a great game is that it's all about the "spirit of the game" and this does not need written rules. By carrying a rule book you are lowering yourself to the level of anyone who does cheat because you are making the game a school master/pupil affair - rather than a game of respect and equality.

There has to be the assumption that people are playing by the rules and the idea that it's self policing. So a true golfer is never going to cheat because of the self-respect he will lose rather than the fact that some rules fascist will pick him/her up.

Also there are also occassions in friendly matches etc when the sometimes ludicrous rules (club sharing etc if you have a left a club on the practice ground) should be made to fit within the spirit of the game....but that is another discussion!

 

[rgs]

I agrre to an extent with Muttlee that ignorance is a bigger problem than plain cheating-I accept that players should know the rules but i do think clubs should run seminars on both rules and etiquette during the winter months. These seminars should be compulsory, if you don't attend you don't play in the monthly medals.
A local club has a superb junior section and each junior must attend 60% of the junior activities,i.e. coaching, competitions, seminars in a year other wise their membership is not renewed. It teaches the juniors the proper respect for the game at an early age.

Finally a "try on" by a golfer in a society outing-he hit his ball down the fairway but could not find it-he declared the ball "Stolen" and tried to take a free drop.

 

[Shooter_McGavin]

There seems to be two types of cheating - Cheating on purpose (eg. dropping a ball) or cheating because you do not know the rules properly.

 

[JamieD3]

I couldn't disagree more. I'll tell you why...

In golf there is usually no referee meaning that each individual player has to take responsibility for upholding the rules. If we failed to take this responsibility seriosly our great game would spiral into anarchy and the 'spirit of the game' would be destroyed. Indeed, IT IS OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE RULES AND WILLINGNESS TO UPHOLD THEM THAT MAKES US SUCH GREAT SPORTSMEN.

Therefore, if you break the rules in golf you are either a cheating scumbag or an ignorant moron. Simple as that! Which are you Trublue?

 

[Trueblue]

This is exactly the kinda of reply I expected from a fascist who has clearly missed the entire point of what I was saying!!

The spirit of the game is down to the INDIVIDUAL and that's why the game is unique and so special.

If you play golf in an atmosphere where your partner is regulating you then that goes against the whole spirit of golf. It's all about self-regulating - i could go on but i can't be bothered!

 

[John_Findlay]

I'm guessing a lot of "cheating" is unintentional, through a basic lack of knowledge of the rules. I don't know any of my friends who have read the rule-book lately but they're kept in line with the rules by their playing partners.

I'm probably a bit of a freak because I read it regularly and try out the test on the R & A website often just to keep abreast.

Would only ever play once with someone who tried it on.

 

[madandra]

Trueblue, I carry a rule book and take exception to your comments to Muttlee and Jamie simply because I was playing a tie the other night and my opponent landed in a flooded bunker with no dry sandy option I was going to let him drop next to it until I looked in the wee book and he had to take a penalty drop.

THEMS THE RULES

 

[thebelgie24]

do people regularly try it on with you on the course John?

 

[John_Findlay]

Now that would be a touchy subject, Belgie.

 

[thebelgie24]

oh do tell !

 

[imanhacker]

There's one at our's who's been caught and warned but apparently he's still at it. He's being watched - it's a pity really cos otherwise he's a nice guy.

 

[shanker]

We've just had a cheating incident at our club in a competition. The member has been banned from competitions this year. How do others deal with it?

Has he dared to show his face in the club since? And what did he do? (You can tell, it's all anonymous here!)

 

[AliB]

Has he dared to show his face in the club since? And what did he do? (You can tell, it's all anonymous here!)

Was seen moving ball in rough by another group on the course. Had been handing in suspiciously low cards for some time. It was good to get the evidence!

Re rule book addicts. I play with one and it used to drive me mad, but it all feels different when there's something at stake, i.e. a competition!
Some of the rules seem obscure or perverse, but you have to have them. You can't just make it up as you go along. and no matter how friendly you think your round is, eventually there wil be a disagreement and someone must decide.
The rules rule, annoying but true. Now I just have to learn them!

 

[medwayjon]

Cheating is on the up, I was playing a couple of weeks ago and on the adjacent hole a guy was in the trees. His playing partner couldn't see what was happening. The guy in the trees proceeded to throw his ball out of the trees and 100 yards up the fairway. His partner even complimented him on his great shot. I couldn't believe it.

At the end of the day, if you cheat, you only cheat yourself!