golfrewind.com

I went to my local course last Saturday by myself. I don't mind playing with / meeting new people so I told the starter to put me in with whatever group came along and would have me. He put me in a group of 50-something guys, all of whom were very friendly and welcoming of me. The only issue was that one of the guys had a habit of talking while the others were hitting/chipping/putting.

Well, my second shot on #7 went off of the green, about 25 or so feet past the hole, leaving a tough downhill chip. On the backswing of my chip, he started talking. I duffed the shot.. about 2 feet. Then I gathered myself and hit it again to a few feet from the hole and made my putt. I marked it as a par instead of a bogey because the guy ******* me up. Not counting my duffed chip, I shot an 89 for the round, which is pretty good for me and the lowest round I've ever played on that course. But it's still biting at me that I didn't count the stroke. Did I do the right thing?

Absolutely not. If someone yells 'in the hole!!' a little too soon and Tiger hits it in the woods, does he get to take off that shot? No.

Distractions are part of the game. And you had control of the situation. You already knew this guy talked during people's shots, so should have either talked to him about it, or split up from the group. Cheating and not counting a stroke is not an option.

I agree, if you want a true score, you have to write down all shots. Next time pull a Tiger and pull up before contact is made.

The stroke still counts. It could've been a duff chip without distraction anyway if 89 is as you said, pretty good. Relax, you may enjoy the game better.

The best way I know of to get the message across is to wait until the next time he starts talking like that... just back off, and stand there and stare at him until he gets the point.

I don't care if someone talks while I swing, as long as he just keeps on talking. What will disturb me is when he either starts or stops talking in the middle of my swing.

That's what I do. Don't say a word, just wait until the person is done talking. I don't look at the person, I take some practice swings and just wait. The person gets the message.

or do what an old guy did to me. i was in the wrong, and the first time he just said cmon you guys know not to talk when I hit. I said sorry, as I was (he had a very short routine, put the tee in ball on top WHACK, barely even step back, but I was still in the wrong)
2nd tee, I got caught out again with his quickfire routine. he hit it, turned around, and said, next ****** time you ******* talk I will wrap my ******* club around your head.
I was wrong, and took no offence, despite the age difference, the rest of the round was fine (I am 32. he was 70 plus)

waldo, I hope the tone was obviously jovial because if not that sounds way over the top. Something more like: "Hey, when I'm walking to the tee, I'm going to hit it quick, so shush!" is a lot better than threatening violence and cursing. Yes, you were in the wrong, but gentlemanship never goes out of style on both sides, too.

To the OP, you have to take the good breaks with the bad. Sure, in this one incident it looks bad. But, you also get good breaks. The chip that you blade and the ball hits the flagstick, for example. We've all hit shots that we just plain ugly and awful and yet the ball ended up in a great, great spot. And the reverse, hit really good balls that take bad, bad bounces. It is called golf. And it is called life. You have to card what golf and life gives you and accept it.

Sure, no one will ever know (chances are pretty remote that you'd ever meet any of us other anonymous people on the 'net). But, golf is a game where you are asked to call penalties on yourself, so it is ultimately up to you.

NO!!!

Score your cards however you like, but ethical scoring means writing down how many strokes it took to put the ball in the hole...pretty cut and dried really and not open to interpertation...

Thanks for the advice fellas. I'm going back and marking it a 90. As to the one or two guys that suggested confrontation, let's remember that these guys were all golf buddies that ALLOWED me to play in with them. Have a nice weekend. I'm going out to try and break 90 again.