Do you take gimme's or putt out every hole?

[agram57]

If my partner says it's good I generally take it. We don't give puts for birdie though. Generally I have enough to feel bad about during a round, I don't need to add missed a 3 footer to the list, also it speeds things up a bit if our group is lagging.

[Medfloat]

Like a bunch of other responses, it depends.  During a competition, putt everything out.  During league play, putt out unless there is a gimme (the league I sub in periodically is very slow).  During regular play, sometimes but especially if the hole was a “blowup” hole and we are holding up other golfers.  Hey, shhhtuff happens right?!

[RetiredBoomer]

1 minute ago, Medfloat said:

During a competition, putt everything out.  

If it's match play competition,
and you're not playing against other people who are out on the course, 
conceding putts is part of the game.

 

[Medfloat]

1 minute ago, RetiredBoomer said:

If it's match play competition,
and you're not playing against other people who are out on the course, 
conceding putts is part of the game.

 

Fair enough, I get the gamesmanship in match play.  

[TrailDogDad]

Automatic gimmes in our group got completely out of hand. Now we putt everything out. Surprising how many short misses occur. Also, except for match play, there is no official acceptance of a "gimme". Don't want to be a total jerk, but the first time someone "gives" themself a putt, I will jokingly assess the two stroke penalty. Usually, that's all it takes.

[mardukes]

5 hours ago, silver & black said:

I take them in league play when offered. I take them when my brother tells me to pick it up during our weekend round. I will not take a gimme from 3'... or for a bird, in any circumstance.

Similar.  We keep a ringer card amongst the Saturday perm scores.  All new ringers MUST be finished, but in-the-leatherish puts that are already rung can be scraped.  In league it is the option of my opponent though we are all "sworn" to protect the field as far as skins go.

Generally speaking, there is no enforcement once someone gets to 8 or 9 strokes.

[Rosas4653]

Like to hear the ball hit the bottom of the cup

[MuniGolfer]

Like most, i putt everything out, unless it’s match play, and even then i sometimes roll it just for the heck of it. I need the practice on everything

i also used to golf with some friends that gave each other pretty much everything within 5-6 feet, with the justification that they always make them. However, anytime they had to putt out they missed anything over 2’. It drove me bonkers, so I probably have reacted to the other extreme.

Edited 4 hours ago by MuniGolfer

[funkyjudge]

10 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

I truly don't feel there is a right or wrong answer here. 

So I will start wtih what I do - I started to play a lot more tournament golf this year and with that we have to putt out everything unless you get a strike (most tournaments are stableford format). Because of that I now putt out everything, even when a player says it's good I still putt it out. It does make me feel good to do that and knowing that I am making the short ones because in tournaments I have missed those and it adds to the confidence. 

This is my reasoning why, so what do you do and what's your reasoning?

I putt them out most of the time. If I am going to post my score, I ALWAYS hole-out on every hole and if I am playing in matchplay I refuse to accept "gimmes" for birdie (or the occasional eagle putt).  In addition, I finish my round and putt-out on every remaining hole if I have won the match prior to the 18th hole.

[JoeLafives]

Since I play in the VGA, I putt everything out even on friendly rounds and practice rounds.  I don't want to make the mistake of picking one up and getting a max score for the hole

[MIKEOGOLF]

I like to putt everything out. However, for pace of play purposes, I will accept a gimme rather than marking if I would be stepping in someone's line. If I have a really good round going I'll putt out everything.

[Douglas Stefanson]

Typically pick up given putts to speed up play.  Do not have gimme putts for birdie or better.