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

[GolfSpy_APH]

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?

[Shankster]

It really depends.  If I’m playing a match play style game and someone gives me a 3 footer I will take it.  If I’m playing for score I will put them down unless it is within a few inches of the hole for anything par or worse.  For the most part they are going in.

[silver & black]

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.

Edited 12 hours ago by silver & black

[Cmra1]

Depends on the round and pace of play. I usually play public so if this are stacked gimmes are more common but not for birdies, putt them all. If some kind of tournament putt it out even if it is a fun outing

[Mac attack]

We putt everything out and for a couple of reasons.

1) everyone misses a 3’ putt

2) once you are comfortable making all of those 2 and 3 foot putts, suddenly those 5 to 7 foot putts are not scary anymore either.

[ParFore74x]

Always putt it if it’s for a bird but truth be told I prefer to putt out all of them. I just feel like I get some closure for the hole when I see the ball drop. 

[wbn]

I play with 2 different groups, one that makes you putt out and one that declares a gimme before the ball stops rolling. I putt everything out so that I feel a little more confident when playing with the first group. It becomes too easy to miss those short ones when you have to putt out if you take gimmes regularly.

[Josh Parker]

I typically putt mine in.  Unless we are a few inches away and my playing partner hit it back. We also all know that eachother putts out unless it's a literal tap in (6in or less)

I want to play some tournaments next year so I want to have the confidence over short putts. 

[LarryG]

I putt EVERYTHING OUT! The only way to be able to compete!

[Erin B]

I usually putt them out but it really depends on the group. I don’t care about what others do, that’s their business and their game. If we’re having a good time and enjoying the company I’m in for whatever. 

[DPMGolfer]

You are not wrong in putting everything out as long as you are not slowing the group down.  Particularly when you are preparing for tournaments, you need to feel the confidence of seeing and hearing the ball go into the hole.  I don't see the same value if it is inside a foot, but then it takes no time to just knock it in.

Another scenario is when we have an internal match and my partner has already posted a better score and they say "yours doesn't mean anything, pick it up" even though I may still have a 10' putt.  I also like to putt those out to keep my handicap index accurate.

[Shrek74]

I generally take gimmies if dad says it's good, but usually only inside about 18" or so. Otherwise I'll putt out.

Played my first member-member this year and that required putting everything out. So I started doing that about a month beforehand. Didn't really change much, but got into the habit for the tournament. I might go back to it next season.

[Englishvb]

If I’m playing to score…of course I putt out everything.   I’m usually tracking number of putts.  However, there are times I’m playing to practice, and I may take a gimmie here or there!

[Steverzero]

For me it varies on the weight of the match which I'm playing, the distance of the putt and the speed of play within my group. I truely dislike slow play and feel that if you are preparing for each swing or putt before your turn you should be able to putters everything out. I usually give others putts within a foot. If a tournament, everything is putted out to protect the field.

[golffun]

Putting out is just a good way to play.  Keeps you in tune for when you play against a field.  I will brush away a putt when playing match play and it's given to me, but other than that, I think it's good practice to putt them out.  I understand the pace of play issue and when a ball is within 2 feet, most player say "that's good", but that 2 feet seems to grow the longer you play with the same group unfortunately.   a lot of vanity handicappers don't like to take the chance of missing the 3/4 footers or if they're putting for a 5 on a par  4, the length of the putt they give themselves seems to grow.   The intent of the game was to Play it as it lies and play the hole until the ball is "HOLED"   ...

[billweem]

Only in tournaments. My buddies and i are generous with the gimmes !!

but darn it were old !!!!

[JAYER38]

7 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?

As you basically said, if its Tournament play I'm putting out everything.... BUT in a casual round if the pin isn't in a really funky location, within 1' is a gimme unless its for Birdie. Now outside of 1' you GOT TO putt those out because we all know that you can miss a 2' putt easily!

2 hours ago, Mac attack said:

We putt everything out and for a couple of reasons.

1) everyone misses a 3’ putt

2) once you are comfortable making all of those 2 and 3 foot putts, suddenly those 5 to 7 foot putts are not scary anymore either.

This is solid!! Shorter putts eventually make those longer putts seem easier and just think you paid for that round so why not make that putt and build up the confidence going forward...

[Gparry]

In our Members league we putt out, as everyone has a different idea on how long a “gimme” should be. I’ve seen some pretty short ones missed too.

other times putts are given, but a 3 footer for par is not the same as a 3 footer for double bogie, keeping in mind that net double is the max you can enter for handicap anyway.

enjoy your game, which ever way you are doing it

[Bionici]

Many years ago when I started playing in state & USGA tournaments, and we were required to hole out every putt.  That is the way it should be.  The OLD unofficial rule for casual golf when I was a kid was putts were given when "in the leather".   When my group started playing together about 20 years ago, we gave putts, but it was generally much shorter than "in the leather".  In addition, birdie and eagle putts are never given regardless of the length of putt.  And, if a player is out of the hole, has a double, triple, or worse, we generally concede the triple as the highest score.  All of this allows the group to move along quickly on the green.  So, yes we give putts in our casual group, still putt out in local tournaments, and just have a great time.

[Burningbush]

I putt it out on every hole to keep Arccos accurate. But if it is a 6 inch putt I will hit the ball away from the hole to save everyone from watching me pick it up. 

[russtopherb]

Depends on the day and who I'm playing with. I do try and putt out everything, even for the mental joy of hearing the ball rattle around the cup. But if I'm in a group and we're playing ready golf and someone gives me the putt, I'm picking it up so we can move on. 

[Burningbush]

I feel like most people would have more trouble sinking that 3 footer for double than the 3 footer for par.

[Purdyd]

If things are moving fast, I’ll putt out.

but if not, I’m quick to give a gimme and I’m cleaning up the green with picking up  clubs and moving the pace.

[bowie5901]

Yes, I like a real handicap.  There are a lot of misses if you don’t learn to grind the short ones.

 

[Burningbush]

14 minutes ago, Gparry said:

In our Members league we putt out, as everyone has a different idea on how long a “gimme” should be. I’ve seen some pretty short ones missed too.

other times putts are given, but a 3 footer for par is not the same as a 3 footer for double bogie, keeping in mind that net double is the max you can enter for handicap anyway.

enjoy your game, which ever way you are doing it

I feel like most people would have more trouble sinking that 3 footer for double than the 3 footer for par.
 

sorry forgot to quote you in the last comment. 

[Albatrossx4]

Yes when required by the rules of the group.   I play in a weekend skins game and why putt out 2 footers for bogey when it just slows things down, we all know each other.  I also play in a tournament series where everything is putted out (half the tourneys are quota so no need to putt double bogeys).    Putting everything out all the time can make you look like a jerk when the others are raking, especially if nothing is on the line. 

[Delaware Joe]

I don’t play a lot of tournaments, and will almost always pick up on the third stroke, if within the leather. A putt left within 12 inches is almost always a pick up. Putting is the worst part of my game by far and I need all of the confidence building I can find.

[vandyland]

As of last year I have rejected all gimmie putts. I had a guy scoop my ball a few rounds ago from like FIVE FEET. I politely told him I like to putt stuff out and he was like "all good, I won't scoop them anymore" and there were people behind us so I just assumed I missed the five footer. Ultimately it is hyper specific to the fact that I have the ability to shoot under par once in a blue moon. If/when that happens, I want to know that I putted everything out, played everything down and observed all penalties/OB/etc. 

14 minutes ago, Albatrossx4 said:

Putting everything out all the time can make you look like a jerk when the others are raking, especially if nothing is on the line. 

Hmmm, if you are mega slow maybe? I would just say there is a risk your handicap is going to be inflated. But I understand the peer pressure of being the only person putting everything out. 

Edited 7 hours ago by vandyland

[Kirk58]

No I don't finish every putt.  In my group of golf friends gimme's are quite common.  Nobody wants to be the guy who makes you putt a 1 footer and watch it slide bym (not that many do).  Having said that a lot of us roll it in anyway even after it's been conceded, usually with a one handed putt, LOL.  We once played a round on a course where the holes had not been installed properly, didn't use the plate to flatten it was our guess.  Every single putt broke right or left right at the hole, I mean right at the lip of the hole it was extremely frustrating.  One putt even rolled backwards from the lip.  So after that we made a putt rule for the round as long as your putt finished inside of 3 inches we said it was made.  Only thing we could do because we knew almost every putt was unmakeable.  Took a few holes to realize what was going on and spoke to other players on the course about it and was basically every hole was doing it.  Lot of very angry golfers that day, LOL.

[RetiredBoomer]

That's determined before playing and generally based on what kind of game that we're playing.

If we're playing a scramble aiming for a team medal score goal,

there's no opponent to concede the putt so we have to putt it out.

Fortunately, we have three or four shots at it.

Once one putt is marked within tap in range, the next attempts can be aggressive without consequence.
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