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"Hey, I just didn't realize I was breaking a rule" doesn't fly in by-the-book situations.
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Is that really cheating? Or does cheating involve intent?Įven if you aren't a stickler for rules within your regular group of recreational golfers, you still need to know the rules, because if you wind up in a situation where you're expected to and required to follow the rules, and then break a rule out of ignorance - well, ignorance isn't an excuse for the law and it certainly isn't for tournament play either. This golfer doesn't mean to cheat, he's not trying to cheat - he just doesn't know the rules well enough to recognize it every time he breaks one. And most golf cheaters break down into common types: The Eraser the "I-Would-Have-Made-That-Anyway" line dropper the Balldropper the Bumpers, Foot-Wedgers and Hand-Wedgers the Sandbagger the Play-By-Their-Own-Rulesers and the Doesn't-Know-the-Rules Guy.
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We've all encountered people in those situations who, well, cheat. Use the following list of commonly encountered cheats to help you identify if you're being cheated. So, with these common decency points in mind, maybe you're out playing a game with friends and you suspect something foul is happening with your opponent's scorekeeping. Recreational golfers don't have to be fanatical about playing by the rules so long as they aren't claiming they are playing by the rules - a friendly game of golf without worrying about the score is different than lying about the score a player makes, and ultimately, no one likes a cheater.Īfter all, the most important thing to remember when golfing, especially with friends out on the fairway alone, is to have fun and not take the game too seriously - except, of course, during a tournament (in which case players shouldn't be breaking the rules at all). Jetta Productions/The Image Bank/Getty Images
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