"You will never get better if you cheat!": Do you have cheats at your golf club?
The GolfMagic readers had their say on the cheats at their golf club and it is fair to say that we received both entertaining and concerning responses.
To illegally gain an advantage in any sport is essentially disgraceful. A cheat in golf is treated as an outcast and as someone who can't be trusted again.
I have caught someone cheating before and I'm sure many of our readers and golf fans have too. It's an incredibly uncomfortable experience that puts everyone in your group on the spot.
Whether it is moving their ball in the rough or taking a preferred lie under a tree with nobody looking, you struggle to think how some people have the nerve to cheat on the golf course.
However, I am afraid to say that it happens too often. Everybody has a story about someone they have heard or even seen themselves who has behaved illegally on the golf course.
RELATED: GOLF CLUB BOUGHT FOR £10 MILLION, NOW BEING SOLD FOR £2 MILLION!
We asked our readers an intriguing question: How common is cheating at your golf club? This question brought up some concerning responses, a few of which are listed below.
"Even more common now with this new handicap system and players marking their own scores because of Covid," one fan said.
"The three-minute rule is the most common infraction," another fan said.
"There's probably some form of cheating at every club every week," one fan commented.
"Common. When people take an 8 when they don’t account for EVERY penalty..." another fan commented.
"Common at all clubs I think. Have seen many a person miscount and use the old Leather Toe Wedge," one fan said.
Some readers are convinced that cheating and deviant behaviour is likely to be common at golf clubs across the UK. Miscounting scores and defying the three-minute ball search rule seem to be the most common infractions.
What is slightly concerning is the accusations of golfers manipulating the new World Handicap System. This system was brought into play to represent every golfer, so the thought of players "protecting their handicaps" as such is extremely unsavoury.
This is an issue in golf and this is why it is so different to other sports that use officials and referees. There is no form of policing and it relies on the etiquette and honesty of the players at the amateur level.
RELATED: EA SPORTS SET TO MAKE COMEBACK WITH PGA TOUR GAME FEATURING ALL FOUR MAJORS
Amongst the serious answers were some lighthearted answers too. Here were some of our favourites:
"You will never get better if you cheat," one fan said.
"My clubs are always cheating me," another fan said.
"I was pulled up for teeing up in a bunker!" one fan commented.
"Always just a foot wedge away! Inside the putter grip is a give me! Mulligan on the first tee!" another fan commented.
"The cheating is done in the clubhouse by how much it costs to play," one fan said.
