Miscount or not?

[reggaB]

So, I was playing in a tournament last weekend and one of the players wrote down the wrong score on a couple of holes.

Let me give you the scenario...

Tournament is only 3 rounds, after first round I am out by a couple of strokes. During the second round, I notice this player had put the wrong score down for a hole we had just played. I casually mention this and he laughs it off and says he must of wrote it down wrong and changes his 3 to a 4 like it should of been. No biggie, I will give him the benefit of the doubt here.

After the second round he has built a good 7 stroke lead up and looks like he is going to walk away with the win.

We come back the next day for the third round, and I start hitting 30 - 40 foot putts for my birdies. Halfway through the round I realize I have made up 5 strokes already and might have a chance to make this interesting.

Let me also note, the player from yesterday has elected to keep score for the whole round stating that he his doing us a favor.

Well since he has told us this, I had been keeping a "ghost" card of our group.

We come to our second to last hole, and he reads our score out that we have for the round so far, and states that he and I are tied for the lead.

I pull out my "ghost" card and notice that I am actually winning by 2 strokes according to my scores.

We compare cards and he has written down the wrong score on two holes. He has some friends in our group and they even agree that he had two 4's that he has written down as 3's.

He looks real carefully and decides he must of made a mistake. He corrects the scorecard and we finish the last two holes.

I end up winning by two-strokes.

If he had kept the scores he had down originally, I would of lost by one stroke.

I can understand one mistake, but three?

I will never let anyone keep score the whole round anymore that's for sure, but should I have called him out on this?

 

[bradharris]

It sounds like you handled it about as well as you could. You were tactful and ended up getting the correct result.

 

[mashnut]

One mistake is easy to make, a pattern of behavior like that is definitely worth making a deal out of. When I've seen people behaving like that, I'll make sure to let their card know whenever I see them at league or tournament. That behavior goes away quick when every card they're on is watching them for it.

 

[B3NDER]

Definitely, and I'm sure you're glad you did. On the second day did you initially agree that he should keep score the entire time? I don't think I would want some guy who is apparently incapable of remembering the difference between a three and a four multiple times, keeping score the whole time.

 

[disc qualified]

"ghost" card was the way to go, i do the same at every tourney i play in

and it's definitely best to publicly shame those who willingly cheat, no sarcasm at all, cheating is one thing that i absolutely cannot stand (that and dogs on the course, but that's another thread)

 

[markmcc]

At the few tournaments I've played, the practice has been that each member of the group has the scorecard for an equal amount of time. 4-person card, 4-5 holes each. 3-person card, 6 holes each. Is this a pretty standard practice?

 

[bradharris]

At the few tournaments I've played, the practice has been that each member of the group has the scorecard for an equal amount of time. 4-person card, 4-5 holes each. 3-person card, 6 holes each. Is this a pretty standard practice?

Yes, and the rulebook stipulates that the card be passed unless the entire group agrees to have a single scorekeeper.

 

[Romans 5-8]

nice play with the "ghost card"

The positive is he admitted to it and fixed it. The problem would have escalated very quickly I assume, if he denied those bogies.

 

[Grungedude42]

We need to borrow from the PGA and have every player carry a card. Too many score shenanigans in our game.

 

[bradharris]

We need to borrow from the PGA and have every player carry a card. Too many score shenanigans in our game.

Some tournaments do this.

 

[markmcc]

So every player keeps track of the entire group. Majority rules?

 

[oddjob]

Pencil whipping is the lowest of lows.

There are a couple of guys around here that aren't allowed to carry the score card.

 

[Grungedude42]

Not majority. Consensus.

 

[B3NDER]

I guess I just don't see the appeal in cheating. When all is said and done you yourself still know that you cheated and what does that prove?

 

[bradharris]

Not majority. Consensus.

The only experience I have with it is at the USDGC. The only official score in each card is the one for the person carrying that card. However, every other player must sign it to confirm. If there's a dispute, it's up to the group to work it out.

 

[disc gopher]

Best thing to do is keep a personal card like you did and compare after the round is over.

 

[stun]

Coming from the competitive golf world, I like every player getting a scorecard and then you swap with someone else in the group (i.e. Player A keeps Player B's score and vice versa, and Player C keeps Player D's score and vice versa; or everyone rotates their scorecard to someone else). That way, one person isn't having to keep track of the whole group's score, but just one other person.

The down side to that is the TD would have to keep track of up to 90 scorecards as opposed to 18.

 

[bobmcnelly]

Nice work, I'm always careful at tourys to keep track myself.

 

[smyith]

One mistake is easy to make, a pattern of behavior like that is definitely worth making a deal out of. When I've seen people behaving like that, I'll make sure to let their card know whenever I see them at league or tournament. That behavior goes away quick when every card they're on is watching them for it.

"ghost" card was the way to go, i do the same at every tourney i play in

and it's definitely best to publicly shame those who willingly cheat, no sarcasm at all, cheating is one thing that i absolutely cannot stand (that and dogs on the course, but that's another thread)

this is why i like calling out everyones score for each hole after each hole. it allows for everyone to take a moment and agree on the players score. after i started doing that the need for a ghost card almost went away. there are still some around here i keep a ghost card for tho.

btw, nothing wrong with a responsible dog owner with a well behaved dog on the course. guarantee you my dogs are behaved better then 90% of the people on the course....and i always have poo bags with me.

 

[disc qualified]

i'm sure you're a regular cesar millan, smyith