![\"conceded](\"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Conceded-Putt.png\" "\\"conceded")
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Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some people don\u2019t know how to use it and some people purposely abuse it.<\/p>\n
The gimme (derived from \u201cgive me\u201d), otherwise known as a conceded putt, has been and will likely continue to be a hot topic of debate among amateur golfers wherever you go.<\/p>\n
And while the official rules of stoke play golf clearly state that a player cannot record a score on a hole until he\/she has retrieved their ball from the bottom of the cup, we concede putts every time we play.<\/p>\n
Plain and simple, the gimme speeds up pace of play. When you\u2019re out leisurely playing with a few of your friends and one of your buddies leaves his putt one inch short of the hole, it\u2019s a whole lot easier to just say \u201cpick it up\u201d then it is to have him mark his ball or tip toe around everyone\u2019s line to tap it in.<\/p>\n
With that said, there are times when it\u2019s appropriate to concede putts and times when it\u2019s not appropriate.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>WHEN IT\u2019S NOT APPROPRIATE TO CONCEDE PUTTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n During stroke play tournaments \u2013 <\/strong>Never ever concede a putt to someone if you\u2019re playing in a stroke play tournament. It doesn\u2019t matter if the putt is on the edge of hole ready to drop in.<\/p>\n In any organized tournament, it is against the rules to pick up your ball and move to the next hole before it\u2019s in the bottom of the cup. The consequence for doing so is disqualification.<\/p>\n When you or the person you\u2019re playing is in competition – <\/strong>Even if it\u2019s not a sanctioned tournament that you\u2019re playing in, you shouldn\u2019t ever give a putt to a person that may be in competition with someone else.<\/p>\n Maybe that person has a bet with another golfer not playing in your group. If this is the case, the person shouldn\u2019t really be picking up any putts but if they do, make sure that everyone in the group agrees that it is okay.<\/p>\n WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO CONCEDE PUTTS (unofficially):<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>High score on a hole \u2013 <\/strong>Depending on your handicap, the USGA designates a maximum number of strokes you can take on any single hole. If you record anything higher than it, your overall score has to be adjusted.<\/p>\n This is to prevent handicap inflation and it does effectively serve its purpose. If you\u2019ve already hit three balls out of bounds and you\u2019re on the green putting for a 10, just pick it up because it\u2019s going to be adjusted anyways. Though as previously stated, this only applies if you\u2019re not in an organized tournament.<\/p>\n