The game of golf is filled with slang, so we don’t blame you if you’re looking to find out what a gimmes in golf really are. Throughout this article, we are going to explain what a gimme as well as other information regarding gimmes.
What is a Gimme In Golf
A gimme is a slang word in golf used to say that a golfer can count his next putt as if it went in due to how close it is in the hole.
An example of this could be if a player chips his ball right to the rim of the cup. The other golfer he is paired with may say “thats a gimmie” and pass him the ball. This way the golfer won’t have to get his putter walk up to the green just to tap the ball in.
How long is a gimme?
A gimme is a putt that is two feet or shorter. But the length of a gimme tends to change based on the group you are playing with.
Often times some golfers prefer to take longer gimmes. This is done to help their score but the traditional distance for a gimme is roughly two feet.
Are Gimmes Used In Golf Tournaments
No, gimmies are not used in golf tournaments. As golfers are expected to physically take all of their shots throughout the entire tournament.
This is another reason why some golfers that take the game seriously do not take gimmes even when playing casually. It can be important to consistently hit those short putts. So if you plan on playing in a tournament you may want to skip out on gimmes for a while.
What does it mean when someone says “thats a gimme”?
When a golfer says “thats a gimmie”. They mean that the putt you are about to hit is short enough of a distance that you can just count it.
This just means you don’t have to complete the putt yourself but rather just count the putt as if you scored it.
Does A Gimme Count As A Stroke?
Yes, a gimme should always count as a stroke. It is important to remember that when a golfer takes a gimme they are saying they next putt is so short that the putt automatically counted.
What they are not saying when they offer you a gimme is “that ball is so close we can count your last shot as in”. A gimme is simply a faster process to allow golfers to not worry about very short putts.
Conclusion Understanding Gimmes
We hope you enjoyed our guide to understanding gimmes in golf. If you have any questions regarding this article. Or any of the information we’ve included on it please be sure to reach out in the comments below.
If you did enjoy this article we hope you check out some of our others. Such as our guide to understanding the golf clap, or our guide to driving a golf ball straight.
