What Is a Gimme in Golf? The Unspoken Code of the Greens

It was a crisp autumn morning at my local course, the kind where the dew still clung to the fairways and the smell of fresh-cut grass mixed with coffee from the clubhouse. I was on the 16th hole, playing a weekend match with my usual foursome—Mike, Jason, and Phil. We were all square, tensions rising, and then it happened: Jason lined up a short putt, maybe two feet at most.

Before he could take his stance, Mike, ever the gentleman, waved a hand and said, "Pick it up, that's good."

Jason grinned, scooped up his ball, and walked off the green. But just as I turned away, Phil muttered, "Man, I would've made him putt that."

And there it was—the age-old debate. What exactly is a "gimme" in golf, and when should you give one?

The Gentleman's Agreement: What a Gimme Means

At its core, a gimme is an informal concession in golf. It’s when your opponent or playing partner acknowledges that your next putt is so short, so automatic, that there's no need to waste time making you putt it. It speeds up play and maintains the friendly spirit of the game, but as anyone who has played enough golf knows, it can also lead to heated discussions.

A true gimme isn’t officially part of stroke play in professional golf—you won’t see Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy picking up a ball unless it’s match play, where concessions are allowed. But in the weekend rounds that most of us play, gimmies are as much a part of the game as lost balls and friendly jabs.

The Origins of the Gimme: A History of Trust

The tradition of the gimme is believed to have originated in match play, where a conceded putt is a tactical and sportsmanlike gesture. Some claim it dates back to Scottish golf clubs in the 1800s, where gentlemen would acknowledge near-certain putts as good to keep the game moving.

One of the most famous gimme moments in golf history happened in the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale. Jack Nicklaus, playing for the U.S., conceded a two-foot putt to Britain’s Tony Jacklin on the final hole, ensuring the match ended in a tie rather than forcing Jacklin to make a pressure-packed putt. That simple act of sportsmanship is still talked about today as one of the classiest moments in golf.

When Is a Gimme Really a Gimme?

Ask ten golfers when a putt is a gimme, and you'll get ten different answers. For some, inside the leather—meaning within the length from the putter head to the grip—is a fair standard. Others only grant gimmies if it’s under two feet and a straight shot. And then you have the purists who insist that unless it’s actually in the hole, it still counts.

I remember a time when Mike—our most generous gimme-giver—told me to pick up a three-footer in a casual round. I took the stroke without hesitation, but later that day, I found myself staring at a nearly identical putt during a tournament. The difference? No one was giving me that one. I stood over it, nerves creeping in, and sure enough, I lipped out. I couldn't help but think, Man, I wish I'd had to putt that earlier.

Gimmies can be a blessing, but they can also lull you into a false sense of confidence.

The Unspoken Gimme Rules: When to Give and When to Make Them Putt

Golfers all have their own personal policies on when to concede putts. Some of the more common unspoken rules include:

• Early in the round, be generous – It keeps the game moving and morale high.
• In match play, be strategic – Giving a gimme to mess with your opponent’s rhythm is a real thing.
• In competitive rounds, make them putt – If there’s money, a club championship, or pride on the line, nothing is free.
• If they’ve missed a short one already, don’t give it – Confidence is fragile, and some guys need to earn it back.

And of course, there’s the revenge gimme—when someone doesn’t give you one earlier, so you make them putt everything for the rest of the round. It’s petty, sure, but golf is full of little mind games.

The Stats: How Often Do Pros Miss Short Putts?

So, are gimmies really automatic? The stats say otherwise.

According to PGA Tour data, pros make about 99% of putts inside three feet. Sounds like a sure thing, right? But drop that back to four feet, and the make rate falls to 88%. At five feet, it’s 77%, and at six feet, it’s barely 66%.

For weekend golfers like us? The numbers get a whole lot scarier.

The average amateur only makes 70% of three-footers and just 50% of four-footers. That means half of those “gimme range” putts in your weekend group would’ve been missed if they had to putt them.

Suddenly, giving that two-and-a-half-footer doesn’t feel so automatic anymore.

The Heartbreak of the Missed Gimme

Everyone has a horror story about a missed gimme. Mine happened on the 18th hole of a friendly but high-stakes match against Phil. It was a short putt, maybe a foot and a half. I had already reached down to grab my ball when I heard him say, "Wait… I never gave that to you."

I froze. My heart started racing. I put the ball back down, took my stance, and… pulled it left.

Phil just shrugged. "Tough break, buddy. That’s why you always wait."

The lesson? Never assume a gimme is given until you hear the magic words.

The Never-Ending Gimme Debate

Gimmies in golf are like calling fouls in a pickup basketball game—sometimes it’s clear-cut, sometimes it’s a judgment call, and sometimes it sparks an argument that lasts long after the round.

Should gimmies be more standardized? Should weekend players force themselves to putt everything? Or is the gimme part of what makes golf such a unique blend of skill, etiquette, and psychology?

One thing’s for sure: next time you’re on the green and someone waves you off, take a second to think about it. Because as we all know, those “automatic” putts? They aren’t always as easy as they look.

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How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

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Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

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