Gimme Putt
Also known as: gimme, conceded putt
A "gimme" is a short putt that playing partners agree is close enough to the hole. It can be counted as made without actually being holed. It is a casual convention rather than an official rule, and formally allowed only in match play through a genuine concession.
In casual recreational stroke play, it is extremely common for playing partners to tell a golfer "that's good" on a very short putt. Such putts are often inside a club-length or two from the hole. It means they can simply pick the ball up and count it as holed rather than actually putting it out. This convention, called a gimme, speeds up play and reduces the awkwardness of watching someone tap in an all-but-certain putt.
Gimmes have no basis in official stroke play rules. Every putt is technically required to be holed for a score to count. Match play is the one format where something similar has genuine rules standing. A player can formally "concede" an opponent's next stroke (commonly a short putt), which the rules do recognize. But this concession applies specifically within match play's hole-by-hole structure, not as a general "close enough" allowance in stroke play.
Gimmes are a purely informal convention outside of match play. So any round intended for official handicap posting requires every putt to actually be holed out, regardless of how short or seemingly automatic it looks.
Example
A golfer's ball stops eight inches from the hole in a casual round, and their playing partner says "that's good". A gimme, picked up and counted as a made putt without actually being holed.
Common mistakes
- Accepting gimmes during a round intended to be posted for handicap purposes. This requires every putt to actually be holed out to produce a valid score.
Frequently asked questions
Are gimmes allowed in official rules?
Not in stroke play — every putt must be holed for the score to count. Match play has an official concession rule that serves a similar purpose, but it applies specifically within that hole-by-hole format.
Related terms
- MulliganA mulligan is an informal "do-over": hitting a second ball after a poor shot without counting the first one. It has no basis in the actual rules of golf and is purely a casual, friendly-round convention.
- Net Score vs Gross ScoreGross score is the actual number of strokes taken. Net score subtracts a player's course handicap from that total, letting golfers of different skill levels compete on a fair, adjusted basis.
- Match Play vs Stroke PlayStroke play scores every shot across the whole round for a cumulative total. Match play scores hole by hole, awarding each hole to whoever takes fewer strokes on it. So a single bad hole only costs one point, not a pile of extra strokes.
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