Golf is often referred to as a gentleman's game because it relies to a very large extent on a player's honesty. But just how many players today display the level of integrity we would all wish to see in the game?

As you move from being a beginner to an intermediate golfer your score, and thus your handicap, becomes increasingly important and your progress within the game and standing within your club is often measured by your handicap. Against this background there is often the temptation to speed things along a little bit and, in plain language, that means that there is a temptation to cheat in order to reduce you score.

Cheating of course is not too difficult. For example, your ball is lost in the heavy rough and so, after searching for a reasonable amount of time, you simply drop a new ball and declare that you have found the original. Similarly, with your ball found in the heavy rough where it is clearly unplayable you simply toss it out into a better position when nobody is looking. These are just two or numerous ways in which you can cheat at golf.

The result is a decrease in your handicap which shows your fellow golfers that you are learning the art of the game and moving up the ranks. But this is of course painting a false picture and, apart from being dishonest, is a stupid ploy which will eventually land you in trouble.

At first you will almost certainly get away with it and it will seem very nice to be playing with a handicap of 12, rather than the 20 which it should really be. But there is a problem with falsifying your score and that is that you will suddenly find yourself playing with fellow golfers who really do have a handicap of 12 and struggling to hold your own. Indeed, it is only a matter of time before they begin to suspect, if they do not actually discover, your deception and, at that point, they will not only begin to distrust you but will start to avoid playing with you.

Before you know where you are people will be talking about you behind your back and you will not be able to find anybody to play with you. So, is there really any point in cheating simply to obtain some short term gain only to lose everything in the longer term?

The truth is that you are not really cheating anyone other than yourself because the true enjoyment from playing golf comes from the constant challenge which the game provides and from meeting that challenge and improving your game so that as time goes by you are able to make an increasing number of shots with greater and greater accuracy. The real satisfaction comes from learning how to get your ball out of the rough and onto the fairway in a single shot and not from throwing your ball back into play when nobody is looking.

So, if you are tempted to take the fast route to success at your local club then don't. Take your time, put in the practice and, even though you may have to wait a little bit longer, you will enjoy the satisfaction of not only being recognized as a better player but of actually being a better player.

Golf is both a physical and mental sport but it is also a sport which requires a high degree of integrity. Cheating at golf is not hard, but just who are you really cheating?