Which type is more prevalent?

In the clubs you folks are members of, would you say the sandbaggers outnumber the vanity handicappers, or vice versa?

Im my club (about 120 guys), I'd say the baggers hold the edge, but there are quite a few of both. Many of the older guys are regulars in the regional SIRS (Sons in Retirement) events, and they all seem to be baggers. That must be a pretty cutthroat circuit. There are guys with handicaps in the mid-teens who I wouldn't consider giving more than one stroke to in any sort of money game.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are a couple of guys who work at the course. One of the marshals, a little banty rooster-type in his mid-50s, claims to be an 8. I'd take him on straight up for a $20 Nassau without even having to think about it.

Then there's a younger guy (late 20s) whose been working the counter in the pro shop for the last 8 months or so. He claims to be scratch, but I've played quite a few holes either with or in the near vicinity of him and I've never seen him make a birdie. I've seen plenty of bogeys and some doubles, though, and I've seen some God-awful swings from him on the driving range. If he had to give me 6 a side, I'd sprint to the first tee as fast as I could with the deed to my house in my hand. Maybe he's just setting me up for a hustle, but I don't think so. I believe he's really no better than a legitimate 7 or 8, tops.

What's the ratio in your experience?

There are far more vanity handicappers than sandbaggers. (We call the latter "bandits" over here). Many of the vanity handicappers are to be found among the older members who used to be able to play to lowish handicaps and are pretending to the world (and maybe themselves) that they're as good as they used to be. Typically their strategy involves putting in the minimum number of cards in a season that is required to maintain an active handicap (three) and submitting only their best cards, so their handicap rises at a positively glacial pace even though they usually don't play within ten shots of it.

I occasionally get paired with a 68 year-old who is off nine, and has a declared ambition to retire from the game without ever having got out of single figures. He almost never breaks ninety.

I dont see what the issue is with those who claim lower handicaps than they really are? After all at the end of the day these guys will lose so I say bring more of tehse buggers on! :) I played a round last year with a chap who was a 25 handicap and for the first 5 holes he was 3 under (gross, not net!). At that point I thought he was a scratch golfer because he was just ripping the course apart. Sadly for him Real Life (tm) caight up and he ended up carding nearly 100 for his full round. Regards Mailman

There isn't an issue unless they invite you to partner them in any kind of pairs competition. If you know they're a vanity handicapper you'll find a way to politely decline.

I don't see many of either. My step-dad mentions it if he sees a guy at his club that is allegedly a sandbagger. But I doubt many of the golfers I see on the public courses I play even have a handicap. Most just play a variation of golf based on socializing and drinking. I know a few people that post scores that do the gimme putt and mulligan thing but all are high handicap golfers anyway, none claim to be good golfers.