Golf League Sandbagging?

So my course's league is flighted based on team handicap.  I'm in the bottom flight (my partner is a generous ~43hdcp who is just getting into golf).  You play to the lowest hdcp in the match, and it's best ball match play for a point a hole, with 1 point for winning the match.  Pretty standard league rules.  We also have a rule that anyone age 60 or older can play from one set of tees forward.  There is a team who is also in the bottom flight, but just barely.  They're both about 15-16 type of players, so solid above average golfers.  They're also both 60 on the dot.  Because we are in the bottom flight, the league plays from the whites, which measures out to

These two guys are killing pretty much everyone in the league.  They elect to play from the forward tees which is the Gold tees in this case.  These guys are both still about average length golfers, so they're knocking the ball out there about 230-240.  Throw in the extra yards they're getting by playing the forward tees, and they routinely have less than wedge into the green, and even my longest drives (and I'm a pretty long hitter) fall way short of theirs.

Given that our flight is the bottom flight, and my partner is just getting into golf seriously, I have no intentions of winning anything, and it's purely a social function for me.  However, I am trying to figure out why they don't just take your handicap from whatever set of tees you normally play from, and adjust it to the set of tees that everyone else is playing?  Am I missing something?  Is there any reason not to do it this way?  I understand the intent of the rule, and I think it most cases it's warranted, but clearly these guys don't need it, but will gladly take it as it gives them and advantage that pretty much can't be overcome over the course of a match.  I'd consider it a form of sandbagging, and not much different than taking more strokes than you deserve, even if the rules technically allow it.  I myself wouldn't take it unless I felt I needed it as I'd rather beat someone on an equal playing field rather than winning with the deck stacked in my favor.

Can anyone point out what I'm missing though?  Why do they need to leave it up to the players to decide?  If you play from the Golds normally, take your handicap, and adjust it up for the Whites and give them the appropriate strokes.  If you normally play from the whites, then use your normal handicap and continue to play there.  It should be this way regardless of your age.  If you're 30 and play from the Golds great.  If you're 72 and still scratch from the tips, great.  Just adjust accordingly and play from the same tees.

Their (and your) handicaps should be adjusted to the tees being played. Each set of tee's has a different slope rating that you can usually find on the scorecards. With my handicap at 6.9 it would be adjusted as such based on the slope rating.

55 - 57 = 3 Handicap

58 - 73 = 4 Handicap

74 - 90 = 5 handicap

91 - 106 = 6 handicap

107 - 122 = 7 handicap

123 - 139 = 8 handicap

140 - 155 = 9 handicap

So the only advantage that they theoretically gain is a mental one on you.

Right. That's what I'm saying though. These guys are getting their cap based on whites AND playing from the gold tees. That's what makes no sense. The whole point of a handicap is to level the playing field regardless of skill, tee, course, etc.

You should address it with league officials. They should be getting their handicap based on the slope rating of the given tees they are playing.

No, they are getting their cap based on different sets of tees, including the gold tees, where the rating and slope decrease the shorter the tee's. Their handicaps are adjusted based on what tee's they are playing.

With all due respect, they are not. It is set to the white tees and they are allowed the option of playing the gold tees. I am fully aware of how the hdcp system works, which is why I brought it up. On the scorecard it says white tees and tee hdcp.

If they are not being adjusted for the tee's they are playing that seems like a League problem not a sandbagging problem. You should be able to verify if they are being adjusted by using a course handicap calculator like the one that GHIN provides.

You are not missing anything.  The league's approach is faulty.  Eventually the two older gentlemen's league handicap indexes should decrease to make them less competitive but unfortunately that may be after they have locked up the championship.

I assume you are using a league handicap in lieu of their GAM index.  If the GAM index is used then it may be a long time before the effects of playing from the "Gold" but reporting it as "White" makes any dfference.  They are reporting their scores using the "White" rating and slope, correct?

We need a thread that mixes sandbagging and slow play in one package!