Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
IGNORED

Vanity Handicaper Causes Issues With Other Members in Tournaments


Note: This thread is 1743 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Posted

I am a member at Cranberry Valley in Harwich Massachusetts and we a player who claims a 7 handicap but very very rarely breaks 90 and often tops 100. He enters bogus "corrected scores"  of anywhere from 77 -81. Now I could care less but he enters the club championship and is flighted into the 6-9 groupings. This means some unfortunate foursome is tasked with counting a player who is shooting a hundred shots which include many 7,9 and 10 shot holes. It is pretty hard to stay tournament competitive when you have to both watch and keep track of a total hacker. Any suggestions on what could be done to correct this? Does the handicap associations have a review of these "Vanity handicap players"?


  • Moderator
Posted
2 minutes ago, snow bird said:

Does the handicap associations have a review of these "Vanity handicap players"?

Your club's Handicap Committee has the authority and the responsibility to review every player's handicap, and adjust it if appropriate.  Sadly, many public courses don't really have a committee, so the responsibility falls to the staff, and the staff is often hesitant to take any action that would turn away a customer.  I'd suggest that his most common playing partners should be encouraged to "help" him post proper scores.  The problem affects the overall population of players, its the players who need to take the steps to correct it.  Its an "us" problem, not a "them" problem.

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • Informative 1

Dave

:callaway: Rogue SubZero Driver

:titleist: 915F 15 Fairway, 816 H1 19 Hybrid, AP2 4 iron to PW, Vokey 52, 56, and 60 wedges, ProV1 balls 
:ping: G5i putter, B60 version
 :ping:Hoofer Bag, complete with Newport Cup logo
:footjoy::true_linkswear:, and Ashworth shoes

the only thing wrong with this car is the nut behind the wheel.

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
8 hours ago, measureoffsetinnm said:

Someone should just throw a fit during one of those tournaments or flat out refuse to play if paired with him.

Many players have lodged complaints but the head pro refuses to do anything. He merely needs to put him in a flight for 20 handicap players. His tournament scores have averaged around 100 and he has been playing this tournament for at least 15 years. Obviously they have reasonable grounds for moving him to a more appropriate flight. 

 


Posted
30 minutes ago, snow bird said:

Many players have lodged complaints but the head pro refuses to do anything. He merely needs to put him in a flight for 20 handicap players. His tournament scores have averaged around 100 and he has been playing this tournament for at least 15 years. Obviously they have reasonable grounds for moving him to a more appropriate flight. 

 

15 years?! I am actually surprised no one has flat out refused to play when paired with him.

It is a shame the head pro will not do anything about it. What purpose does he serve if not to resolve issues such as that?

Also this definitely counters the idea that vanity handicaps hurt only the individual gaming the system.

  • Upvote 1

  • Administrator
Posted
13 minutes ago, measureoffsetinnm said:

Also this definitely counters the idea that vanity handicaps hurt only the individual gaming the system.

This goes beyond that. If he’s been doing this for 15 years he has naked pictures of someone or something.

  • Funny 4

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
22 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

The problem affects the overall population of players, its the players who need to take the steps to correct it.  Its an "us" problem, not a "them" problem.

Agree with this wholeheartedly, Dave. I have no issue at all calling people out or being the "dick" when need be. For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why people do this, other than their ego is larger than life. It's a freaking number that they clearly cannot play to. 

For me, vanity cappers are equally as frustrating as sandbaggers. Especially in our "friendly Thursday morning league" where there is really nothing to win. Seems some people get well hung up on "look at me" instead of enjoying the game or camaraderie. 

  • Thumbs Up 1

Driver - Callaway Epic Flash, 3 Wood - Callaway Mavrik, 4 Hybrid - Callaway Big Bertha,

Irons - 5-AW Mavrik Pro's, Putter - Odyssey White Hot OG 1, Ball - Callaway Chrome Soft

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

You should play with him only if he agrees to a 20 dollar Nassau. If he doesn’t, call him out. 

Callaway AI Smoke TD Max 10.5* | Cobra Big Tour 15.5* | Rad Tour 18.5* | Titleist U500 4i | T100 5-P | Vokey 50/8* F, 54/10* S,  58/10* S | Scotty Cameron Squareback 1


Posted

I believe the USGA addresses issues with Vanity Cappers in qualifying events, such as Open Qualifiers, ect.
An example: Players must be less than a certain HDCP in order to participate in US Open Qualifiers. 
Then if any players scores higher than a certain score, they would not be able to participate / enter
into another qualifier for a certain time period. 

I do not recall the guidelines, but I am certain these exist.

Also, I have heard of some situations where only "Competition Scores" are used and players must meet the criteria 
used based on their HDCP from only completive scores.

This system is also use by many Mens Clubs as where they maintain a players HDCP based on Scores from their games.

Johnny Rocket - Let's Rock and Roll and play some golf !!!

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
28 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Also, I have heard of some situations where only "Competition Scores" are used and players must meet the criteria 
used based on their HDCP from only completive scores.

This is what I am used to.

My bag is an ever-changing combination of clubs. 

A mix I am forever tinkering with. 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
5 hours ago, measureoffsetinnm said:

15 years?! I am actually surprised no one has flat out refused to play when paired with him.

It is a shame the head pro will not do anything about it. What purpose does he serve if not to resolve issues such as that?

Also this definitely counters the idea that vanity handicaps hurt only the individual gaming the system.

Yes 15 years at least . That is not a typo.  Also you are right about the head pro not taking control of the situation. This vanity handicapper has become somewhat of a legend at the club. He has a nickname of the "Blizzard of 78" because that is one of his favorite "corrected scores".  So much so that the women who play in the club championship have setup a money pool every year as to what the Blizzard of 78 will shoot in the tournament. 

 

2 hours ago, Club Rat said:

 

Also, I have heard of some situations where only "Competition Scores" are used and players must meet the criteria 
used based on their HDCP from only completive scores.

 

This would be the simple solution and I have actually suggested it to the head pro. 


Posted
42 minutes ago, snow bird said:

Yes 15 years at least . 

This is insane, is it at all possible he thinks he's doing it right? You're talking more than a stroke a hole, every hole,

Mike

Driver: TM Sim2 9* Ventus Black, M5 9* Kuro Kage
Fwy: TM SLDR 3W, 5W;    Hybrid: TM M1 4 Hybrid
Irons: TM Tour Preferred MC 2014
Wedges: TM Tour Preferred, 52 @ 51*, 56
Putter: Ping Scottsdale TR Anser 2 or Odyssey Rossie

It isn't the hours that you put in at practice that count. It's the way you spend those minutes. -- tony lema

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

Sorry…but If this guy has done this for 15 years it sounds like he’s surrounded by a bunch of pansies. Why no one has gone to this clown and called him out directly and to the point is beyond me. Don’t like confrontations? Then deal with his ass-clownery and stop complaining. Period.

:ping: G25 Driver Stiff :ping: G20 3W, 5W :ping: S55 4-W (aerotech steel fiber 110g shafts) :ping: Tour Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* :nike: Method Putter Floating clubs: :edel: 54* trapper wedge

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
8 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Sorry…but If this guy has done this for 15 years it sounds like he’s surrounded by a bunch of pansies. Why no one has gone to this clown and called him out directly and to the point is beyond me. Don’t like confrontations? Then deal with his ass-clownery and stop complaining. Period.

He has been called out by players but the players don't setup the flights. Not worth getting into fisticuffs over Vinsky.

 

 

not 


  • Moderator
Posted
14 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Don’t like confrontations?

I’m perfectly fine with confrontation as long as you’re going to be there to back me up 😉

Bill

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

My Swing Thread

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
31 minutes ago, mohearn said:

This is insane, is it at all possible he thinks he's doing it right? You're talking more than a stroke a hole, every hole,

Yes it boggles the imagination. I have  never seen any vanity handicap even close to it. Also most severe vanity handicappers would never expose themselves by constantly entering tournaments and shooting 100's.


Posted
7 hours ago, snow bird said:

Many players have lodged complaints but the head pro refuses to do anything. He merely needs to put him in a flight for 20 handicap players. His tournament scores have averaged around 100 and he has been playing this tournament for at least 15 years. Obviously they have reasonable grounds for moving him to a more appropriate flight. 

 

Mabye time to get a new pro.


Posted

Yes a tournament committee should probably address problems like this and surprised they have not in this case. Although, I think more people need to complain about it and take a stand. Funny thing is with vanity handicaps, it's the stupidest thing in the world if you play in tournaments. Trying to impress others with your handicap instead of actually winning or placing high in a tournament is silly. The handicap that would bother me more is the one who sandbags and then wins every net tournament. There are probably many casual golfers who do not play by all the rules of golf and fudge their scores one way or the other.

Thomas Gralinski, 2458080

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 1743 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    PlayBetter
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • Day 525 - 2026-03-10 Got some work in before lessons today (was going to play after but it decided to POUR). Then like three minutes in later on.
    • Day 2 (10 Mar 26) - Worked on weight shift feel using slap stick drill (hands about 6” apart - coming back weight on trail foot - down - thru weight on lead foot….moved it to hitting chips w/9i playing what I call “leap frog” - hit 1st about 10yds, the next a couple past the 1st, for about 6 balls total.  Love it as the lies change, the distances vary making each swing slightly different. 
    • The first post is here:   Do you have an overly long backswing that ruins sequencing and leads to poor shots? In nearly 20 years of teaching, I've found 5 common faults. You don't have to swing like Jon Rahm, but a shorter swing will probably help you #PlayBetter golf. Which is your fatal flaw? #1 - Trail Elbow Bend Average golfers ♥️ bending their trail elbows. It can feel powerful! Tour players bend their trail elbows MUCH less. A wider trail elbow creates a longer hand path and preserves structure. It also forces more chest turn; not everything longer is bad! Overly bending your trail elbow can wreak havoc on your swing. It pulls your arms across/beside your body. It requires more time to get the elbow bend "out," ruining your sequencing. The lead arm often bends and low point control is destroyed. The misconception is that it will create more speed, but that's often the opposite of what happens. Golfers often feel they swing "easier" but FASTER with wider trail elbows. Want to play better golf with a shorter backswing? Don't bend your elbow so much. #2 - Hip (Pelvis) Turn I see this all the time: a golfer's hips are only 5-10° open at impact, but he turns them back 60°+ in the backswing. Unless your father is The Flash, your hips are probably not getting 40° open at impact from there! That's more rotation than Rory! Golfers who over-rotate their pelvis often over-turn everything - trail thigh/knee, chest/shoulders, etc. They have more work to do in the same ~0.3 seconds as a Tour player who turns back ~40° and turns through to impact 40° or so. Want to shorten the pelvis turn a bit? Learn to internally rotate into the trail hip, externally rotate away from the lead hip, and do "less" with your knees (extending and flexing) in the backswing. Learn some separation between chest and pelvis. #3 - Rolled Inside and Lifted Up Amateurs love to send the club (and their arms) around them. You see the red golfer here all the time at your local range. The problem? Your arms mostly take the club UP, not around. Going around creates no height until you have to hoist the club up in the air because you're halfway through your backswing and the club is waist high and three feet behind your butt! 😄  Learn to use your arms properly. Arms = up/down, body = around. Most golfers learn how little their arms really have to do in the backswing. The picture here is all you've gotta do (but maybe with a properly sized club!). #4 - Wide Takeaway Width is good, no? Yes, if you're wide at the right time and in the right spots. Golfers seeking width often don't hinge the club much early in the backswing… forcing them to hinge it late. Hinging the club late puts a lot of momentum into the club, wrists, and elbow just before we need to make a hairpin turn in transition and go the other direction at the start of the downswing. When you're driving into a hairpin curve, you go into it slowly and accelerate out of it. Waiting to hinge is like coasting down the straightaway and accelerating into the hairpin. Your car ends up off the road, and your golf ball off the course. Give hinging at a faster rate (earlier) then coasting to the top a try. You'll be able to accelerate out of the hairpin without the momentum of the arms and club pulling in the wrong direction.   #5 - Sway and Tilt Some sway is good but sometimes I see a golfer who just… keeps… swaying… Their chest leans forward a bit for balance, resulting in a whole lotta lean. The green line below is the GEARS "virtual spine." Pros sway a bit, but stay ~90°. This sway often combines with the extra pelvis turn because this golfer is not putting ANY limits on what the "middle of them" (their pelvis) is doing in the backswing. These golfers spend a lot of energy just to get back to neutral! The best players begin pushing forward EARLY in the backswing. Often before the club gets much past their trail foot! Pushing forward (softly) first stops your backward sway and then begins to get your body moving toward the target. Push softly, but early!  
    • I  no longer spend the time and effort trying to sell something I no longer need. Instead, if the clubs are in good condition, I go to my local golf shop or even Dicks Sporting Goods. Trade the clubs in for store credit and pick up something I need, like a hat. Cause you always need another golf hat!
    • Day 205 3-10 Wider backswing, reconnecting arm in downswing/arching wrist through. Also worked on less pause at the top. Recorded and hit a few foam balls. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.