Shot an "impossible" round - post it?

[sacm3bill]

i dont understand this. your supposed to post all your scores. i really dont understand why the guy wouldnt post his two 39's

I was wondering the same thing, why wouldn't you post it simply because it was a 9 hole score....

The fact that sandbagging can be so easily rationalized by some people is why there are so many sandbaggers. It's why I stopped competing in handicapped flights - I was getting beat by people shooting net 6-unders for 9 holes.

[Fairway_CY]

The rule to live by in this situation is simple:

If you shot it, post it.

The club I play in is entirely based off handicaps. We've got a guy with a 3.3 index and we've got a guy with a 40.4L index (which exceeds the 36.4 limit for men). If guys selectively post their scores, it takes the competitive nature out of the club because the guy with the 3.3 index is likely to lose to the guy boasting a 22.4 index who SHOULD be a 19.2 index every time.

Last year I played a 9 hole round that I shot a 43 on. It combined with another round from the year before that I shot a 44 on. That round combined for an 87. At the time, I was struggling to break 100, let alone 90. My scores at that point in the season were 109, 96, 110, 104, 106. For me to post a score that was around 20 strokes better than my average would have been deemed 'impossible' by the USGA also. But I posted it because I shot it.

When I began this season with the club, my index was 23.0 and I told the guy who runs everything that I was likely going to be much better than that by the mid-point of the season. I'd been practicing all winter and I knew that my scores were going to be much lower than they had been previously. I told him if it was necessary, he could adjust me. The committee decided to let my handicap stand and, as of today, I'm down to a 17.6 and I'll be a 17.3 by the next revision. It's almost a 6 stroke difference, which in handicap tournaments can be a TON.

If I chose not to post some of the rounds I shot outside the club, my index would be an 18.6 following the next revision. That's a stroke, sometimes two depending on the slope, difference in my net scores. Every week, there are guys who post 'good' rounds who are beaten by someone who posts a 'better than good' round. I've been right there a few times this season.

Because it's the rule... I say if you shot the score, you post it. That's just my opinion though.

CY

[TheGeekGolfer]

...If it combined to a 68 or 69 i probably would have posted it because ive shot those scores over a continuous round before.

flawed logic - If you have shot a 68 or 69 before, then you are capable of ANYTHING in the low to mid 60's (IMO). If your handicap is a 3.1 and you've shot a 68 or 69 before, then you obviously hit a good percentage of fairways / greens and make some putts. It is VERY FEASIBLE that you could add 2 more birides or an eagle to your 68 and therefore post a 66!

However, if you are an 8 or 9 handicap (that's me), it's very unlikely that you would score a 67, since you just don't hit as many greens and don't get up/down as often.

[Fat Slice]

The whole purpose of a handicap SYSTEM is to take out the individual guesswork and rationalization and for the honest people in the system to post EVERY score (except where the rules prohibit it). Period. Deviate from the SYSTEM and your handicap is meaningless.

[chriskzoo]

Fair enough, but then you might want to let

Actually, I think my very scenario was the very reason the USGA used to only allow you to post 18 hole scores for your handicap and only recently began allowing 9 hole scores (combined into 18 hole rounds) to attract more casual players in getting an official handicap.

Even when I shot my 32, I wasn't striking the ball all that well, but was putting out of my mind on some holes. Hole 1 Par 4 - Lagged 60 footer to a foot (E) Hole 2 Par 3 - Sank 25 footer for par (E) Hole 3 Par 3 - 3 putted for bogey (+1) Hole 4 Par 4 - 1/2 wedge to 10 feet, sank the putt for birdie (E) Hole 5 Par 4 - 2 putted from 20 feet for par (E) Hole 6 Par 4 - Pulled drive left, wedged to 30 feet above the hole, sank a long snaker for birdie (-1) Hole 7 Par 4 - 9 iron to 7 feet, sank the putt (-2) Hole 8 Par 3 - 3/4 Wedge to 7 feet, missed the putt (-2) Hole 9 Par 5 - Burned the edge on 20 footer for birdie, made par (-2) As you can see on this 9 I am hitting at most 9 iron and mostly wedge and 1/2 wedge into the greens on this side - hardly a reflection of normal courses.

[sean_miller]

Actually, I think my very scenario was the very reason the USGA used to only allow you to post 18 hole scores for your handicap and only recently began allowing 9 hole scores (combined into 18 hole rounds) to attract more casual players in getting an official handicap.

That should be reflected in the rating and the slope. If you shot it enter it.

What the heck is going on here today? One thread has guys promoting improving their lies and in this one, guys are justifying sandbagging.

[cape cod beachfront golfer]

Please post your 'impossible' score. We need to maintain the integrity of the game.
Remember it will only be there for 20 scores anyways.
BTW Stroke control exists on the otherside of the agrument to prevent people from posting high scores based on a single bad hole.
Also, In a league I formerly played in we had a guy who would 'hold' his scores and only post once a month... usually after a tournament!
It amazes me how people will justify their actions!

[mad max]

...Even when I shot my 32, I wasn't striking the ball all that well, but was putting out of my mind on some holes.

This just shows if you are "putting out of your mind" you are capable of putting up great scores. This just shows you have the potential shoot low when you putt exceptionally well. You have done that so you have the potential to do that, hence your handicap is a accurate indicator of your potential. What would you think if someone said "I was hitting my irons right at the pin but I couldn't putt so my 82 was really a 76 so we will split the difference and give me a 79."

[JWL1957]

The whole purpose of a handicap SYSTEM is to take out the individual guesswork and rationalization and for the honest people in the system to post EVERY score (except where the rules prohibit it). Period. Deviate from the SYSTEM and your handicap is meaningless.

Dishonest golfers have rendered the handicap system totally useless for tournament play. Any player who pays money to enter a handicap tourney is a fool. The honest players get burned every time. I gave up on taking the USGA handicap system serious when I saw 16 handicappers winning club championships by shooting in the 70's 2-3 days in a row. Its a joke.

Stroke play..... or no play.

[Deryck Griffith]

You absolutely MUST post your scores....this kind of debate really upsets me. If you don't post them, then you ALWAYS will have a stroke advantage when you play your course, equaling to a severe case of sandbagging.

[Stretch]

http://www.popeofslope.com/sandbagging/index.html

[Able Hands]

I say if you scored it post it. I would also like to say that this is one of those threads that could have easily gone bad in a big way. I have read quite a few threads on here that got really ugly. I'm impressed that the tone of this thread has stayed so pleasant... Keep it up!

[martytilma]

That should be reflected in the rating and the slope. If you shot it enter it.

That's exactly what I was thinking! If you only had 9 iron or wedge to all the greens, obviously the course was easy! So even though you shot -2, I bet the differential was more like 0 or +2. I play a lot where the rating is 33.4 for 9 holes. I usually can shoot even par. Now the score says even but for handicap purposes it says +2.6. Does that make sense??