Sandbaggers

[watrboy4]

I like to play in alot of the local 2 man best ball, match play, and other tournaments. I was just curious if anybody else out there has run into the sandbaggers. Last summer I played against a guy in a match play tournament that said he was a 14 handicap and I had to give him 2 shots. He shot 2 over par. Now I know that us tweener handicappers can have a good day but this fellow went on to shoot 4 over the next day. Is this purely luck?

[tiger woods]

Now that is sandy. I have problems finding a partener for these events. My handicap must be intimidating. Thats alright though. I would never let someone get away with it. It might be on the eleventh hole the second day of the tournament but somebody would have to four-foot the match. I'm betting it wouldn't be me. Hey I see your from Idaho want to play some time? 5 bucks a hole and buys the beer at the end? scratch play!

[watrboy4]

hell yeah sounds like fun. What part of Idaho you in feller? The way I figure you will be giving me 16 shots on 18 holes. Sounds like a party. Plus I am running a little low in the Bank account!! lol

[watrboy4]

You must really be from Idaho man.... Where did you learn to spell? It is almost as bad as my spelling.

[tiger woods]

This isn't no freakin spelling v I signed up for buddy. I'm only hear to talk golf and help these high handicappers out.

[BritBoy]

I'm up for the Sandtrap Idaho Open

[schlyer]

Probably not luck - but it may be.

I know guys that are mid single digits on their home course with very few bunkers or water, that can't break 90 when they show up to a course that has lots of hazards. I assume it'd work the other way around too - someone used to having 2 or 3 doubles per round because of water all of the sudden doesn't have to deal with it in a tournament and goes low.

[NM Golf]

  tiger woods said:

This isn't no freakin spelling v I signed up for buddy. I'm only hear to talk golf and help these high handicappers out.

What the heck is a spelling v?

[MGP]

Yeah, that's what the "Slope System" is supposed to take care of... the variations in handicap due to the "toughness" of the course.

I know when I was in high school my handicap was between 3 and 6 and my home course was long, tree lined, lots of lateral water and lightning fast greens. Every once in a while our golf team would play a match at some shorter, wide open muni course and I'd shoot par (and a few times under) and I know I got some stares after the round.

hey schyler -- I see you're from Kansas also. I dunno about you but I feel like playing in the wind all the time here makes playing almost anywhere else in the country a lot easier! ;)

[Finn07]

Confusing post.

[watrboy4]

I totally agree with ya MGP.... Slope and course rating should make a difference on handicap. The issue that I am having is the fact that an honest person cant compete in these events. Thanks for your input. Have you noticed an abundance of sandbaggers around your clubs? If not what does your club do to combat these issues?

[NM Golf]

  watrboy4 said:

I totally agree with ya MGP.... Slope and course rating should make a difference on handicap. The issue that I am having is the fact that an honest person cant compete in these events. Thanks for your input. Have you noticed an abundance of sandbaggers around your clubs? If not what does your club do to combat these issues?

ummmm rating does affect handicap. Your index gets you a different amount of strokes depending on the course rating. For instance I get three pops at my home course but on harder course in the area I get 4 pops.

[watrboy4]

  NM Golf said:

ummmm rating does affect handicap.

Thanks for pointing that out. I was agreeing with MGP on that matter. The problem is that rating doesnt compensate for these people that can't win unless they cheat. Last year I put all 86 rounds that I played in and I used that handicap. Some peolple only put in their high rounds and write off their low ones.

[Ogg]

I see sandbaggers all the time. A good friend of mine only posts the scores that he wants to post, not all of them. I played with a guy last year that would play holes that he knew he could not win with only his wedge and he would turn those scores in. I have seen 18 handicaps shoot 76 in tournaments which is virtually impossible.

Sandbagging is cheating. Same thing as kicking a ball out from under a bush or mis-marking your ball on purpose. It is frustrating as there is not much you can do. However, I will not let someone's lack of integrity affect my play or values.

[schlyer]

Realistically, the course ratings don't factor in alot of stuff that can affect an individual player.

For example, 2 courses may have the exact same number of hazards, the one a guy plays all the time are 75% on the right side of the fairways, and the tournament course has them located 90% on the left side of the fairways. If this guy's misses are regularly to the right, he'll end up in alot more hazards at his home course (resulting in a higher handicap) than during the tourney.

Wind can be another factor that isn't taken into account by slope - playing on a protected course regularly then getting a tourney on a more exposed course with the wind blowing.

I obviously don't know whether these folks are sandbagging or not, but I don't find it odd when a 10 handicap shoots anything between Even Par and 100.

[watrboy4]

Lets revisit the Sandbaggers. Maybe we need to include the reverse sandbaggers. My Definition: A person that only puts in there lowest scores. Doesn't really hurt anyone but themselves. Funny stuff...

[$2 Nassau]

  watrboy4 said:

Lets revisit the Sandbaggers. Maybe we need to include the reverse sandbaggers. My Definition: A person that only puts in there lowest scores. Doesn't really hurt anyone but themselves. Funny stuff...

We call the reverse baggers "Profilers." Just looking to up their personal profile for their own satisfaction. Love playing against those guys. Like you said, only hurts themselves.

Thing is though, a lot of these guys who go out there and give themselves 3 and 4 foot putts all day long have a hard time in tourneys when they need to actually putt out. So in a sense, there is a lot of unintentional reverse bagging or profiling going on. Then they start accusing everyone else of being a sandbagger.

[watrboy4]

  $2 Nassau said:

We call the reverse baggers "Profilers." Just looking to up their personal profile for their own satisfaction. Love playing against those guys. Like you said, only hurts themselves.

That is awesome. Profilers..........LMAO I'm gonna use that one dude. We got some profilers on this forum......just doesn't take any scores on here......lol