Reverse Sandbagging

[Chas]

In croquet, at least in England many years ago, your handicap only changed after a competitive club event and the new handicap was awarded and recorded by a handicap official. So handicaps had a lot of credibility. Sandbagging was v. rare but of course if you're improving fast as a relative noob you could be playing much better than your handicap esp. if you don't compete very often - until the end of the tournament that is. I went from an 11 to about a 7 after an event in the Isle of Wight. I had a lengthy 3-ball break in one match, something I hadn't even practiced much before then. Nothing like it ever happened to my handicap again tho', a once in a lifetime thing that. :-)

[Jeff Gibson]

This is a normal part of golf - not that it is ok by any means. Our skins game here at the club consist of guys who actually play to their handicap. If a newcomer wants to play, and tells us they are a 3, we merely say ok, we will see.

Another thing I see often, is alot of junior and college players here in Tampa might fudge their handicap to be able to play in qualifiers, etc. Although why you must be a certain handicap to try to qualify is beyond me... anyone can have an amazing day and make it. Its not like a 12 handicapper shooting 75 is unheard of...