Vanity Capping Is Worse Than Sandbagging

[Dave2512]

Most vanity cappers don't understand the consequences of it because they don't play competitive golf. The people I know that take mulligans, gimmies and all that and post scores just play for fun. Not sure why they even keep a handicap. A couple have joined leagues and had to play it straight and were shocked by their scores but the outcome was positive in that it changed the way they play. But sandbaggers are cheating with intent to steal and that's a terrible thing.

[Golfingdad]

Most vanity cappers don't understand the consequences of it because they don't play competitive golf. The people I know that take mulligans, gimmies and all that and post scores just play for fun. Not sure why they even keep a handicap. A couple have joined leagues and had to play it straight and were shocked by their scores but the outcome was positive in that it changed the way they play. But sandbaggers are cheating with intent to steal and that's a terrible thing.

Agreed.  The title of this thread is comical.

Sandbagging = STEALING.

Vanity capping = removing the label off of your 38" waist jeans and replacing it with a 32" waist label so you can feel better about yourself.

(I'd really be curious to know what the 7 people who voted that vanity capping is worse were thinking.)

[Tat14]

The poll results say it all - sandbagging is worse. If a good player is only posting mediocre rounds for the sake of getting more "pops" (strokes on a hole) in a tournament, then he or she is cheating the field.

Looking back at the OP (from 2013, wow), I don't see the harm of his friend's vanity capping. I define it differently - cheating. If I was playing that person for anything more than $ .01, I'd simply call him on it.

If a player wants to deny himself those "pops" by keeping his index artificially low, it only helps his opponent.

[NJpatbee]

Sandbaggers are looking to steal a tournament or your money - by far the worse of the two.  Vanity cappers steal nothing but are miserable to be paired with.

[Abu3baid]

One issue with vanity capers who play in tournaments is the fact that they do end up cheating someone else who should be in the tournament.. Basically they take the spot of an individual who deserves to be there. It is still not as bad sandbagged, but I didn't see this mentioned (I dont think I did)

[ay33660]

As others have already stated - the only time that a "vanity" capper will have an impact on me is when I am playing in a team handicapped competition.

My club has a men's spring and fall event whereby you play as a team of 4.

Various games include:

- best net team score

- best net two or three score per hole

- best two or three par points (handicapped)

Each group will usually have one low, two mid and one high handicapper.

The vanity capper will never play to his handicap so the team score will always be affected.

[Tat14]

As others have already stated - the only time that a "vanity" capper will have an impact on me is when I am playing in a team handicapped competition.

My club has a men's spring and fall event whereby you play as a team of 4.

Various games include:

- best net team score

- best net two or three score per hole

- best two or three par points (handicapped)

Each group will usually have one low, two mid and one high handicapper.

The vanity capper will never play to his handicap so the team score will always be affected.

I didn't think of this angle - valid point.

There is some control here though if you get to pick your team. Choose the sandbagger instead! Just kidding...

[Golfingdad]

One issue with vanity capers who play in tournaments is the fact that they do end up cheating someone else who should be in the tournament.. Basically they take the spot of an individual who deserves to be there.

It is still not as bad sandbagged, but I didn't see this mentioned (I dont think I did)

What kind of tournaments are you talking about?  There are very few out there that even require a maximum handicap to enter, first of all.  US Open, US Am, State Ams, Local Ams, things of that nature, and most of those aren't filling up to the point where people who want to enter are easily shut out.

[Lihu]

One issue with vanity capers who play in tournaments is the fact that they do end up cheating someone else who should be in the tournament.. Basically they take the spot of an individual who deserves to be there.

It is still not as bad sandbagged, but I didn't see this mentioned (I dont think I did)

The only time this comes into play is for qualifying tournaments like the Oregon open or something like that. In normal club tournaments there are different flights for all handicaps and I have not seen any limits set on participants. I suppose if you state a 2 handicap and represent the club that could be a serious problem, but, honestly, people can tell if you can play at your stated level or not within a couple strokes or so.

EDIT: @Golfingdad beat me to the punch.

[Golfingdad]

but, honestly, people can tell if you can play at your stated level or not within a couple strokes or so.

Yeah, you enter one of those as a 2, shoot a 96, and then you get blackballed from future events.

I don't think this is that big of a problem at all.

[dfreuter415]

Another situation is the guy who putts everything out, even the two and three foot putts. The golf purist will say that this is the proper way to play the game. However, a proponent of fast play will concede the 2 and 3 foot putts with the goal of playing quickly.

Now enter the handicap. The guy who putts everything out inevitably will have a higher handicap that reflects the missed 2 and 3 foot putts, (according to Dave Pelz even Tour pros make only 85% to 95% of their three-footers) than another golfer of similar ability who concedes short putts. I have seen these people called sandbaggers in club tournaments because they appear to have more strokes than they deserve, when in reality they have a more accurate handicap because of their staunch adherence to the rules of golf.

[Lihu]

Another situation is the guy who putts everything out, even the two and three foot putts. The golf purist will say that this is the proper way to play the game. However, a proponent of fast play will concede the 2 and 3 foot putts with the goal of playing quickly.

Now enter the handicap. The guy who putts everything out inevitably will have a higher handicap that reflects the missed 2 and 3 foot putts, (according to Dave Pelz even Tour pros make only 85% to 95% of their three-footers) than another golfer of similar ability who concedes short putts. I have seen these people called sandbaggers in club tournaments because they appear to have more strokes than they deserve, when in reality they have a more accurate handicap because of their staunch adherence to the rules of golf.

Or if you concede 2-3 footers, you can simply multiply your handicap by 1.05 to 1.15.

Better yet, just start conceding all these putts and add a couple stroke s to your HC.

[Dave2512]

If you do everything else quickly putting out a few 2 footers doesn't take much time.

[Lihu]

If you do everything else quickly putting out a few 2 footers doesn't take much time.

I was trying make a lame joke, and I was suggesting that if you decide to concede all those shots just fudge 2 strokes to your handicap.

[LeftRightLeft]

I see a lot of people who improve their lie all the time.  That's a form of a vanity handicap.  My regular group plays it down always (although we do give putts).  I know when my club plays lift, clean, and place in the winter I feel like I'm cheating.  Consequently, my scores are often lower than normal in these events.  Golf is a LOT easier when you always have good lie.

[Golfingdad]

I see a lot of people who improve their lie all the time.  That's a form of a vanity handicap.

Yeah, that's one of the biggest contributors to vanity caps.  Liberal use of gimmes is also up there, and the worst of all would probably be mulligans.

Figure a normal garden variety round for a casual (lets say 16) vanity capper could include a couple of mulligans, a small handful of gimmes that he's 50-50 at best to make, and a couple bumps away from a root or out of an "unfair" divot, and it adds up pretty fast.

That "nice" 88 that he shot quite possibly should have been more like a 96.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftRightLeft

I see a lot of people who improve their lie all the time.  That's a form of a vanity handicap.

Yeah, that's one of the biggest contributors to vanity caps.  Liberal use of gimmes is also up there, and the worst of all would probably be mulligans.

Figure a normal garden variety round for a casual (lets say 16) vanity capper could include a couple of mulligans, a small handful of gimmes that he's 50-50 at best to make, and a couple bumps away from a root or out of an "unfair" divot, and it adds up pretty fast.

That "nice" 88 that he shot quite possibly should have been more like a 96.

15 to 16's are generally more serious. I see the 18+ handicaps as being the ones who liberally use them. I think 16 handicap is the turning point of fun to serious golf, and that is why so many people are stuck as a 15-16 handicap. It's a big hurdle when you have 3-4 strokes to overcome just from more accurate and honest score keeping.

[Abu3baid]

15 to 16's are generally more serious. I see the 18+ handicaps as being the ones who liberally use them. I think 16 handicap is the turning point of fun to serious golf, and that is why so many people are stuck as a 15-16 handicap. It's a big hurdle when you have 3-4 strokes to overcome just from more accurate and honest score keeping.

I didn't know there was a turning point from fun to serious. I'll take note though ;)