What's with all the withdraws in amateur tournaments?

[Golfingdad]

As I mentioned, the big hustlers are a small percentage. But the little hustler working his men's group, or local course rota are definitely out there. IT may be you play with a small or regular number of people, and play the same course more often then not. You know everyone and a stranger will stand out and you know people's abilities. I play quite a bit in Florida as well as here in NY and I come across them more in Florida than around here. Maybe because I play with a regular bunch of guys here and don't get matched up with 'outsiders'. But in Florida, I'm teeing up as a single almost all of the time and have more opportunities to meet up with them. A few chunked iron shots after decent drives, a few skulled chips, an offer of a little game "to make it interesting", etc... "No thanks, just out to enjoy myself", but maybe one of the other guys he's been hooked up in our 4 some will bite. I keep my mouth shut about anything other than trying to keep pleasant conversation and make it an enjoyable day for me. Let them learn the lesson. A few take it with a smile and believe it was actually a close match, and others start to catch on later in the round and clam up, finish the round and pay up. Many don't even realize they've been had. It isn't for a LOT of money, but I'd rather keep mine than have to pay someone else's bar tabs.

Maybe it's just a Florida, or East Coast thing. ;)  I play probably about 75% of rounds paired up with at least one stranger, and I often go out alone and get paired with 2 or 3 other guys (and I play several different courses - 17 so far this year), and like I said, I've never, in 25 some-odd years of golf, been propositioned by a stranger for a bet.  Not one single time. :)

[Dave2512]

I think RayG's hustle stories are just fantasy to make his point. I don't doubt real money matches are arranged but I am skeptical there are professional golf cons looking for random marks out there. I can't see how it would be worth the time. What's the chance a hustler stumbles into a situation where more than a couple of bucks a hole is on the line. Even then unless he has an enforcer waiting in the lot what's the chance he actually gets paid. I've never seen it and I've been playing golf since the 70's, though I did have a decade long layoff. I wouldn't feel obligated to pay up if I knew I was being hustled. In fact I'd be angry enough to contemplate settling my debt with a knuckle sandwich.

These stories sound like a Kenny Rogers song. Not to mention these schemes are way too elaborate. It wouldn't take much to carry two USGA handicaps. My GHIN club is on-line, registration and posting scores. I didn't have submit a DNA sample to join. In fact I do have two USGA handicaps, GHIN and GolfNet. Both are identical but it wouldn't take much to manipulate one or the other.

[RayG]

I wouldn't call them "professionals", just out to cash in a few bucks. Not going to make a living at it. Seen only one get out of hand for "my" comfort zone- about $500 on the line at 18. And just one time actually had someone walk off after 4 holes when I wouldn't play for pay. I offered drinks or lunch instead- he walked off. No doubt said what a 'tool' I was to the starter or guy in shop and given another pairing to find a better opportunity. As for difficulty in maintaining two #'s- hardly difficult with today's technology. Join an online service for the high scores, and maybe another for the low scores. Different versions of the same name (Dave & David), a different email as an identifier for each- many have several, and there's your two cards.

[Golfingdad]

It wouldn't take much to carry two USGA handicaps. My GHIN club is on-line, registration and posting scores. I didn't have submit a DNA sample to join. In fact I do have two USGA handicaps, GHIN and GolfNet. Both are identical but it wouldn't take much to manipulate one or the other.

As for difficulty in maintaining two #'s- hardly difficult with today's technology. Join an online service for the high scores, and maybe another for the low scores. Different versions of the same name (Dave & David), a different email as an identifier for each- many have several, and there's your two cards.

Yeah, not at all.  In fact, I am exactly like Dave ... I do have two handicaps right now, but here's the kicker:  They ARE NOT the same.  My GHIN number is 6.9 today, and my golfnet number is 6.6.  (By no fault of mine ... every score is entered in both, but golfnet, for whatever reason, has different ratings for a couple of courses)

If somebody really wanted to be a d*&k; sandbagger, then it would be very easy to fake either one of those if he so desired.

Heck, I actually have 3 different handicaps, lol, because the GC AmTour keeps a separate one comprised of only their tournament scores.  I'm 10 or 11-something in that one.  Yikes!

[Dave2512]

Yeah, not at all.  In fact, I am exactly like Dave ... I do have two handicaps right now, but here's the kicker:  They ARE NOT the same.  My GHIN number is 6.9 today, and my golfnet number is 6.6.  (By no fault of mine ... every score is entered in both, but golfnet, for whatever reason, has different ratings for a couple of courses)

OT-I ran into the same thing with different course ratings, I've seen incorrect ratings for courses from both organizations after comparing the scorecard. All it took was an email and they updated it within a few minutes. I just waited to post my scores. But like you I found out the hard way and had to contact the handicap secretary at my course to make a correction.

[Golfingdad]

OT-I ran into the same thing with different course ratings, I've seen incorrect ratings for courses from both organizations after comparing the scorecard. All it took was an email and they updated it within a few minutes. I just waited to post my scores. But like you I found out the hard way and had to contact the handicap secretary at my course to make a correction.

Yeah, I just don't care enough to fix the golfnet cap.  I signed up for that originally because it was cheap and easy.  Then after the hassles of people not knowing how to lookup my handicap for tournaments and stuff, I said forget it, and signed up for GHIN.  But I forgot to cancel the online one and it auto-renewed, so I figure as long as I'm paying for it, I might as well update it.  At the end of this year, though, I will cancel it. :)

OK, apologies, now back on topic.

I have two tournaments coming up that I'm signing up for now.  One is in late November, and one in December.  If I don't sign up soon, they'll fill up, but thre is also a chance that I'll forget about them when the time comes, if I don't put them in my calendar right away.  I still say that some of these WD people are just irresponsible people who forgot about their tournaments. ;)

[Dave2512]

I still say that some of these WD people are just irresponsible people who forgot about their tournaments. ;)

Yep happens to me all the time. I cleaned out my file cabinet in my home office aka the garage a few weeks ago and found orchestra pit tickets for a Jeff Beck concert I spaced out. Sometimes I just don't care to attend something by the time it comes around. I've booked Golf Now times early in the week and forgot to cancel and been stuck paying for fees if something else came up.