Sandbagger0ne

This one's for Steven, a good buddy for years. He was playing in a tournament 20+ years ago on Springfield CC in West Springfield, MA. The first and tenth tee run parallel with the 1st hole a slightly more doglegged to the the left. A drive off the tenth tee nailed him on the 1st fairway in the back of his head. He first dropped to his knees and finally to the ground. As the story goes, him relating it, that his first reaction was he was hit in the back of the head by a high powered rifle from the porch fired by his wife and only after a few dazed moments he realized it was a golf ball. As he says today he can't for the life of him figure out how she hit that golf ball. (True story)

Shot a 46-41-87 yesterday. 72.1/131. A lot of wind. Opposite direction from Thursday round. Rough high for Sony. Ball drops deep and never sits up. I'm definitely not unhappy. Missed a 5ft birdie putt on 10. (The 1st during the Sony). Index now 14.7 Hdcp 17. "Rough" day for Sandy.

Shot a 45-48-93 yesterday in perfect weather, little or no wind at Waialae CC with the rough getting up there for the Sony. Today I shot a 39-42-81 at the same club with wind. (9 pars, 1 birdie). A net 64! SandbaggerOne can't explain it. My handicap index went up to 14.7 and course handicap a 17 on January 1st...I guess I really am a Sandbagger! I'll have to register on sandbaggeranonymous.com again.

Shot a smooth 99 (44-55) yesterday. Waialae is getting ready for the Sony. The rough near the greens ate me alive. Ten feet off #14, (425 yd, par 4) in two. Chunk first chip (still in rough). Three feet off green now and double hit chip across green 30' from pin, now in short rough. three more to get down. An 8. Had three 8's on the back.. Ugh! Painful! How does one do that? Let me count the ways.

Played yesterday and shot a smooth 100. 43 putts. Rough and greens getting ready for the Sony Open. Guess I'm not ready for the tour. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year or as we say Mele Kalikimaka and Kau'oli Makahiki Hou! A safe, happy and healthy New Year from Sandbaggeranonymous.com℠

Tournament season closed down in the north. Any stories from your past are helpful. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

No golf game. Snowed in in Pennsylvania. Ugh! Leave for South Carolina Sunday and golfing in a Member-Guest Tuesday to Thursday. Hooray!!! Til' then a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Shot 91 yesterday 49-42 on Longmeadow CC (1927 Donald Ross). Best fall day in my memory banks. New England golf at it's best! Played with two old buddies Chris "Gags" Gagne, Paul Quinn (an institution at the club) and long ball hitter and Head Pro Tim Quirk. Golf game could have been better but the day could not have!

Subject: Fwd: Ten Best Caddy Responses . . Number: 10 Golfer: "I think I'm going to drown myself in the lake." Caddy: "Think you can keep your head down that long?" Number: 9 Golfer: "I'd move heaven and earth to break 100 on this course." Caddy: "Try heaven, you've already moved most of the earth." Number: 8 Golfer: "Do you think my game is improving?" Caddy: "Yes . . . . You miss the ball much closer now." Number: 7 Golfer: "Do you think I can get there with a 5 iron?" Caddy: "Eventually." Number: 6 Golfer: "You've got to be the worst caddy in the world." Caddy: "I don't think so . . . . That would be too much of a coincidence." Number: 5 Golfer: "Please stop checking your watch all the time. It's too much of a distraction." Caddy: "It's not a watch - it's a compass." Number: 4 Golfer: "How do you like my game?" Caddy: "It's very good - but personally, I prefer golf." Number: 3 Golfer: "Do you think it's a sin to play on Sunday? Caddy: "The way you play, it's a sin on any day." Number: 2 Golfer: "This is the worst course I've ever played on." Caddy: "This isn't the golf course . . . . We left that an hour ago." And the Number: 1 . . . . Best Caddy Comment: Golfer: "That can't be my ball, it's too old." Caddy: "It's been a long time since we teed off, sir."

Played yesterday and shot 87 (45-42). Couldn't putt. 6 GIR's and only three pars and a birdie. Couldn't get up and down from close off the green 0-3. Won large groups low net 71 and took cash. Unfortunately came out on short end of drinks and pupus (appetizers)

Tough weekend to say the least. Played in Member-Guest at MidPac CC Saturday. Shot 44-54. Ugh. Sunday played at Waialae CC and shot 46-47. Better play but number of three putts and errant shot on 18 cost me from breaking 90. A meager goal with a 13.4 index.

Looking for input from players here of their favorite sand bagged stories that I can use on our website. Thanks

94 on Mid Pacific CC Rating 72.1/Slope 128 45/49. Complete collapse on final five holes.

Certainly when you've got one, adverse things happen. Had the disease years ago. Playing Longmeadow CC in western Massachusetts many years ago. The first hole has evergreen bushes on left side and runs along a relatively busy road. Unfortunately about 100 yds up the fairway there was one bush that had died and was recently removed leaving a three foot gap on the bushes. Running late I arrived at the tee as my group had already teed off. I put the peg in the ground, took a mighty swing and snap hooked on right through the gap in the trees and could see a large windowed dry cleaner type truck get smashed in the window with a plasma -like thud. As he came around to the clubhouse and there was a large spider web smashed window. Asking if he was alright he acknowledged he was. However, his partner was sleeping and according to him he "sh.t himself". My second memorable snapper was on PGA West. There was a par four (right after the par 3 with water around it if memory serves my correctly). I was playing with a colleague and hooked up with two members. I had a big snap hook that hit a house and there was a tremendous crashing sound. We all went up to investigate and thankfully it wasn't a window. Unfortunately, it hit blue tile roof and some of the tile came crashing down on the patio. The member requested I leave a note with my name and phone number. Knowing that his homeowners would pay for it I took an extra scorecard and proceeded to write a note to satisfy the members. My colleague asked why I left that note and what I had written. I didn't have to leave my name and number. I told him I didn't, I left his. In reality I left a note saying I was sorry. Sad to say there were many more. Now it rarely happens. Thank goodness!

Shot a 90 yesterday on Waialae CC. Much better than the 103 on Thursday. Absolutely never who will show up.

Ugh! 103, white tees Waialae CC with a 13.6 Index. Struggling. Fighting flu. That's my excuse and sticking with it.

I have four hole in ones. #1 - 1991 Playing with a buddy at Carmel Valley Ranch had my first with 8 iron on Hole #7. There was no one to buy drinks for in the lounge so the Pro bought us a round. #2 - 1992 Playing in a hospital golf event I had my second with a 6 iron on Hole #16 in Massachusetts. It was a heavy wind and the ball went in with back spin. (I usually don't have backspin on a ball). It was an open bar so I it wasn't expensive. #3 - 2011 Was playing in a Member-Member and my third was on the same hole #16 with an 8 iron (no wind). They forgot to cut off the bar bill after $250 insurance so it was expensive. #4 - 2012 This was the best of my stories though. Playing in a practice round at a Member-Guest two other players teed off first to #17 island green.The other member hit his shot to 6"'s. When it was my turn I asked if he'd have the caddy go up and mark his ball. (Jokingly of course) I then proceeded to hit a 7 iron to the green and it rolled up and hit his ball and it appeared from the tee that his ball was pushed in and mine land 6" away. We both thought we had birdie putts. When we arrived at the green I went to mark my ball (it was his) Mine was in the cup. That one was a pretty hefty bar bill. The one common denominator was all four seemed to happen in slow motion when viewing them.

Retired urologic surgeon. Now with start-up Sand Bagger Anonymous, Inc. (sandbaggeranonymous.com) a new advertiser on this site.

I do. Have you been able to see the ad? Others have said "what ad?" so I'm looking for feedback on the ad campaign from others on the board as well

Golfingdad, thank you for your response and advise. I've been on college football message boards but not golf before. Let me say I have waited until our advertising campaign was up and running on The Sand Trap.com. before answering you. I hope in the future it will "hold water" with you and others on this board. (I'm a retired urologist) If Dean Knuth is the Pope of Slope, I hope to go down as the anti-Christ of sandbagging and try to use peer pressure to slow it down if not eradicate it. When you view our ad take the time to look at it and our website. We feel it's enjoyable on at least two levels-zinging the serious sandbagger and giving a poke to a friend or buddy who just keeps on winning. SandbaggerOne

That's true but will the Golf Committee or the Pro do it. If they don't, what do you do then? Golf Committees and Pro's are under pressure to keep membership and participation up. When they don't, it is counterproductive to tournament participation. I know many people who won't participate in club events because they are tired of the same people winning. I think the answer is peer pressure . It is the third leg of the stool that stops sandbagging. Handicap or Golf Committee, Pro and peer pressure .

Yikes! Every round should count. Every stroke should count. Should these rounds of casual golf count? When the two are manipulated for whatever purpose ( taking a 2-3' putt, missing 4-5" putts [never making a putt you don't need] , etc) they should not. This is why some tournament scores are not posted (balls picked up when you're out of a hole). Perhaps not. Clearly outliers. Intent or not the result is the same. I would call it both de jure which designates what the law says and de facto designates actions that occur in practice. We look the other way and the same people walk away with trophies and money. That would truly indicate a sandbagger so perhaps more information would help. I am a sandbagger, I will stop. Well, as soon as I find a 12 step program. Sandy Bagger®

Hello, my name is Greg and I'm an addict. I don't have life. Just joking. Retired urologic surgeon who believes without life there is no golf and without golf there is no life. I'm sure there is golf in heaven. I just don't want to know my tee time. Looking forward to getting others insights and learn the message board ropes.