Golf forum

Just need to get this off my chest. I dont know if i've been a bit of a bandit in the past but i thought the handicap system was there to create a level playing feild.
thursday nights we play in the rabbits 14 hole stableford off the yellows for handicappers 16+ (full allowence for 14 holes). I'd been stuck on 27 handicap for ages but felt i was getting better anyways its all started to come together and the other week i scored 35 points (came second and got chopped 3 handicap) which i was happy about. The following week i scored 25 points. Then last week i shot 32 points expecting to come second again as the rest of the feild were strugling to get about 28 points. Then someone comes in with 39 points. 39!!!! over 14 holes how can people compeat with these people. I dont want to look like a sore loser but how is this possible, especially with so many sub 28 points cards in. The thing that cheered me up with this though is he got cut 8 shots *evil laugh*.

So my question is over 14 holes playing to par and handicap points should be 28?
Now i know people have good rounds and bad rounds and weather affects scoring to.
What would be like a score in the "buffer zone for this" type of event.

Matt, first of all the handicap system is based on the SSS not the par, for example at Caernarfon GC at Par 69, to play to your handicap you need to score 37 pts.

Secondly mentioning the dreaded word again is going to produce some great replies

and thirdly YES you do sound like a sore loser

The dreaded 'B' word in Golf.

Its hard to find a way to sort these people out and worrying thing is there seems to be a rise of them.

I've started playing in the Summer Matchplay Knockouts at our club and have already experienced Bandits who are proud of the fact they are Bandits which upsets me the most. I played one guy of Supposedly 23 Handicap and he was 4 over on the front 9 and 5 over on the back 9, defeated me 5&4 and I thought I'd had a very good game. He was making Birdies on holes he was getting shots, which to me is plain wrong.

In another bracket of the comp I'm facing a guy playing off 22 Handicap, who 12 months ago played off 11, however he 'Forgot' to renew his Membership in 2007 so his handicap lapsed. He then put 3 cards in and got this ridiculous 22 Handicap, yet he plays several times a week, and at different clubs and is a constant fixture in the Club Pro's Pro-Am Team (No surprise when he plays comfortably to 12 yet gets an extra 10 flipping shots.)

Worse to come for me is playing a 4BBB comp next week against the female Secretary of the club of 18, getting 2 courtesy shots so that's 3 she gets off me. Her partner is a 28 Handicap Golfer who has been playing for 30 years, who never plays in competitions so has never seen his handicap reduced since he first obtained it. Now he plays 7 days a week being a retired ex-RAF person and there is no way you can play for that length of time and that many times a week and still be a 28 Handicap Golfer. So me giving him 11 shots seems a total joke.

The more I come across this sort of thing the more I want to get off my ass and make some changes to the Handicap System. I think everyone obtaining a handicap, to maintain it and hold onto should have to submit 12 cards a year (1 per month) with a minimum of 6 coming in actual Medal Competitions. The bandits would soon be found out then. 

priceless John

"Now he plays 7 days a week being a retired ex-RAF person "

Bandits at 3 o'clock then.......

Nice one Robbie. Watch out from anything coming out of the sun Chris.

Matt, I am afraid I have to agree with Wayne that what you have described is someone shooting an unusually good round and you should have shaken his hand and congratulated him.

To be a bandit you have to deliberately mask your true handicap for profit or glory.  Entering a 14 hole evening Stableford rabbit competition, although important to the competitors, doesn't smack of too much of either and as you point out he got his handicap clipped by 8 shots.  You wouldn't enter such a low key comp and shoot such a good score if you were a real bandit.

Chris's descriptions sound much more worthy of the bandit label.

I'm the secretary of a society and I'm aware that this has happened in the past, in fact we had an issue with a player last season, which ended up with the member who introduced him leaving (of their own will I'll add) after a couple of less than diplomatic comments!

As we are not affiliated to a club we keep our own handicaps for competition, but this does not stop people who go out and take the time to improve their games.

So where do you draw the line?

I have a handicap of 28, and have regulary played above that over the last 12 months... But, of late I've been putting a lot more time and effort between 'fixtures' with the society.

When we come to our next fixture if I can break 100 (titter ye not) I'll be in with a good chance of a high finish.

I suppose it's not a bad as some of the above, but will I be deemed a bandit!?

ABSOLUTELY TIM, and why???

Because we are human and nothing pleases us more than to have banter with our fellow colleagues and wind them up.

We have introduced a couple of rules because of this.

1. Only paid up members can win any of the prizes - normally cash generated by an 'fee' to the playing members on the day.

2.  Ridule, Derision and mockery to be used at will until said person walks away.

Tim i think what you are doing is no where near bandit country.  i think we all get upset when people obviously have a handicap significatly lower than they claim.

Anyone can have a 40 or even 42 point round on 1 of those days but if it's every time and i've seen some scores of 50 at my course that's just wrong. 

  My official handicap is 20 as i got it 4 years ago and don't play comps (due to silly scores by others to win) but in any open comps i play i go off 14 as that's about right possibly 12 now. 

Matt, I play in a similar society although the penalties are not so harsh being two strokes docked for a win and one for second.  It occurred to me that in about 10 years time, if we are still going, we will all be playing off scratch.

This will mean any new members even if they play off their proper handicaps will be automatic bandits.  I think I will suggest that the three shots cut off the winner and second are redistributed equally to the other players playing that day.  This will stop the handicap drift towards 0 and will reward regular attendees who do not win.