Someone's lyin' about their golf game when they....

[Golfnuck]

I don't know how to not lie when talking about my scores. I only post tournament rounds on my handicap online and I have scores that range from a +1.2 to a 13. I usually just say I'm inconsistent because I know I can shoot 70 but I know I also can shoot 85 if I play bad.

 

If I say that I am a 2.1 handicap and then shoot 82, people think I'm lying so usually I go with, "i'm not really sure." lol

 

The plight of a 12 whose home course is wide open. I'll get paired with guys and if they ask my handicap I'm just like "ehhh all that matters is if my short game is on or not". If I actually give a number they'll either think I'm hustling them if I go out in 34 (actually had that happen but luckily it was only over $5) or think I'm an idiot if I go out in 50. Flip a coin.

 

If I'm on a different track with trees/OB/hazards then my score will pretty consistently be high 80s. At least that's predictable.

 

Kinda like Pikka playing in Pittsburgh vs. Nashville.

 

Sorry .............. I'm actually cheering for the Preds.

 

If you guys get to the game 7 I hope Poile can hire someone to exorcise the spirits from the PPG Paints Arena.

[aliikane]

Couldn't agree more on a lot of good golfers having a high variance in their scores.

 

I was labeled a sandbagger when I was playing a tournament in Arizona.

 

I learned to play while in college in northern California and the course I exclusively played on was lined with trees and has very healthy rough.

 

I said I was probably a 15 index (never actually kept an index) and I shot 77 at the Arizona course because you could miss onto the other fairway and still have a perfectly clean shot to the green. Not to mention the rough was almost non existent.

 

Now I'm probably a 3-4 (still don't officially keep an index) but like others I can have a bad day on the tee and throw out a terrible score on any given day -- making me "that guy" who says he can play.

 

It is funny because any player with a high variance of scores is always gonna be labeled a sandbagger or hack depending on how you play in relation to your handicap. People always expect you to shoot your handicap when in reality you generally only shoot scores at your handicap or better about 25% of the time.

[bogeypro]

I never ask the handicap of people I play with. I just try to guess it after the front 9. Makes it much more fun!! LOL

[llamont]

Why are these threads so popular on here?

 

People love to hate

 

R.I.P. Charlie Murphy!

[jonsnow]

If asked, I usually tell people, "I suck, but I suck aggressively." Can be interpreted any way they like,

[2bGood]

When they don't have a handicap index, but they claim the usually shoot around par.

[One85]

How about the guy who is a self-proclaimed, single-digit handicaper, who rolls it everywhere and gives himself 3' gimmies?

[phen0men0n]

"I average 300 off the tee."

[Tazz4629]

I play in a regular group with guys who say their HC is in the 20's.

 

Then these same guys will go out and shoot 82-88 every time and win most of the money every week.

 

They never shoot in the 90's or higher when they play in the money game

 

Yep, they's lying.

[kiwii]

The most common giveaway for me is when some pauses for a looong time when asked their handicap.

 

Also poor evaluations of courses. For example calling an "easy" course difficult, a certain hole difficult etc. or the best is when they over exaggerate green speeds when it's just a muni.

[cricgolf]

Don't know from what angle Anirban looks like he's " lying". Both players look a little frustrated. Pic choice is poor.

[spartan6910]

I don't know how to not lie when talking about my scores. I only post tournament rounds on my handicap online and I have scores that range from a +1.2 to a 13. I usually just say I'm inconsistent because I know I can shoot 70 but I know I also can shoot 85 if I play bad.

 

If I say that I am a 2.1 handicap and then shoot 82, people think I'm lying so usually I go with, "i'm not really sure." lol

 

This is exactly why my response to any question resembling "are you good?" is always something along the lines of "eh I'm ok." I play to a 4 right now and I don't often fail to break 80, but on the off chance it happens I don't want to look like that doofus. Better to undersell and overdeliver, I say.

[Jwin323]

I play with the same guys every time so thankfully I'm not subjected to this.

[EdgewoodJones]

When asked what they do, they tell you they are an "auto broker'

 

They complain about how the club's tournament handicaps are determined, yet ALWAYS end up below net par.

 

They never post below net par for non-tournament rounds.

 

They claim to post every round.

 

They tell you about the great trip they took to Bandon Dunes last month and what they shot.......yet the rounds aren't posted.

 

They invite a friend to join your club on the premise that he is "a great guy". That great guy stiffs the club for $250.

 

Yup

[360_CS]

I just tell people that I suck ahead of time. Set the expectations low so that people will never be disappointed.

 

Ha. That's what I do. Always add a few to the hcp when they ask.

[MR4PUTT]

Not sure how prevalent it is where you guys are from but I know back home we have a lot of older, short courses. Guys tend to the play the s*** out of their home course so naturally their ghin is mostly home posts. They love to brag how they are a 4 and then they get out onto a newer longer track and are just shocked they shot a 90. Technically they aren't lying they just lack some common sense.

[pinestreetgolf]

I don't know how to not lie when talking about my scores. I only post tournament rounds on my handicap online and I have scores that range from a +1.2 to a 13. I usually just say I'm inconsistent because I know I can shoot 70 but I know I also can shoot 85 if I play bad.

 

If I say that I am a 2.1 handicap and then shoot 82, people think I'm lying so usually I go with, "i'm not really sure." lol

I don't know how to not lie when talking about my scores. I only post tournament rounds on my handicap online and I have scores that range from a +1.2 to a 13. I usually just say I'm inconsistent because I know I can shoot 70 but I know I also can shoot 85 if I play bad.

 

If I say that I am a 2.1 handicap and then shoot 82, people think I'm lying so usually I go with, "i'm not really sure." lol

 

Yeah people don't get that a lot of single digits have big scoring ranges because they're erratic. Lots of 80s shooters have really narrow scoring bands because they only hit it about 210 off the tee and it's kind of hard to hit it that far off line at that distance, so they don't lose a lot of balls of tee shots, dribble it around, and shoot 85. But if you just drew a straight line from their miss in the right rough at 210 and extended it out to 280 that tee shot all of a sudden is either in the next fairway or in some guy's pool.

 

I know lots of guys who have ranges of 70-85 depending on the day. Just yesterday I played with a 7 who is fairly long, was a little nervous, and fired a 98 (54-44). He played his round by the rules, finished it out, and posted a bad number, its fine, it's totally normal. Still though, the guy was very obviously a 7 who was having a rough day.

 

Great post from thrillhouse here. I never know how to deal with this. I've played in few events this year with pretty respectable scores and a big, fat 91 on a course I find insanely challenging because the greens are tiny. I was invited to play a scramble and had an off day and the other guys in the scramble seemed massively disappointed. I'm like "what do you want? doing the best i can". Its frustrating. All you can do is keep going through your routine and trying to hit your target. I get what both of y'all are saying in these two posts.

 

What bothers me the most isn't "lying" so much as constant self-talk. I played with a guy the other day and it was like Jim Nantz was walking next to me explaining to me why everything bad was happening and why everything good wasn't actually good. He made sure to tell me he flew the green on 2 into the back bunker because he took too much club but put a great swing on it. Then 3 is "hard for him" so he narrates the entire hole, including telling me he is going to three putt because he is never on the green anyways and then immediately three putting and then getting satisfied with himself that he successfully predicted his own three putt. It was nuts.

 

So, I'd say the narrators are the worst. Constant stream of commentary on his round, aimed at me, designed to excuse poor play, all nonsense and I'm like "dude, I could care less what you do. I'm worried about my shot. I dont care how good or bad you are."

[Nard_S]

........talk about the 76 they shot last week while they are in the process of shooting 86 (In my experience, the genuine, real deal "players" never, ever talk score)

[Jwin323]

Not sure how prevalent it is where you guys are from but I know back home we have a lot of older, short courses. Guys tend to the play the s*** out of their home course so naturally their ghin is mostly home posts. They love to brag how they are a 4 and then they get out onto a newer longer track and are just shocked they shot a 90. Technically they aren't lying they just lack some common sense.

 

You're correct. When the slope system was introduced, it was touted as the answer to this problem, that handicaps would travel effectively. Just hasn't worked out that way.

[propman]

Begining of round:

 

Other guy: You hit a 3 wood? Why dont you use driver?

Me: I rather be in the fairway closer than in the trees.

Other guy: I want to play in tournaments and take lessons

Me: (thinking to myself) Im in for a long round

 

Halfway through the round

 

me: what did you get on that hole? I got a bogey

Other guy: I also got a bogey

Me: You hit 3 drives if you want a bogey thats cool.

Other guy: Yeah those don't count

Me: I guess only the best and longest drive counts

 

Water hole

 

Other guy: Did you see that drive? I think I hit it over the water

Me: (Thinking to myself) There is no chance in hell you hit it over the water, wait until we get over there

Other guy: I cant find my ball did you see I am pretty sure it went over the water

Me; Your ball is in the water I doubt you hit it over. The water is about 280 to clear.

Other guy: I cant find it I will just drop for 2 over here

Me; (Thinking to myself) We are about to play a 4.5 hour round on an empty course. FML

 

I'm usually tolerant but I would have done my best to split with this "other guy" - "got a home emergency " excuse or something along those lines. What a dufus.

[NoTalentLefty]

They tell you they use to carry a single digit HCP. Wait a minute that's me.... Now I say after a good shot looked like I knew what I was doing which is true because I got no idea.

[rainkingjr]

I usually don't talk about my handicap when playing with strangers. At the moment, I am actually in the process of re-establishing one. The problem is and the reason why I haven't carried one in the past few years is that I just can't seem to log rounds with any consistency any more. I've posted one score so far and have only played three rounds this year. Went out two weeks ago with the intention of posting a second round. Got jammed up by some stupid unannounced High School event and ended up playing two balls a hole. I won't post a round unless 100% by the rules. My point is that agree with Thrillhouse's earlier sentiment. As a former legitimate 7 handicap, I can shoot anywhere from low 70's to low 90's on a given day. Doesn't mean I am lying if someone sees me shoot a 92. It just means I didn't play like a 7 that day.

[scagnetti]

...when this military guy I got paired up with who was about +7 thru 16 talks all this game. Here's a couple things he's said...

 

 

Jeebus, I'd LOVE to be 7-over thru 16...

[dapadre]

...when this military guy I got paired up with who was about +7 thru 16 talks all this game. Here's a couple things he's said...

 

Guy: "I'm usually under par"

 

Me: "oh nice what's your handicap? +3 or +4?"

 

Guy: "it's about a 1-2."

 

Me:

 

Earlier...Also the same guy: "man the wind is blowing pretty hard today"

 

Me: yeah I guess. (In my head, I'm thinking it hasn't been more than 6ish mph today)

 

The guy had new woods that didn't fit him well. (Long hitter, but had obvious spin issues with both dr and fw and sprayed the ball). Spanking new Scotty that he always left short.

 

I should have congratulated him...I crowned him the most obnoxious player I've ever been paired up with in my life.

 

Could it be he plays at a course where the rating is really low. Reason is that I also play at a course thats like a 68/119 and I almost always break 80, which sounds impressive until you know the course and rating.

[dapadre]

I don't know how to not lie when talking about my scores. I only post tournament rounds on my handicap online and I have scores that range from a +1.2 to a 13. I usually just say I'm inconsistent because I know I can shoot 70 but I know I also can shoot 85 if I play bad.

 

If I say that I am a 2.1 handicap and then shoot 82, people think I'm lying so usually I go with, "i'm not really sure." lol

 

Yep that me to a tee ( no pun intended). I can shoot a 76 today and a 85/90 every know and then, so when they ask I just say erratic single hcapper.

[dapadre]

Crazy but true. Actually played with a guy that was yapping the entire game. Singing during your backswing,making belittling remarks (huh, I thought you would carry that), watch the break BEFORE you put, just being really irritating.

 

I let him hit first even when I had the honor, simply because I wanted to be far from him. He hit driver I hit 3w of 5w. He hit left I went right. The most frustrating game I ever played but it could have been worse. Claimed to be a 10 or so but put up 100+.

[jhawki]

I usually shoot mid to high 90s (play maybe twice a month). I always open with that so people don't bother to lie for the most part because what's the point?

 

Now my buddy Bob is an entertaining one. He upgrades his equipment all the time has Titleist MBs, a Scotty, dresses like a pro and then shoot 130 to 150. He talks a big game and then they see him play. It's always amazing to see people's reactions to that!

 

As for people lying about their game, you know it when they start off with excuses and then just keep adding more and more excuses after each bad shot.

[pearsonified]

I played in a 1-day tournament with skins (for birdies or better only), and one of the dudes in my group was a guy I'd played with once before.

 

During our previous round, dude hit a garbage tee shot left into the woods on a par 4 where...you don't wanna be left in the woods. His ball crossed into the hazard probably 180 yards away from the hole with absolutely no shot because of a large tree sitting at 130.

 

Instead of taking a proper drop at 180, homey goes up to 130 (clear of the tree, and maybe 5 yards short of where his ball would have landed...30 yards into the woods), hits a great shot, and eventually makes a 5.

 

It was raining; he wasn't going to win the tournament; and I didn't feel the need to correct this guy's sh*tty drop on the 17th hole of the day. I left it alone, but I classified the dude as a cheat from that point on.

 

Fast forward to our 1-day tourney + skins, and dude jacks his drive so far left on the difficult par 4 15th hole that it lands on a house roof—waaaay OB. He plays a provisional and does the same thing, only farther left. Then he plays a second provisional and takes a f*cking divot with a 3-wood and pops the ball out there maybe 215 with at least 225 left to the pin. No bueno.

 

Since he was only +2 at the time, Cheatin' Charlie was committed to his "get out of jail free" strategy the second we walked off the tee to go find our balls.

 

Somehow, dude "finds" his first ball 15 yards inside the OB fence, 30 yards away from the roof he hit, and just in front of a cactus with a lie decent enough to chop it back out into the fairway and advance it maybe 110 yards.

 

I had already told another player in our group the guy was a cheat, and we just laughed as he proclaimed that he found his first ball. Of course, he proceeded to chop out a nice recovery shot to 110, and then he jars his 3rd shot from there for a miraculous "birdie."

 

That shot won him $80 worth of skins, and then his eventual 3rd place finish won him another $60.

 

Son of a b*tch would have scored 100 on that hole alone if he hadn't cheated.

 

And cheaters never win? Don't be so sure. If you see a guy pulling this blatant sh*t on the course, I advise you to jump his Word not allowed right then and there.

[gmangolf]

They are lying if they offer up their handicap unsolicited.

[SwingEZ]

Giving post shot analysis like they know what they're taking about.