Is it Sandbagging to Post Compettive Round Scores only for Handicap Purposes?

[driveandputtmachine]

My question on Match play and how you record your shots.......

Your competitor hits one in the water, but manages to get fourth on the green about 25 feet away.   You hit one down the middle hit it to 12 feet.  He trying to make his putt rams it by catches a slope and ends up 15 feet away for double, he misses has two feet you give him the putt for triple, and then he gives you your putt knowing there is no chance you are gonna five putt and tie him.

 

Do you have to record that as a birdie?

 

I only ask because someone on my handicap committee has told me that yes I have to.  I understand that when I beat him 4 and 3 that I have to record my score on those three holes we did not play and post that score.  I had three separate times where I was given a birdie or better putt that was by NO WAY even a 50/50 chance of making for PGA pros and was told I have to record my score as having made that putt.  I played well and would beat my handicap by two if I counted those three 12+ footers as birdies and one eagle, but my competitor played 8 shots over his handicap and was completely out of those holes so he gave me a 12 footer, a 13 footer, and a 20 footer.  The 20 footer was on a par 5 for eagle and my competitor had hit one OB, then in the trees then a 5th shot in the water, hit his 6th in the bunker and then said "pick it up that one is good" as he raked his ball out of the bunker.  

 

He gave me 5 and 6 footers all day long starting on the fourth hole when I was already three up, which at the time I was a good putter at that range and would have made most of the putts in that 3-6 range he gave me anyway.  He told me on the 1st tee box whoever won would have to play his best bud that he plays in the member member with.  It really felt like that he knew he was playing bad and was trying to get me a good round to lower my handicap before I had to play his buddy since he figured he had no chance of beating me because of how bad he was playing.  After the round he even said, boy turning in that score is gonna kill your handicap, I said well I have to ask about being given 20 footers, and he said you have to record it as given. 

[Pepperturbo]

On 1/2/2022 at 10:36 AM, nsxguy said:

 

Define "sandbagging".

 

...

 

That said, you handicap isn't legitimate in either case; at least not here in the U.S. ALL rounds played by the ROG are post-able for handicap purposes.

 

There are handicapping rules for accounting for holes not finished.

 

 

True.  Come to think about it, a lot of people arbitrary decide what scores are worthy of being posted, and what not to post.  One score hurts the field, the other score hurts the poster.  Either way they've made their Ghin invalid enough to cause the handicap committee to take action if it became known.

[jvincent]

1 hour ago, driveandputtmachine said:

 

Do you have to record that as a birdie?

 

 

12 footers you should record as two putts. The official guidance for a one putt is, IIRC, 5 feet.

 

[Newby]

On 1/21/2022 at 6:57 PM, Bad9 said:

 

In Canada you can get a Golf Canada membership which includes an official handicap without having to be a member of a club (I'm taking this to mean a course). You can post scores from any course and still have an official handicap. Given that GC essentially follows the USGA on handicaps I would presume the USGA has a similar practice.

This is now the situation in England (and Scotland I believe). Tha national body acts as the player's club and manages the handicaps as any proper club committee would. I don't know what the uptake has been as it has only just been introduced. But golf club membership is booming here. My club has increased from 620 to 750 and now has a waiting list for the first time in over 10 years.

[nsxguy]

19 hours ago, driveandputtmachine said:

My question on Match play and how you record your shots.......

Your competitor hits one in the water, but manages to get fourth on the green about 25 feet away.   You hit one down the middle hit it to 12 feet.  He trying to make his putt rams it by catches a slope and ends up 15 feet away for double, he misses has two feet you give him the putt for triple, and then he gives you your putt knowing there is no chance you are gonna five putt and tie him.

 

Do you have to record that as a birdie?

 

I only ask because someone on my handicap committee has told me that yes I have to.  I understand that when I beat him 4 and 3 that I have to record my score on those three holes we did not play and post that score.  I had three separate times where I was given a birdie or better putt that was by NO WAY even a 50/50 chance of making for PGA pros and was told I have to record my score as having made that putt.  I played well and would beat my handicap by two if I counted those three 12+ footers as birdies and one eagle, but my competitor played 8 shots over his handicap and was completely out of those holes so he gave me a 12 footer, a 13 footer, and a 20 footer.  The 20 footer was on a par 5 for eagle and my competitor had hit one OB, then in the trees then a 5th shot in the water, hit his 6th in the bunker and then said "pick it up that one is good" as he raked his ball out of the bunker.  

 

He gave me 5 and 6 footers all day long starting on the fourth hole when I was already three up, which at the time I was a good putter at that range and would have made most of the putts in that 3-6 range he gave me anyway.  He told me on the 1st tee box whoever won would have to play his best bud that he plays in the member member with.  It really felt like that he knew he was playing bad and was trying to get me a good round to lower my handicap before I had to play his buddy since he figured he had no chance of beating me because of how bad he was playing.  After the round he even said, boy turning in that score is gonna kill your handicap, I said well I have to ask about being given 20 footers, and he said you have to record it as given. 

 

 

 

 

[davep043]

20 hours ago, driveandputtmachine said:

My question on Match play and how you record your shots.......

Your competitor hits one in the water, but manages to get fourth on the green about 25 feet away.   You hit one down the middle hit it to 12 feet.  He trying to make his putt rams it by catches a slope and ends up 15 feet away for double, he misses has two feet you give him the putt for triple, and then he gives you your putt knowing there is no chance you are gonna five putt and tie him.

 

Do you have to record that as a birdie?

 

I only ask because someone on my handicap committee has told me that yes I have to.  I understand that when I beat him 4 and 3 that I have to record my score on those three holes we did not play and post that score.  I had three separate times where I was given a birdie or better putt that was by NO WAY even a 50/50 chance of making for PGA pros and was told I have to record my score as having made that putt.  I played well and would beat my handicap by two if I counted those three 12+ footers as birdies and one eagle, but my competitor played 8 shots over his handicap and was completely out of those holes so he gave me a 12 footer, a 13 footer, and a 20 footer.  The 20 footer was on a par 5 for eagle and my competitor had hit one OB, then in the trees then a 5th shot in the water, hit his 6th in the bunker and then said "pick it up that one is good" as he raked his ball out of the bunker.  

 

He gave me 5 and 6 footers all day long starting on the fourth hole when I was already three up, which at the time I was a good putter at that range and would have made most of the putts in that 3-6 range he gave me anyway.  He told me on the 1st tee box whoever won would have to play his best bud that he plays in the member member with.  It really felt like that he knew he was playing bad and was trying to get me a good round to lower my handicap before I had to play his buddy since he figured he had no chance of beating me because of how bad he was playing.  After the round he even said, boy turning in that score is gonna kill your handicap, I said well I have to ask about being given 20 footers, and he said you have to record it as given. 

That guy on your Handicap Committee was simply wrong.  @nsxguy has given you the correct guidelines.  You can also refer to Section 3.3 in the Handicapping Rules here: https://www.usga.org/handicapping/roh/2020-rules-of-handicapping.html, which presents the same information.  And for our friends in other jurisdictions, I realize that this is the USGA way of doing things, it may not apply to you.

[Mudguard]

On 2/16/2022 at 8:55 AM, driveandputtmachine said:

After the round he even said, boy turning in that score is gonna kill your handicap, I said well I have to ask about being given 20 footers, and he said you have to record it as given. 

 

Not in a million years. I've hit a good tee shot down the middle of a hole, had my opponent pipe two out of bounds and he's said, your hole. Do I write down one? No. You have to be realistic. If your opponent gives you a long putt, you take a two putt for the scorecard. Unless you take the concession and hit the putt for practice. If you make it, then you can probably write down the lower score. 

 

[ShupeSC]

On 2/15/2022 at 2:55 PM, driveandputtmachine said:

My question on Match play and how you record your shots.......

Your competitor hits one in the water, but manages to get fourth on the green about 25 feet away.   You hit one down the middle hit it to 12 feet.  He trying to make his putt rams it by catches a slope and ends up 15 feet away for double, he misses has two feet you give him the putt for triple, and then he gives you your putt knowing there is no chance you are gonna five putt and tie him.

 

Do you have to record that as a birdie?

 

I only ask because someone on my handicap committee has told me that yes I have to.  I understand that when I beat him 4 and 3 that I have to record my score on those three holes we did not play and post that score.  I had three separate times where I was given a birdie or better putt that was by NO WAY even a 50/50 chance of making for PGA pros and was told I have to record my score as having made that putt.  I played well and would beat my handicap by two if I counted those three 12+ footers as birdies and one eagle, but my competitor played 8 shots over his handicap and was completely out of those holes so he gave me a 12 footer, a 13 footer, and a 20 footer.  The 20 footer was on a par 5 for eagle and my competitor had hit one OB, then in the trees then a 5th shot in the water, hit his 6th in the bunker and then said "pick it up that one is good" as he raked his ball out of the bunker.  

 

He gave me 5 and 6 footers all day long starting on the fourth hole when I was already three up, which at the time I was a good putter at that range and would have made most of the putts in that 3-6 range he gave me anyway.  He told me on the 1st tee box whoever won would have to play his best bud that he plays in the member member with.  It really felt like that he knew he was playing bad and was trying to get me a good round to lower my handicap before I had to play his buddy since he figured he had no chance of beating me because of how bad he was playing.  After the round he even said, boy turning in that score is gonna kill your handicap, I said well I have to ask about being given 20 footers, and he said you have to record it as given. 

Just because someone gives you a putt doesn’t mean you don’t finish out.  I just pick up the ball move it a couple inches and finish out like normal.

[DaveLeeNC]

28 minutes ago, Mudguard said:

 

Not in a million years. I've hit a good tee shot down the middle of a hole, had my opponent pipe two out of bounds and he's said, your hole. Do I write down one? No. You have to be realistic. If your opponent gives you a long putt, you take a two putt for the scorecard. Unless you take the concession and hit the putt for practice. If you make it, then you can probably write down the lower score. 

 

 

You are wrong here. You have to post 2 (one for the drive down the middle and the 2nd stroke for the conceded hole-out from 230 yards). You gotta get this stuff right 😀😀😀😀😀

 

dave

Edited February 18, 2022 by DaveLeeNC