Bandits/Cheats/Good Days and Bad

[clubchamp98]

Yeah but if I somehow won the club champs this weekend and anyone got hold of my non comp scores they'd probably say I was one!

As long as YOU know don’t worry about jealous #%@£+s.
Everyone scores better with their mates.
That’s why some people never win a big one = nerves.

Ours is off scratch ,36 holes in one day, I have the game but not the legs anymore.

 

[User20204]

Yeah but if I somehow won the club champs this weekend and anyone got hold of my non comp scores they'd probably say I was one!

Club Champion scoring in the 90s ?? Have I missed something here ? To get in to our club Championship knockouts you'd need to be around scratch at best.

 

[williamalex1]

I did wonder what happened to the old forum member El Bandito.

 

[TheDiablo]

Was exactly what I was thinking, how did they let him win 6 weeks on the bounce without someone saying something.

Pretty sure you've taken the money 6 weeks on the bounce before!

 

[rosecott]

My view / opinion which won’t be popular with 99% of people.
Everyone is a bandit unless you play in every qualifier you possibly can, people that play the 3 qualifiers over the season are hiding for a reason. Be it low guys trying to stay low or high guys trying to stay high or even players that say they can’t play with a card in hand.
I don’t care if someone plays 20+ handicappers and gets 20 x 0.1’s, they are putting cards in. It’s no easy feat to play badly just to increase a handicap.

Well, I'm certainly not a bandit as I played 110 qualifiers last year and am approaching the 50 mark this year. I have always believed that the more qualifiers you play, the more your handicap is a true reflection.

 

[User20204]

Well, I'm certainly not a bandit as I played 110 qualifiers last year and am approaching the 50 mark this year. I have always believed that the more qualifiers you play, the more your handicap is a true reflection.

Wow, how is that even possibly to play so many, is that qualifiers all year round ?

 

[rosecott]

Wow, how is that even possibly to play so many, is that qualifiers all year round ?

Yes, we play qualifiers all year round - free draining sandstone-based heathland. There are normally QRs 3 days a week except Seniors have the occasional team game or 3-club event or other NQs.

 

[Lump]

Well, I'm certainly not a bandit as I played 110 qualifiers last year and am approaching the 50 mark this year. I have always believed that the more qualifiers you play, the more your handicap is a true reflection.

And that’s exactly as it should be.
People put far too much pressure on what hcp they have.
I really couldn’t care and through that it opens me up to enjoy golf more.

 

[williamalex1]

Well, I'm certainly not a bandit as I played 110 qualifiers last year and am approaching the 50 mark this year. I have always believed that the more qualifiers you play, the more your handicap is a true reflection.

Hats off to you Jim , you put all us youngsters to shame

 

[Orikoru]

Club Champion scoring in the 90s ?? Have I missed something here ? To get in to our club Championship knockouts you'd need to be around scratch at best.

Meant the net prize obviously.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

It’s important to distinguish between a bandit (someone who manipulates their handicap to win events) and a rapidly improving golfer ( where the handicap system lags behind for a period of time)

Ie 28 handicapper shoots 44 points
So has the ability to play off 20
But only gets cut 2.4,

The system will catch up, but there is a delay

 

[badgb21]

I’m 15 months into my latest come back to golf (last one was over 30 yrs ago and only tinkered) So I am on the steep bit of the improvement curve – well I hope so!

I currently play off 23 and only rarely beat this in a stroke count. However, it’s how it’s made up that often gets me those’ glances’ or ‘comments’ on my good holes.
I seem to score and play well on most holes and then my score is hammered by melt downs on just a very few holes.
I know this may sound familiar to many, but it happens so regularly of late.

So, in our private little comps of match play and other weird scoring systems, I do well and win holes/games, but my overall score count is poor, as when it goes wrong, it can be spectacular!

I’m learning to take bigger doses of medicine and hope lady luck will come on my side a bit. as every bunker I end up in, I’m under an impossible lip. Also keeping calm is my biggest factor to overcome.

I do think the comment above practicing is so right, I know I play too much and don’t practice enough, so will address this.

Anyway, I think I’m an unintentional bandit in certain scoring games!

 

[dronfield]

I’m 15 months into my latest come back to golf (last one was over 30 yrs ago and only tinkered) So I am on the steep bit of the improvement curve – well I hope so!

I currently play off 23 and only rarely beat this in a stroke count. However, it’s how it’s made up that often gets me those’ glances’ or ‘comments’ on my good holes.
I seem to score and play well on most holes and then my score is hammered by melt downs on just a very few holes.
I know this may sound familiar to many, but it happens so regularly of late.

So, in our private little comps of match play and other weird scoring systems, I do well and win holes/games, but my overall score count is poor, as when it goes wrong, it can be spectacular!

I’m learning to take bigger doses of medicine and hope lady luck will come on my side a bit. as every bunker I end up in, I’m under an impossible lip. Also keeping calm is my biggest factor to overcome.

I do think the comment above practicing is so right, I know I play too much and don’t practice enough, so will address this.

Anyway, I think I’m an unintentional bandit in certain scoring games!

This pretty well sums up my game.

Off my 20 h/c i generally have 14 decent holes (few pars, mostly bogeys), a couple of DBs, and then there always seem to be a 7 & 8 thrown in that ruins my medal round.

Like most high h/c players, my best comp scores have generally been in stablefords, and i am a useful partner in the weekend fiddle games (resulting in comments that ny h/c should be lower).

The good holes show me what is achievable, but my inability to remove the two killer ones from a round is really holding me back - would love to have a h/c of circa 13/14.

Rich

 

[Slab]

This pretty well sums up my game.

Off my 20 h/c i generally have 14 decent holes (few pars, mostly bogeys), a couple of DBs, and then there always seem to be a 7 & 8 thrown in that ruins my medal round.

Like most high h/c players, my best comp scores have generally been in stablefords, and i am a useful partner in the weekend fiddle games (resulting in comments that ny h/c should be lower).

The good holes show me what is achievable, but my inability to remove the two killer ones from a round is really holding me back - would love to have a h/c of circa 13/14.

Rich

Maybe a change of mindset might be in order

If you clock up a birdie on a par 3, the benefit to either your net score or points score for the whole round between writing either 4 points or a ‘2’ is exactly the same. Similarly blobbing or writing 7 for a par 4 has an equal detriment to your net score for the round in either scoring format

I could see where a couple of double digit scores in medal would be really harmful compared to Stableford but not doubles with the odd treble
(& that 13 handicapper playing in the group behind you will still rock up their fair share of doubles and 7's too)

 

[dronfield]

Maybe a change of mindset might be in order

If you clock up a birdie on a par 3, the benefit to either your net score or points score for the whole round between writing either 4 points or a ‘2’ is exactly the same. Similarly blobbing or writing 7 for a par 4 has an equal detriment to your net score for the round in either scoring format

I could see where a couple of double digit scores in medal would be really harmful compared to Stableford but not doubles with the odd treble
(& that 13 handicapper playing in the group behind you will still rock up their fair share of doubles and 7's too)

Agree it is def a mindset issue (as well as an ability one!).

To me, stabelfords allow the odd bad hole, knowing that i can hopefully score well enough in 15 holes to at least finish in the buffer zone. The pressure is completely different.

In medal play, if i score a 8 or 9, i start thinking how many pars (and where can i get them) do i need to recover the round back to average 1 over per hole - to achieve a sub h/c round & get cut.

Rich

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Played over the weekend with a group of 16 guys, some I knew and some I did not.

My normal PP has struggled recently to play to his handicap of 16, in fact I cant remember the last time he beat it.....anyway, Saturday he got 26 points and went out in the last group to win the wooden spoon.

Sunday he played to 7 and got 45 points and won the whole weekend by 1 point.......some days, its just your day.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I agree with this too.

I am playing off 15 and I know I have the ability to shoot beneath that but it just hasn't happened in a comp yet.

But I am taking lessons every month and try to get to the range at least once a week. During the summer I am on the course nearly every evening. So I wouldn't say I am a cheat or a bandit as I am practicing and trying to get the handicap down. So if I do win a comp and get cut then I guess my hard work is starting to pay off.

I agree because I am in a similar position. Handicap 16, last two competitions I played awful , got 23 and 22 points. ( when I go off piste, I usually go off the mountain too)
During the year in social play I've parred every hole st some point and birdied
some. Last evening, doing 9 holes alone for practice I eagled a par 5.
Drive, 3 wood ,putt. Jumped up and down! Won't happen again, I suppose.
But it's clear I could possibly one day in a comp play a real blinder and come in with a score expected of a five handicap. It might just all come together.
That doesn't make me a cheat or bandit , does it? But I'd bet some eyebrows would get raised, to say the least😀
No doubt about it. Handicaps 11-18 can go big in either direction sometimes.

 

[Coffey]

I agree because I am in a similar position. Handicap 16, last two competitions I played awful , got 23 and 22 points. ( when I go off piste, I usually go off the mountain too)
During the year in social play I've parred every hole st some point and birdied
some. Last evening, doing 9 holes alone for practice I eagled a par 5.
Drive, 3 wood ,putt. Jumped up and down! Won't happen again, I suppose.
But it's clear I could possibly one day in a comp play a real blinder and come in with a score expected of a five handicap. It might just all come together.
That doesn't make me a cheat or bandit , does it? But I'd bet some eyebrows would get raised, to say the least😀
No doubt about it. Handicaps 11-18 can go big in either direction sometimes.

Well following on from my post.

I moved to a new club just after I posted that.

Won the first 3 comps, two were non-qualifying so handicap didn't move at all.

I heard rumors of people chatting about a new member coming in with a fake handicap and winning comps etc.

Just brushed it off as I knew I had worked hard to get better and was playing well enough, not my fault my handicap couldnt change during the winter.

I have now stablised around 10.

It is going to happen now and again with people but as long as you are playing Qualifiers then there is not much else you can do. If you have a good score then the cut will come, its the people who don't play qualifiers all year and perk up at board comps that you have to look out for!

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I never understand why when people know they have improved and can not enter qualifying comps(winter or another reason), why they do not do supplementary cards, to ensure that their handicap is cut or reviewed and corrected?

We had to do this for our son last year, as he dropped by about 6 shots iirc but was working at weekends and couldn't barely do comps, so we did supplementary social round cards to ensure his handicap was about correct and got cut.

Maybe something people do not remember is available ?

PS Do agree that the handicaps from 9-18 are handicaps that on their day with a bit of luck can score silly like 9-10 shots under handicap a few times in a year(I fit that kind of person myself), even tho they haven't really improved or are bandits. I am typically a non buffer kind of person, either great or rubbish(mainly)

 

[williamalex1]

I’m 15 months into my latest come back to golf (last one was over 30 yrs ago and only tinkered) So I am on the steep bit of the improvement curve – well I hope so!

I currently play off 23 and only rarely beat this in a stroke count. However, it’s how it’s made up that often gets me those’ glances’ or ‘comments’ on my good holes.
I seem to score and play well on most holes and then my score is hammered by melt downs on just a very few holes.
I know this may sound familiar to many, but it happens so regularly of late.

So, in our private little comps of match play and other weird scoring systems, I do well and win holes/games, but my overall score count is poor, as when it goes wrong, it can be spectacular!

I’m learning to take bigger doses of medicine and hope lady luck will come on my side a bit. as every bunker I end up in, I’m under an impossible lip. Also keeping calm is my biggest factor to overcome.

I do think the comment above practicing is so right, I know I play too much and don’t practice enough, so will address this.

Anyway, I think I’m an unintentional bandit in certain scoring games!

Under the new rule 19.3 you can drop back out from the bunker, adding a 2 stroke penalty.