bandits!

[hovis]

How can clubs deal with bandits? Or even prove it? there lots of things that have happened recently and the only thing i can think of is to pull out of all comps and use supplementary cards. There are lots of examples but below are two typical ones.

We have a order of merit comp at the end of the year "race to brabazon " with 12 golfers. One guy off 24 spends the summer constantly scoring a handicap preserving 35/36 points week in week out. Now this doesn't get a win but gets a steady stream of points to make the top 12. a week before the comp and with one qualifying round left he finds himself 7 points out of the top twelve. He plays the comp to 41 points on the pga in 30mph winds and gets himself a place in the final!!!!!

Another guy joins and hands in 3 cards for an initial handicap of 26. Then plays his 3 required comps to be eligible for the club champs. No one sees this guy for 5 months until club champ day and shoots 7 under his handicap on a course set up "impossible "

What can you do?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Not a great deal I would have thought until they put in that killer card at which point the HC can pull them. If they have annoyed enough people on the committee then they may use the exceptional circumstances line and really cut them. Interesting to hear other thoughts on this.

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Not a great deal I would have thought until they put in that killer card at which point the HC can pull them. If they have annoyed enough people on the committee then they may use the exceptional circumstances line and really cut them. Interesting to hear other thoughts on this.

We had a guy shoot net 61 in the last major of the season to put him in the top 15 of out order of merit

Really there is not much you can do

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Do you know the people? Do you know that they're bandits?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Nothing can be done

Was he preserving his HC or just playing to it then had that one off round plenty of people do

And 5 better than HC isn't really scorching it up

And maybe the other guy was away working on his game to try and improve and again had that one good round

Someone having the one good round doesn't mean they are a bandit or preserving HC imo

It's the one doing it week in week out on swindles and roll ups and then looking for .1 on medal days

 

[hovis]

Do you know the people? Do you know that they're bandits?

No. Im mearly speculating. i just find it too coincidental that he needed a win and got one in solid conditions. I also played a match play knock out with some guy that beat me on the 11th! He was level gross after 9 (26 handicap)

 

[hovis]

Nothing can be done

Was he preserving his HC or just playing to it then had that one off round plenty of people do

And 5 better than HC isn't really scorching it up

And maybe the other guy was away working on his game to try and improve and again had that one good round

Someone having the one good round doesn't mean they are a bandit or preserving HC imo

It's the one doing it week in week out on swindles and roll ups and then looking for .1 on medal days

I would agree that 5 shots isnt bandit territory but the pga in them conditions makes 5 shots more like 10

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I would agree that 5 shots isnt bandit territory but the pga in them conditions makes 5 shots more like 10

It happens though - if it happens a couple more times then it's more than raises eyebrow time

 

[Coatsy79]

I'm a 27 handicap and I played to 13 on Sunday, I'll turn up next time and shoot 125

Sadly it's the nature of only playing once or twice a fortnight and being such a high handicapper

 

[Deleted member 18121]

No. Im mearly speculating. i just find it too coincidental that he needed a win and got one in solid conditions. I also played a match play knock out with some guy that beat me on the 11th! He was level gross after 9 (26 handicap)

I'm not one for playing comps but I look at it from my playing level..... I've been hovering around the 20/21 handicap for ages, but have put in a couple of +13 and +14 rounds before..... which can quite easily be followed by a +26 round the following week. Maybe because I know what's possible I'm not so cynical.

 

[hovis]

I'm not one for playing comps but I look at it from my playing level..... I've been hovering around the 20/21 handicap for ages, but have put in a couple of +13 and +14 rounds before..... which can quite easily be followed by a +26 round the following week. Maybe because I know what's possible I'm not so cynical.

I completely agree with what your saying. One of my pp is off 28 and shot a 86 followed by a 118. But these chap's in question are scoring 36 points all the time to get points. At least chuck in an occasional 26 to make it look legitimate!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I completely agree with what your saying. One of my pp is off 28 and shot a 86 followed by a 118. But these chap's in question are scoring 36 points all the time to get points. At least chuck in an occasional 26 to make it look legitimate!

You say he's regularly scoring 36pts. Now that is regularly scoring better than his general ability (as your handicap is your 'stretch' ability)-so what's he doing in medals? He must be putting medal cards in.

Plain fact is that golf is a pretty random game for all handicap golfers - and by definition more especially for higher handicappers - these things happen.

 

[patricks148]

but when there are shooting good scores they must be getting cut??.

The real bandits in my book are the one not entering comps and playing in these not handicap qual comps and matchplay national comps.

 

[hovis]

but when there are shooting good scores they must be getting cut??.

The real bandits in my book are the one not entering comps and playing in these not handicap qual comps and matchplay national comps.

Constantly shooting 36 doesn't get you a cut though does it. Then he just so happens to shoot 41 when he needs a win to qualify? Maybe its pukka but also suspect

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sorry but this sounds like sour grapes. It happens and just because they are scoring 35-36 points regularly doesn't make them bandits. Going out scoring low in tricky conditions doesn't either. Once they shoot below handicap or if CSS goes up they are going to get cut anyway

 

[hovis]

Sorry but this sounds like sour grapes. It happens and just because they are scoring 35-36 points regularly doesn't make them bandits. Going out scoring low in tricky conditions doesn't either. Once they shoot below handicap or if CSS goesí up they are going to get cut anyway

I think what makes it hard to swallow is i looked at the order of merit leader board and noticed the guy in question teeing off. I said to the starter "he needs to win today to qualify, i wonder " then comes in with a win!!!!! Very Fishy to me considering the weather.
I'd personly say he's been protecting his handicap all year to put himself in contention for the massive prizes on offer and didn't think he'd find himself a few points back with one match left

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think what makes it hard to swallow is i looked at the order of merit leader board and noticed the guy in question teeing off. I said to the starter "he needs to win today to qualify, i wonder " then comes in with a win!!!!! Very Fishy to me considering the weather

Why? Out of interest do they always play in the same groups?

 

[hovis]

Why? Out of interest do they always play in the same groups?

Yes, same groups. Luckily the final is random draw

And i find it Fishy because a 24+ handicap golfer can not score 41 points on the pga with them winds. Second place shot 29

 

[patricks148]

Constantly shooting 36 doesn't get you a cut though does it. Then he just so happens to shoot 41 when he needs a win to qualify? Maybe its pukka but also suspect

If i reg shot 36 points round my place i would get cut, he's playing a fair amount of comps at least. Trouble is the system can be manipulated and you do get guys who like to stay at a certain level to be competitive.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Your order of merit should not just be based upon stableford comps. You need to get some medal/strokeplay comps in it. That'll keep the stableford bandits at bay as they will also have to play well in the strokeplay comps and that'll get their handicaps cut.