Cheating in open competitions (North West area)

[Green Bay Hacker]

Last year there was a thread about a number of golfers who were supposedly using various methods to cheat their way to various prizes in open comps mainly in the North West. Not sure how much of it was bar room gossip or if there was any substance to the accusations but I remember a number of posts being deleted and warnings issued.

Today we were playing an inter club match and our opponents were talking about an email doing the rounds from another club about players being caught using false handicaps to enable them to win open comps. Has anyone else heard this and if so is it the same players that last years thread was about?

 

[palindromicbob]

Last year there was a thread about a number of golfers who were supposedly using various methods to cheat their way to various prizes in open comps mainly in the North West. Not sure how much of it was bar room gossip or if there was any substance to the accusations but I remember a number of posts being deleted and warnings issued.

Today we were playing an inter club match and our opponents were talking about an email doing the rounds from another club about players being caught using false handicaps to enable them to win open comps. Has anyone else heard this and if so is it the same players that last years thread was about?

By false do you mean artificially inflated. I've got a picture in my head of a guy in a seedy back alley selling forged handicap certificates alongside passports and driving licenses.

Not a surprise to here rumours of people entering opens with handicaps that don't reflect ability though.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I would be very surprised if this is happening as all club members in England are now on the CDH. Sure they can protect their handicaps but it's not possible to enter using the wrong one as the organisers can check any individual online.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

By false do you mean artificially inflated. I've got a picture in my head of a guy in a seedy back alley selling forged handicap certificates alongside passports and driving licenses.

Not a surprise to here rumours of people entering opens with handicaps that don't reflect ability though.

The way I was told was that they were single figure golfers playing off much higher handicaps. Apart from that I have no other details.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

I would be very surprised if this is happening as all club members in England are now on the CDH. Sure they can protect their handicaps but it's not possible to enter using the wrong one as the organisers can check any individual online.

This could possibly be how they were caught if they had produced an incorrect handicap certificate.

 

[freddielong]

I guessing you could turn up if you had someone elses ID number play with their handicap and walk away with the prize especially if the course was on the other side of the country

 

[upsidedown]

Was on the edge of a conversation at our club on Friday, Committee members, and they were talking about dodgy winners in the NW, no more details than that sorry but given that they were talking about would lead some credence to the story.

 

[SaintHacker]

I guessing you could turn up if you had someone elses ID number play with their handicap and walk away with the prize especially if the course was on the other side of the country

Anyone want 23 shots? I'll start the bidding at £50!

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Was chatting to a secretary of another club recently and he was telling me a funny story, a pair had done rather well in a pairs better ball so he rung the club to check that the handicaps were correct before the prize giving and the person who answered the phone said no problem you can speak with both who are sat at the bar here, the pair who did well only borrowed names and handicaps of two higher handicaps. Both got dq but don't know if anymore was mentioned.

 

[JCW]

Maybe they were the right handicaps just they did not belong to the person using it and as they were playing away from where they normally play they thought they could get away with it till someone saw the name and the club and knew the handicap did not belong to them and reported in

 

[patricks148]

There have been some instances up here last year. There's a few walk on opens at clubs where you just rock up and play with your mates. Two guys have won 3 last year, with one winning the scratch the other the handicap. There was also an instance in an open that was drawn, and where due to play with different guys. Some spaces became free at the end of this comp and excuses were made and again there two played together last and again won the scratch and handicap. Most of the clubs are wise to them now and i think one of them has even been kicked out of his home club.

The mind boggles.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

There was an incident last year at Manchester GC involving a couple of sharks off here, although it got sorted apparently this particular 4ball had swept up in opens in previous weeks/months.

It does happen unfortunately.

 

[Jensen]

Defies belief....some peoples thought process isn't what golf is all about. Cheating is a massive no, no. These people should be named, shamed, kick out of golf clubs and be blanked for ever.
I wouldn't have anything to do with them

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Keep posting will you, your avatar really cheers my monday up !! :thup:

 

[williamalex1]

Most away clubs contact the winners home club to check h/cs and get a home address to post vouchers, or they post the vouchers to the home club with the winners names on them .

All golf clubs in Scotland are at present issuing Scottish golf membership ID cards to their members, that contain all your handicap and club info.

 

[patricks148]

Most away clubs contact the winners home club to check h/cs and get a home address to post vouchers, or they post the vouchers to the home club with the winners names on them .

All golf clubs in Scotland are at present issuing Scottish golf membership ID cards to their members, that contain all your handicap and club info.

true, but what if its just plain cheating on scores rather than handicaps. One of the guys i ref in my post is off scratch, but has failed to break 87 gross this year in drawn comps, but has a 69 with one of his mates

 

[williamalex1]

true, but what if its just plain cheating on scores rather than handicaps. One of the guys i ref in my post is off scratch, but has failed to break 87 gross this year in drawn comps, but has a 69 with one of his mates

That's a problem, hard to catch them at it.

 

[pbrown7582]

true, but what if its just plain cheating on scores rather than handicaps. One of the guys i ref in my post is off scratch, but has failed to break 87 gross this year in drawn comps, but has a 69 with one of his mates

hence the reason for drawn open comps.

 

[bluewolf]

I think the problem highlighted last year was with a group who were entering 4 ball Opens and manipulating the scores to "just" win.. However, it's in highly unprovable (sp) and no one wants to reopen that little wound...

 

[cookelad]

Played an am-am at my mate's place (in the North West) a couple of years back, there were rumours that the last group out were getting regular text updates on the scores from inside the clubhouse, needless to say, they won and apparently it wasn't the first time!