GUI, First step in sorting a long term problem , maybe ?

[bladeplayer]

Copied & pasted from article on GUI.. have edited out or *** out names ..it refers to GUI Members

Being welcomed big time over here.. But will anything of consequence ever happen?

Thoughts..

Anyone who has had any contact with club golf - especially inter-club golf - in recent years will know that feelings are running high regarding handicap cheats.

If the GUI stops short of admitting there is a problem with cheating and banditry, *** acknowledges it’s an issue that concerns many of the 14,000 golfers who recently replied to an online survey that forms part the GUI’s strategic review.



“We are in the middle of a strategic review with all the main stakeholders - golf clubs, branches of the GUI, elite players and some external bodies such as the sports councils north and south, the R&A and so on - and are talking to members of golf clubs by way of an online survey,”


“More than 14,000 people responded and there are a number of key topics that people want us to focus on and one of those things is handicapping.
“On the question of people playing off higher handicaps than their ability in order to gain an advantage, the various stakeholders want the GUI to do something about it. As to what that is, I don’t know.



“The strategy may identify what the GUI could do and what the GUI will do in terms of this issue. But certainly it has come out very clearly, particularly in the online member survey, that it’s something people want the GUI to do something about.


“It’s too early to say what that is but clearly there is an onus on the GUI to tackle it. I suspect it also might include proposals to amend the handicapping rules in some way but to some degree our hands are tied because we are one of six or seven associations that are recognised by CONGU and we only have a certain amount of power.


“Clearly we are being told through this consultation process that there are pretty significant issues [in handicapping] and that people are cheesed off and want action. On a personal level, I don’t seen any difference between a person, over time, orchestrating their handicap to gain an unfair advantage and kicking your ball in the rough.


“Having a handicap that is too high is worse in that it’s premeditated rather than something that is done in the heat of the moment. That’s my personal view.
But as to what stance the GUI takes in relation to it, we are just not there yet. It’s something we will have to approach from a strategic perspective and say, here’s how we are going to try and tackle it.”

​

 

[SammmeBee]

No idea what that means but too many 'opens' in Ireland that allow you to play with your mates and shoot what you like...you could play twice a day, seven days a week if you wanted to......

 

[Tongo]

Good on them. I played in the golf day a few years ago where some young fella scored 44 points and it made me somewhat narked!

 

[bladeplayer]

This i hopefully the first step in stopping these guys doing what u say , but mainly playing in non worthwhile comps & getting their .1's back to attain a higher handicap ..

Every club has them including my own , rubbish scores week in week out , them Captains , Presidents team comps etc the good scores come in ..

Long way to go but at least they are openy admitting there is a problem that proper honest golfers are sick of

 

[stevek1969]

What I've noticed about playing with some Irish lads especially from the South is that they get there handicaps from lucky bags and there interpretation of the rules is well shocking to say the least. Played with numerous lads in comps over in Ireland one guy was really bad he played of 16 and played like a pro i kid you not his scores over the 3 days were if i mind correctly 44 pts at Portstewart 43 at Castlerock and 46 at Portush Valley. He would lift his ball up in the rough to identify it every time then put it back so it was sitting up ,he was told to stop it but he said there wasn't a rule against it.

 

[stevek1969]

I will add that not everyone was like that just some.

 

[bladeplayer]

What I've noticed about playing with some Irish lads especially from the South is that they get there handicaps from lucky bags and there interpretation of the rules is well shocking to say the least. Played with numerous lads in comps over in Ireland one guy was really bad he played of 16 and played like a pro i kid you not his scores over the 3 days were if i mind correctly 44 pts at Portstewart 43 at Castlerock and 46 at Portush Valley. He would lift his ball up in the rough to identify it every time then put it back so it was sitting up ,he was told to stop it but he said there wasn't a rule against it.

Every club knows who their own members who are at it aswell Steve , clubs are terrified of law suits etc , there was a landmark ruiling over here in 2014 where a club spoke to a member about his handicap and it ended up in the highest court we have over here , luckily the courts decided with the club ,

I think this has given the GUI confidence to tackle the problem

Re the luckybag handicaps mate ive heard of & know of a few that handed in the 3 cards for handicap without playing with the member that signed their card ..

Its alot "ah sure" attitude and its about time it was sorted

 

[stevek1969]

Bill its not alone in Ireland this problem ,we had it at my club this year as well, we caught a council member doing it not once but on 2 separate occasions ,we weren't the only ones to notice it but the only ones to complain about it. He suddenly had an amnesia attack then DQ himself a week later, the club buried there head in the sand about it and he's still on the council. Our pro said he does at lot of work at the club or as we see spend a lot of money in his shop.

 

[bladeplayer]

Yep its that attitude that kills it for others , we had a guy suspended for cheating a few years back , served suspension , is still doing what he always did , & still winning top comps of a false handicap ..
Suspension solved nothing and did nothing to show the proper members that reporting breaches would be acted on

 

[stevek1969]

Yep its that attitude that kills it for others , we had a guy suspended for cheating a few years back , served suspension , is still doing what he always did , & still winning top comps of a false handicap ..

He didn't even get suspended thats the thing he just carried on playing his handicap had went from 13 to 7 this season , he's the worst 7 handicapper I've seen, he plays with the same lads every week ,one who was chucked out another club for cheating as well.

 

[chrisd]

I don't see any of this at my club and I don't really think that I'm blind. We certainly have the odd obscene score but generally know the culprit and its either an accident waiting to happen or a complete blip on a given day

I do think though that handicaps don't come down quick enough after a good round. Whenever I've done a few under par the CSS suddenly plummets and I don't get the cut that I hope for and when I'm one over the buffer the CSS always puts me up .1

I can't see why any round under par can't bring a cut as, if I have a good round, I don't see why any other people also having a better day should affect my good day, handicap wise!

 

[Foxholer]

This sort of thing has been going on for ever!

I played with an Irish mate, in 2000, who stated that many guys were earning their living from the prizes they were picking up. When that's happening, there's something seriously wrong! The first thing to do, imo, should be to reduce the allocation of money to prizes.