Have you ever played with a known handicap cheat?

[SurreyGolfer]

As a relative newcomer who as yet hasn't plucked up the courage to enter any competitions (lucky to have some good, honest, rule abiding PP's) , and actually is a little nervous re H4H in October(!), this thread is interesting. I'm a (very) high handicapper playing off 23, but it's come down from 31 at the start of the year. If I entered a comp tomorrow I reckon I could hit anywhere between 5 or 6 under my handicap and up to about 10 over, depending on all sorts of factors.

If I shot 5 under handicap in a comp tomorrow, judging from this thread there is a fair chance I'd at best be called a bandit, at worst potentially get into a verbal argument with an opponent who might accuse me of cheating. Why is it rarer for people to recognise that 1) High handicappers probably have a higher 'score dispersion' than low handicappers, and 2) people have lessons, work hard to improve but there's always going to be a slight lag with the WHS catching up?

Assuming they aren't dropping balls and cheating, surely it's a case of play the person, play the handicap, and whatever happens shake hands at the end?

 

[Neilds]

As a relative newcomer who as yet hasn't plucked up the courage to enter any competitions (lucky to have some good, honest, rule abiding PP's) , and actually is a little nervous re H4H in October(!), this thread is interesting. I'm a (very) high handicapper playing off 23, but it's come down from 31 at the start of the year. If I entered a comp tomorrow I reckon I could hit anywhere between 5 or 6 under my handicap and up to about 10 over, depending on all sorts of factors.

If I shot 5 under handicap in a comp tomorrow, judging from this thread there is a fair chance I'd at best be called a bandit, at worst potentially get into a verbal argument with an opponent who might accuse me of cheating. Why is it rarer for people to recognise that 1) High handicappers probably have a higher 'score dispersion' than low handicappers, and 2) people have lessons, work hard to improve but there's always going to be a slight lag with the WHS catching up?

Assuming they aren't dropping balls and cheating, surely it's a case of play the person, play the handicap, and whatever happens shake hands at the end?

What you will learn form this forum is that no golfer ever lost a match/competition to a higher handicap player because they actually played rubbish on the day. It is far more convenient to blame the opponent or the system for their loss

 

[evemccc]

I can live with something like that.....he let you know up front. It might not make for the most enjoyable round of golf, but I could live with that. The last time I played a match a couple of years ago, I let the guy know up front I don't give gimmes outside a foot.....no problem. Nothing worse than people complaining for years about some guy who didn't give him a putt he "should have"......

Everyone I play golf with socially wants to improve as a golfer - and everyone putts out for this reason

The few times we don’t is exclusively when we’re not putting cards in, not playing a full round, or playing two balls / dropping balls etc.which is the basis of our social golf…..and even those times we mostly putt everything out

People who complain and moan about not being given putts probably just need the putting practice?

The only time I felt I possibly didn’t give a putt in a putt in a matchplay KO match, when most people probably would have, was missed…so I felt vindicated!

 

[Swango1980]

As a relative newcomer who as yet hasn't plucked up the courage to enter any competitions (lucky to have some good, honest, rule abiding PP's) , and actually is a little nervous re H4H in October(!), this thread is interesting. I'm a (very) high handicapper playing off 23, but it's come down from 31 at the start of the year. If I entered a comp tomorrow I reckon I could hit anywhere between 5 or 6 under my handicap and up to about 10 over, depending on all sorts of factors.

If I shot 5 under handicap in a comp tomorrow, judging from this thread there is a fair chance I'd at best be called a bandit, at worst potentially get into a verbal argument with an opponent who might accuse me of cheating. Why is it rarer for people to recognise that 1) High handicappers probably have a higher 'score dispersion' than low handicappers, and 2) people have lessons, work hard to improve but there's always going to be a slight lag with the WHS catching up?

Assuming they aren't dropping balls and cheating, surely it's a case of play the person, play the handicap, and whatever happens shake hands at the end?

It is extremely unlikely anyone would call you a cheater, unless they had evidence you were genuinely trying to maintain a high handicap, and then going out and winning comps with relative ease (which I have no doubt they do not have if this very fact is untrue). If there was someone called you a cheat, I am sure it is the sort of person a lot of other regular golfers have no respect for anyway, so I wouldn't worry.

Maybe you'd get the odd bit of banter of bandit calling, but in a friendly, jokey way. And, if you do play well, your handicap will go down anyway.

All beginners get better, thus they will shoot better scores, and the way the system works, once the scores get better, the handicap comes down. It would be ridiculous to accuse you as being a cheat for using the system as intended.

 

[D-S]

Being called a bandit is not necessarily an insult, it is often said as a veiled compliment.
I was once caddying for one our Ladies County team, and after birdieing four of the first 5 holes, her opponent idly asked what she was playing off these days - the reply was scratch as she hardly played much any more. The opponent then came up with the unforgettable line " Wow, you must be a helluva bandit of scratch".

 

[Orikoru]

As a relative newcomer who as yet hasn't plucked up the courage to enter any competitions (lucky to have some good, honest, rule abiding PP's) , and actually is a little nervous re H4H in October(!), this thread is interesting. I'm a (very) high handicapper playing off 23, but it's come down from 31 at the start of the year. If I entered a comp tomorrow I reckon I could hit anywhere between 5 or 6 under my handicap and up to about 10 over, depending on all sorts of factors.

If I shot 5 under handicap in a comp tomorrow, judging from this thread there is a fair chance I'd at best be called a bandit, at worst potentially get into a verbal argument with an opponent who might accuse me of cheating. Why is it rarer for people to recognise that 1) High handicappers probably have a higher 'score dispersion' than low handicappers, and 2) people have lessons, work hard to improve but there's always going to be a slight lag with the WHS catching up?

Assuming they aren't dropping balls and cheating, surely it's a case of play the person, play the handicap, and whatever happens shake hands at the end?

Firstly I wouldn't say 23 is very high, just high. Secondly, sod all of that nonsense, shooting 40-42 points doesn't make you a bandit at all it just means you played well. If you were doing that every single week and not putting cards in then maybe! But it doesn't sound like you're doing that so don't worry. ?

Edit: To be fair a lot of us would use bandit in an informal jokey way which is different. i.e. I do call my mate a bandit every time he gets 36 points or better but he obviously knows there is nothing accusatory going on there.

 

[3offTheTee]

I am NOT saying they were cheating, however:-

2 girls went out together in a Juniors Competition and whilst they were on an adjacent tee we heard one say, “ Which way do you think this putt will go? I am not sure”

Their scores were 87-37 -50
89-39 - 50

They came 1st and 2nd and their previous best were 102 and 107 respectively!

 

[KenL]

I am NOT saying they were cheating, however:-

2 girls went out together in a Juniors Competition and whilst they were on an adjacent tee we heard one say, “ Which way do you think this putt will go? I am not sure”

Their scores were 87-37 -50
89-39 - 50

They came 1st and 2nd and their previous best were 102 and 107 respectively!

You took the time to post this on here. Did you not consider reporting this to the comp organiser?

 

[3offTheTee]

You took the time to post this on here. Did you not consider reporting this to the comp organiser?

No.

 

[KenL]

No.

Why not?

 

[3offTheTee]

Why not?

That was the decision I made.

Kindly accept my decision.

 

[KenL]

That was the decision I made.

Kindly accept my decision.

I do, but...

 

[Bdill93]

Pairs match play semi final.

I shot 83, one below HC.
Dad - 81, 6 below HC

Opponents both off 22 plus index’s - one shot 1 over back nine…. How can we even compete?! Not in with a chance at all and we’re both playing out of our skin!

I had 2 bogies, 1 double (they made birdie) and parred everything else. Should have been enough.

Joke

 

[Orikoru]

I am NOT saying they were cheating, however:-

2 girls went out together in a Juniors Competition and whilst they were on an adjacent tee we heard one say, “ Which way do you think this putt will go? I am not sure”

Their scores were 87-37 -50
89-39 - 50

They came 1st and 2nd and their previous best were 102 and 107 respectively!

Not sure if I've missed something but are you saying that helping each other read the odd putt saved them as many as 18 shots??

 

[3offTheTee]

Not sure if I've missed something but are you saying that helping each other read the odd putt saved them as many as 18 shots??

No. I was implying advice although they MAY not have been aware it was asking for advice.

 

[3offTheTee]

Pairs match play semi final.

I shot 83, one below HC.
Dad - 81, 6 below HC

Opponents both off 22 plus index’s - one shot 1 over back nine…. How can we even compete?! Not in with a chance at all and we’re both playing out of our skin!

I had 2 bogies, 1 double (they made birdie) and parred everything else. Should have been enough.

Joke

You must be so disappointed.

Kindly update me as I may have missed the next instalment .What has happened in your singles match, probably the best read on here for some time

 

[rosecott]

Pairs match play semi final.

I shot 83, one below HC.
Dad - 81, 6 below HC

Opponents both off 22 plus index’s - one shot 1 over back nine…. How can we even compete?! Not in with a chance at all and we’re both playing out of our skin!

I had 2 bogies, 1 double (they made birdie) and parred everything else. Should have been enough.

Joke

It's matchplay - suck it up.

My partner and I were overwhelming favourites - on paper - to win a round of our Seniors Pairs knockout. Both opponents played out of their skins and took it to extra holes. On the 170-yard par 3 2nd, one of them stuffed his tee shot to 5 feet from the pin, sunk the putt and that was that. His handicap was in the low 30s with a very substantial regular playing history.

That's matchplay.

 

[KenL]

It's matchplay - suck it up.

My partner and I were overwhelming favourites - on paper - to win a round of our Seniors Pairs knockout. Both opponents played out of their skins and took it to extra holes. On the 170-yard par 3 2nd, one of them stuffed his tee shot to 5 feet from the pin, sunk the putt and that was that. His handicap was in the low 30s with a very substantial regular playing history.

That's matchplay.

What made you favourites?
Were there strokes involved?

 

[Whereditgo]

What you will learn form this forum is that no golfer ever lost a match/competition to a higher handicap player because they actually played rubbish on the day. It is far more convenient to blame the opponent or the system for their loss

Played a club league match the weekend before last, my PP was lowest handicap so playing off scratch, their low guy received 2 strokes, me 6 and the other opponent 9 I think. I played reasonably well and was probably a couple of strokes under handicap, the lower of the opponents started whinging about my handicap being too high after about 4 holes. We won 7 & 6 and then played out the rest of the 18, on the 17th a long par 5 I decided to try for the green in two from around 250 yards (not a shot I would take on normally but we were just having a knock by then), I hooked a 3 wood OB and he said "now you're protecting your handicap" it's matchplay, no cards are going in! The truth was while I had played slightly better than handicap in the match, he had played 10 or more strokes worse than his, much easier for the ego for him to imply he had lost to an incorrect handicap though!

 

[evemccc]

Played a club league match the weekend before last, my PP was lowest handicap so playing off scratch, their low guy received 2 strokes, me 6 and the other opponent 9 I think. I played reasonably well and was probably a couple of strokes under handicap, the lower of the opponents started whinging about my handicap being too high after about 4 holes. We won 7 & 6 and then played out the rest of the 18, on the 17th a long par 5 I decided to try for the green in two from around 250 yards (not a shot I would take on normally but we were just having a knock by then), I hooked a 3 wood OB and he said "now you're protecting your handicap" it's matchplay, no cards are going in! The truth was while I had played slightly better than handicap in the match, he had played 10 or more strokes worse than his, much easier for the ego for him to imply he had lost to an incorrect handicap though!

Did you respond to his comment?