Have you ever played with a known handicap cheat?

[SteveW86]

The man himself suggested someone here had emailed his club. In the unlikely event that’s actually true, I suppose it’s always possible his behaviour has been subject to scrutiny. Losing the best part of 13/14 shots in a very short period of time is extreme without some sort of human intervention.

We have had someone go from 34 to 18 so far this year. Young lad who is new to the game I think, he’s put in loads of scores so we’ll done to him.

 

[Neilds]

What I find really strange is that anyone would get an artificially low handicap to play in club matches. Surely everyone would know they could never play to such a low handicap and would lose every match so why would they even get picked? Defeats the object of getting a low handicap

 

[Swango1980]

We have had someone go from 34 to 18 so far this year. Young lad who is new to the game I think, he’s put in loads of scores so we’ll done to him.

Yes, it would not be difficult for a player to get significant decreases when they only just get their handicap. Their first 3 rounds could have been terrible, and subsequently submitted much better rounds. The handicap Index can be quite volatile between submission of 3 cards to submission of 20, and especially between 3 and about 15ish.

 

[AliMc]

There are various degrees of "cheating" with regards to handicap.
eg: Not playing the the last 4 holes to the best of your ability.
Hard one to prove, but I see blokes doing it when they know they won't be in the prizes and turn a mediocre score into a very bad one, knowing it will keep the handicap high.
Some seem to get far more kicks winning £2 in social golf and bragging about who they beat than doing well in club competitions.

I do this but in reverse !
The last few medals I've played I've started off horrendously, been 5 or 6 over after a few holes then usually go on to play the rest in 1 or 2 over, it's annoying as hell but I keep doing it and it's certainly not on purpose !

 

[RichA]

The man himself suggested someone here had emailed his club. In the unlikely event that’s actually true, I suppose it’s always possible his behaviour has been subject to scrutiny. Losing the best part of 13/14 shots in a very short period of time is extreme without some sort of human intervention.

A few of us who joined our club and started playing often while recording most of our rounds on EG went from high 20s to mid-teens in the space of 6-12 months. It seems quite common for newish golfers.

 

[HampshireHog]

I am aware of people cherry picking general play rounds to get their handicap lower. Not aware of anyone doing it the other way.

It’s so obvious when you look at their record, for one player, all general play scores are high 70’s low 80’s, and 90% of comps high 80’s or worse. I guess there is no suspicious scoring patterns reporting done at our place.

 

[Billysboots]

A few of us who joined our club and started playing often while recording most of our rounds on EG went from high 20s to mid-teens in the space of 6-12 months. It seems quite common for newish golfers.

Agreed. But this fella went from mid 20’s to 13.4 in a matter of two or three weeks.

 

[Orikoru]

I am aware of people cherry picking general play rounds to get their handicap lower. Not aware of anyone doing it the other way.

It’s so obvious when you look at their record, for one player, all general play scores are high 70’s low 80’s, and 90% of comps high 80’s or worse. I guess there is no suspicious scoring patterns reporting done at our place.

Plenty of people go to pieces when the pressure is on, i.e. in a competition, so it would be impossible to prove unless someone played alongside him and witnessed him blatantly tanking holes.

 

[Swango1980]

Agreed. But this fella went from mid 20’s to 13.4 in a matter of two or three weeks.

Was he a new member, or someone with a full handicap history? If he was a new member, that sort of change wouldn't be that unusual. For example, his first 3 cards could have provided a best score differential of mid to high 20's, where the guy was playing poorly / bad weather / getting to know the course, etc. Once he got his handicap, he might have had a lesson and practiced a bit before submitting another score, by which time he played well that day and the weather was decent. Might have shot a score differential of 14.4 to get the 13.4 index.

Obviously, if the initial handicap in the mid 20's was already based on a full handicap record of 20 scores, then it would be more unusual to see such a sudden drop. Even if the chap submitted a large number of cards and great scores, you'd wonder where the sudden improvement in ability came from. It might still be genuine, maybe he spent a week at the David Leadbetter Academy or something, but without knowing the full facts I am sure such a drop would raise a few eye brows.

 

[Billysboots]

Was he a new member, or someone with a full handicap history? If he was a new member, that sort of change wouldn't be that unusual. For example, his first 3 cards could have provided a best score differential of mid to high 20's, where the guy was playing poorly / bad weather / getting to know the course, etc. Once he got his handicap, he might have had a lesson and practiced a bit before submitting another score, by which time he played well that day and the weather was decent. Might have shot a score differential of 14.4 to get the 13.4 index.

Obviously, if the initial handicap in the mid 20's was already based on a full handicap record of 20 scores, then it would be more unusual to see such a sudden drop. Even if the chap submitted a large number of cards and great scores, you'd wonder where the sudden improvement in ability came from. It might still be genuine, maybe he spent a week at the David Leadbetter Academy or something, but without knowing the full facts I am sure such a drop would raise a few eye brows.

I don’t know the full history but I’m sure someone else here managed to view his handicap record.

 

[Swango1980]

I don’t know the full history but I’m sure someone else here managed to view his handicap record.

O yeah, completely forgot you were talking about that arrogant chap from the forum (though it was some random guy at your club). I agree, from what he was posting alone, I am heavily leaning towards suspicious behaviour regarding his handicap

 

[Slab]

Wouldn't dramatic change in handicap be more down to number of cards rather than over a time period?

i.e A month is maybe 1 or 2 rounds to some but a dozen rounds to someone else

 

[jim8flog]

Agreed. But this fella went from mid 20’s to 13.4 in a matter of two or three weeks.

If he is/was newly handicapped it is the way it works if they are putting in plenty of cards.

Even pre WHS it was fairly easy to drop several shots quickly if enough cards were going in (bearing in mind [from memory] the the player would drop .4 for each shot better than handicap when in his 20s and would get exceptional score reductions if very much better than handicap).

 

[Voyager EMH]

I do this but in reverse !
The last few medals I've played I've started off horrendously, been 5 or 6 over after a few holes then usually go on to play the rest in 1 or 2 over, it's annoying as hell but I keep doing it and it's certainly not on purpose !

I do the same regularly. Here's a recent example - 5-over after 8, then 1-under for the next 10-holes. Annoying.

 

[nickjdavis]

Low handicap can help you get into scratch opens and more desirable venues, considered for team golf etc.

Loads of guys are doing it, there is one I know of who is putting in supplementary cards every time he plays well and is cheating the system. All so he can get selected in the team. Yet he's never shot better than +6 in a comp.

Any reasonable team Captain, when considering the player for selection, would look at his scoring record and say...nope....not enough scores in competetive golf/hasn't demonstrated the ability to play well in a comp...not picking him.

 

[Billysboots]

If he is/was newly handicapped it is the way it works if they are putting in plenty of cards.

Even pre WHS it was fairly easy to drop several shots quickly if enough cards were going in (bearing in mind [from memory] the the player would drop .4 for each shot better than handicap when in his 20s and would get exceptional score reductions if very much better than handicap).

He wasn’t putting in plenty of cards though. That was one of the biggest criticisms of his alleged behaviour.

 

[Robster59]

He wasn’t putting in plenty of cards though. That was one of the biggest criticisms of his alleged behaviour.

The thing with him is that people called him a cheat to his "face" on here, and he really didn't care. Then goes on to brag about winning competitions. Some people are totally brazen about it.

 

[_MH_]

I am aware of people cherry picking general play rounds to get their handicap lower. Not aware of anyone doing it the other way.

It’s so obvious when you look at their record, for one player, all general play scores are high 70’s low 80’s, and 90% of comps high 80’s or worse. I guess there is no suspicious scoring patterns reporting done at our place.

I thought general play rounds had to be pre-registered (either in the app or pro-shop)? So if you don't put a score in afterwards you'd automatically get given net double bogey (or somesuch) for each hole?

 

[Bdill93]

The thing with him is that people called him a cheat to his "face" on here, and he really didn't care. Then goes on to brag about winning competitions. Some people are totally brazen about it.

Well he seems to have changed his ways! 13.1 is pretty respectable

 

[Billysboots]

Well he seems to have changed his ways! 13.1 is pretty respectable

Or his ways have been changed on his behalf.