Just out of curiosity.......

[SaintHacker]

I'd be thinking about my next shot tbh. I'd also be saying well played that man to my FC.

This, absolutely. I assume from some of the comments that all you good golfers were either born that way or never had a good day as you were coming down. It happens now and then, a 'bad' player has a good day. I had 44 points last week with two blobs (and I still only came second! ) Tomorrow I'll be lucky to hit buffer most probably. If someone just has one of those days enjoy it with them and pat them on the back, knowing full well it will all fall apart next week!

 

[Nosevi]

Wouldn't bother me one jot if I'm honest. Apart from the fact that 2 holes is way too early to assess whether the guy is going to score well or not, I think it's because being a 'Bandit' is utterly pointless in my eyes.

I'm pretty new to golf so while I 'get' the handicap system I've yet to beat someone 'net' but not 'gross' and felt like I'd won. A scratch guy beats me by a shot gross and as far as I'm concerned he won no matter what the net score was. I give my old man 13 shots now and while it allows us to 'compete' for a bit of fun it doesn't really change anything for me. Maybe that's why it wouldn't bother me - winning because of handicap just doesn't feel like winning to me and by the same measure losing net but winning gross doesn't feel like losing.

If everyone else in the field was a Bandit I really couldn't care less, only ever pay attention to the gross scores anyway.

I guess handicaps keep life interesting and can be used for a bit of fun but it doesn't really feel like serious competition when someone says "I beat you. I played worse and took more shots but because I'm not very good at golf I won." So bandits can be bandits for all I care, couldn't care less.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

Some of us beginners don't stand a chance. Join a club, get a handicap, participate in medals, improve and get some good scores, only to be accused of banditry whilst our handicap catches up.

Solutions:

Change the handicap system so it moves faster. Still won't be enough for some people.
Don't have a handicap system. Every tournament, lowest score wins.
Put up with it, and if you are entering a handicap competition, accept that a worse golfer might "beat" you, and get all the kudos that brings. You could just enjoy an afternoon out on the course whether or not you win.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Some of us beginners don't stand a chance. Join a club, get a handicap, participate in medals, improve and get some good scores, only to be accused of banditry whilst our handicap catches up.

Solutions:

Change the handicap system so it moves faster. Still won't be enough for some people.
Don't have a handicap system. Every tournament, lowest score wins.
Put up with it, and if you are entering a handicap competition, accept that a worse golfer might "beat" you, and get all the kudos that brings. You could just enjoy an afternoon out on the course whether or not you win.

Very good post.

 

[richart]

Some of us beginners don't stand a chance. Join a club, get a handicap, participate in medals, improve and get some good scores, only to be accused of banditry whilst our handicap catches up.

Solutions:

Change the handicap system so it moves faster. Still won't be enough for some people.
Don't have a handicap system. Every tournament, lowest score wins.
Put up with it, and if you are entering a handicap competition, accept that a worse golfer might "beat" you, and get all the kudos that brings. You could just enjoy an afternoon out on the course whether or not you win.

Just have a maximum handicap of 18. No man needs two shots a hole. Golf must be one of the few sports where you actually have more chance of winning when you are a beginner and improving than when you have been playing a long time.

We used to have competitions with a maximum of 18 handicap. Still open to higher handicaps, but you played off 18. Seemed to have stopped now. Perhaps an EU directive.

 

[Hacker Khan]

This, absolutely. I assume from some of the comments that all you good golfers were either born that way or never had a good day as you were coming down. It happens now and then, a 'bad' player has a good day. I had 44 points last week with two blobs (and I still only came second! ) Tomorrow I'll be lucky to hit buffer most probably. If someone just has one of those days enjoy it with them and pat them on the back, knowing full well it will all fall apart next week!

What saint said. I've shot 84 including a 9 when I was 90 yards out after my drive and a 6 on a short par 3, rest were pars or bogies. 2 weeks later I shot well over 100. A few high handicappers like myself can put together a good round now and then. But mostly we will be in the 90s or more. Life would be easier if we were consistently crap or consistently average. But golf does not always work like that.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

Just have a maximum handicap of 18. No man needs two shots a hole. Golf must be one of the few sports where you actually have more chance of winning when you are a beginner and improving than when you have been playing a long time.

We used to have competitions with a maximum of 18 handicap. Still open to higher handicaps, but you played off 18. Seemed to have stopped now. Perhaps an EU directive.

I have no problem with that. For me at the moment, a proper 18 handicap feels like some way off. I'm not complaining about that - my golf isn't at that standard, and with irregular games, unlikely to be for a while.

The point is, a handicap system, whatever it is, works for some players, and against other players.

It means a comp is not a level playing field - the best golfer on the day will not necessarily win.

But that is the system, either live with it, change it (and even a changed system will have perceived shortcomings to some), or don't enter those competitions.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Wasn't there a suggestion to increase the,ax HC to 36 ?

I'm a big fan of the HC system and having a level playing field - think it's one of the best things about golf

But think they also need to award the best gross as well in HC comps

 

[Old Skier]

You are playing in a big competition at your club.
You have never played with your playing partner before, but he plays off 17 and starts birdie, eagle.
What would you be thinking as you walked off the second green.
Honestly.

He started off better than you then.

 

[Old Skier]

Just have a maximum handicap of 18. No man needs two shots a hole. Golf must be one of the few sports where you actually have more chance of winning when you are a beginner and improving than when you have been playing a long time.

We used to have competitions with a maximum of 18 handicap. Still open to higher handicaps, but you played off 18. Seemed to have stopped now. Perhaps an EU directive.

Great way off getting 3/4 of a clubs members to leave. Sensible clubs will just have reasonable competition splits and divisions.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Great way off getting 3/4 of a clubs members to leave. Sensible clubs will just have reasonable competition splits and divisions.

Correct. We have three divisions for the medals and so effectively you are only playing your handicap peers.

 

[richart]

Great way off getting 3/4 of a clubs members to leave. Sensible clubs will just have reasonable competition splits and divisions.

No just give higher handicappers incentive to get better. Are 3/4 of golfers 19 handicap plus ?

 

[Captainron]

I've been 3 under after 3 before playing off 8 back in the day and I felt like a bandit. I can only imagine what my playing partners were thinking!!

In your scenario Rob, I would almost certainly have the word bandit running through my head. 100% of the holes played in under par up to that point. I would also have a sneaky hope that his next 16 holes would be blobs because I like to see other people implode and feel like I do on the course

 

[Old Skier]

No just give higher handicappers incentive to get better. Are 3/4 of golfers 19 handicap plus ?

Pretty normal in a club for a higher number of club members being over 18. You can give all the incentive you want but ability comes into as well.

 

[richart]

Pretty normal in a club for a higher number of club members being over 18. You can give all the incentive you want but ability comes into as well.

My Club must be the exception to the rule then. Just cheked our start sheet for next weeks medal. Out of 120 men players, 15 have a handicap over 18. 12.5 % by my maths. Obviously a fair bit of abilty.:thup:

 

[Leftie]

Just from a different perspective, about 3 years ago playing a medal off 14, was 7 over after 3 holes and ended up with a cut.

Go figure

 

[richart]

Just from a different perspective, about 3 years ago playing a medal off 14, was 7 over after 3 holes and ended up with a cut.

Go figure

The only time I played a 36 hole competition at Blackmoor, I started with a 9 teeing off the par four 10th. Managed a cut though, in fact have twice had a nine on the card and had a cut.

One of my partners had a 13 on the same hole in the afternoon, and he also had a cut.

 

[Leftie]

On one hole a disaster only counts as a double bogie for h/c purposes, I was double bogie or worse for each of the first 3 holes

Still, for the remaining 15 holes, I played like a bandit

Isn't it past your bed time?

 

[OldMate]

Thought - "Blimey". I played matchplay once against a bloke from my old club. He was off 18 but was 6 under gross after 9 holes. He just had one of those days. I felt suitably crushed, he won on the 11th, and just took it on the chin. I have played with him many times since and he has never matched that or even come close. It was just one of those golden rounds for a higher handicapper.

6 under through 9 playing off 18 is one hell of a golden round. I've never seen a low marker shoot a 9 like that yet alone an 18 handicapper. As for the OP, the slam dunk eagle is largely luck so I wouldn't be thinking anything of it. Sure it would have been a good shot to get close but any hole out from the fairway involves a decent element of luck.

 

[Oddsocks]

As stated somewhere else it would depend on the quality of the two scores. If it was a scabby scoring two holes I'd think " lucky git " if they were quality shots " hmmmmmm "

Either way I try not to get cought up in others scores unless they are having a good game and start to wobble, if this happens I do try to settle them a bit as I don't like seeing good cards wasted.