" You are playing better than your h/c"

[hors limite]

I have been playing again after a "break" of getting on for 30 years for about two years. In the past few months while playing in nearly every club comp my h/c has dropped from 24 to 17 and I really feel that there is a potential to get lower.
Now to my complaint. Not every time but in comps I generally play fairly close to my h/cap or sometimes better than it hence the cuts.Something you would expect to see in an "improving" golfer. Another competition format that I enjoy is friendly seniors matchplay comps with other local clubs. In not just a few of these singles matches I have been on the end of bandit remarks or from those who are trying to express the insult in a more subtle way the use the euphemism in the heading.
On each occasion I have played fairly steady golf to around my h/c. Conversely, my opponent hasn't been within a dozen shots of their own. Ergo I have come out on top.
It seems to me that it is much too easy to trot out this banditry accusation rather than for some players to confront the reality of their own inadequate performances.
End of rant - that does feel better.

 

[Old Skier]

Most who cry bandit are normally those who are playing well over their handicap. Now I play with the seniors I get the same remark thrown at me. Beat a guy the other day who supposedly played of 20. He was upset and said he wouldn't play in the return at our club. My trump card is I always keep a card with my score on it. When I showed him my stableford score he couldn't believe it, I had only managed 32. I later found out that the person had played at another club and played of 5 took a break for 6 years, went to another club put in three cards and started with a 26 this year. Not surprisingly he has had some major wins this year.

 

[Lydo]

People often come out with the bandit statement when playing someone of a higher handicap that's playing better than them. Best just to take it as a compliment rather than getting worked up about it.

I certainly know the feeling though, I beat a guy lower than me earlier in the season and I felt as if I had to hit a few bad shots, to convince him of my handicap, as all he was saying was 'no way you're off 19'

 

[hovis]

What kind of scores are you talking about?

The belfry is full of bandits to the extent that myself and daveyboy are going to withdraw from all comps next year. Below are some examples of what i class as a bandit

Recent match play. Shaking hands on the 11th as my opponent was off 24 and was level gross after 9

Club champs. Course set up impossible and see's a guy shoot 7 under his hanicap.

 

[hors limite]

What kind of scores are you talking about?

The belfry is full of bandits to the extent that myself and daveyboy are going to withdraw from all comps next year. Below are some examples of what i class as a bandit

Recent match play. Shaking hands on the 11th as my opponent was off 24 and was level gross after 9

Club champs. Course set up impossible and see's a guy shoot 7 under his hanicap.

As I said in my original post scoring to within a few shots over my h/c of 17. The situation I am trying to describe bears no relationship to the extraordinary examples you are citing.
Similarly, I am in no way defending any sort of dishonest use of the h/c system

 

[garyinderry]

What kind of scores are you talking about?

The belfry is full of bandits to the extent that myself and daveyboy are going to withdraw from all comps next year. Below are some examples of what i class as a bandit

Recent match play. Shaking hands on the 11th as my opponent was off 24 and was level gross after 9

Club champs. Course set up impossible and see's a guy shoot 7 under his handicap.

Why not just playing comps so you can reduce your own handicap. winning comps in reality means very little. Voucher here, voucher there. It won't pay your bills.


Take pride in cuts, not names on leader boards.

 

[dufferman]

Interestingly I've read on here that people should play to their handicap or beat it less than 40% of the time (someone will tell me the correct figure I'm sure).

I don't understand this, I would say a true handicap should be played to most weeks. My last 3 carded comps were 34pts, 40pts, 36pts. I came 15th, 2nd, 1st.

At H4H this year I played like a spanner, at a corporate day 2 Fridays ago I scored 36pts.

So I've only played over my handicap twice in last few comps. Granted, I got my handicap over the summer so it is coming down (from 22 to 19.8 currently), but I'd be pretty depressed if every week I was a good few points / shots away from even hitting buffer?

 

[garyinderry]

Interestingly I've read on here that people should play to their handicap or beat it less than 40% of the time (someone will tell me the correct figure I'm sure).

I don't understand this, I would say a true handicap should be played to most weeks. My last 3 carded comps were 34pts, 40pts, 36pts. I came 15th, 2nd, 1st.

At H4H this year I played like a spanner, at a corporate day 2 Fridays ago I scored 36pts.

So I've only played over my handicap twice in last few comps. Granted, I got my handicap over the summer so it is coming down (from 22 to 19.8 currently), but I'd be pretty depressed if every week I was a good few points / shots away from even hitting buffer?

Not playing well shooting 36 points sounds like you could do with another cut tbh! as people on here have said before, handicap is supposed to represent a score you are capable on shooting on a good day, not what you are expected to shoot everyday.

 

[hovis]

Why not just playing comps so you can reduce your own handicap. winning comps in reality means very little. Voucher here, voucher there. It won't pay your bills.


Take pride in cuts, not names on leader boards.

Dont want to hand my £3 to dirty,cheating, handicap protecting badits.

I use supplementary cards instead

 

[garyinderry]

Dont want to hand my £3 to dirty,cheating, handicap protecting badits.

I use supplementary cards instead

You can only do so many sup cards I think. if you feel that strongly I suggest you find a cleaner club.

 

[dufferman]

Not playing well shooting 36 points sounds like you could do with another cut tbh! as people on here have said before, handicap is supposed to represent a score you are capable on shooting on a good day, not what you are expected to shoot everyday.

When I played bad at H4H last week I shot 22pts

The 36pts at a corporate golf day was a few days before, I was pleased with 36pts at a new course.

I'm right in thinking 36pts is to handicap, aren't I?

 

[louise_a]

I'm right in thinking 36pts is to handicap, aren't I?

If SSS is the same as par, then yes it is

 

[garyinderry]

Yeah 36, depending on css, is usually around handicap. Even though you scored poorly on the h4h day I would say you aren't too far off another cut.

Have you had an ESR this year? you may well be close to triggering one or even s further one with another good round.

 

[hovis]

I can hand in 10 supplementary cards a year. Thats good enough for me.

 

[hovis]

Yeah 36, depending on css, is usually around handicap. Even though you scored poorly on the h4h day I would say you aren't too far off another cut.

Have you had an ESR this year? you may well be close to triggering one or even s further one with another good round.

I thought you had to shoot over 40 twice in a certain time frame to trigger one of those. thats how the belfry do it anyhow

 

[garyinderry]

I can hand in 10 supplementary cards a year. Thats good enough for me.

Have you ever done supp cards?

 

[hors limite]

Not playing well shooting 36 points sounds like you could do with another cut tbh! as people on here have said before, handicap is supposed to represent a score you are capable on shooting on a good day, not what you are expected to shoot everyday.

My impression is that this is true of the player who has "plateaud". I don't think it is true of the player who is practising, taking lessons and improving.

 

[hovis]

Have you ever done supp cards?

many at my last club as i could never make comp day

 

[garyinderry]

I thought you had to shoot over 40 twice in a certain time frame to trigger one of those. thats how the belfry do it anyhow

He has come down two shots. This may well include a big score and he is knocking on the door of another. ESR is a distinct possibility.

 

[Foxholer]

I have been playing again after a "break" of getting on for 30 years for about two years. In the past few months while playing in nearly every club comp my h/c has dropped from 24 to 17 and I really feel that there is a potential to get lower.
Now to my complaint. Not every time but in comps I generally play fairly close to my h/cap or sometimes better than it hence the cuts.Something you would expect to see in an "improving" golfer. Another competition format that I enjoy is friendly seniors matchplay comps with other local clubs. In not just a few of these singles matches I have been on the end of bandit remarks or from those who are trying to express the insult in a more subtle way the use the euphemism in the heading.
On each occasion I have played fairly steady golf to around my h/c. Conversely, my opponent hasn't been within a dozen shots of their own. Ergo I have come out on top.
It seems to me that it is much too easy to trot out this banditry accusation rather than for some players to confront the reality of their own inadequate performances.
End of rant - that does feel better.

Simple solution is to put them on the spot by asking 'So are you calling me a cheat?'! If the try to differentiate, in this context, then ask them to explain the difference they see between a 'Bandit' and a cheat.

Or you could simply state that, as an improving player with potentially/hopefully more improvement to come, you are much more likely to play near, or maybe even better than, your handicap. Whereas they appear to either be the possessor of a 'vanity' handicap or had a particularly bad day!

Or ask them how many qualifying competitions they have played in in the last few months - compared to your 'nearly every one'.

Seniors Golf is potentially full of vanity handicaps and complaining about 'bandits' is how they delude themselves that they are not!

From your description, you are not a 'bandit' to me. I'd suggest you consider keeping a scorecard to demonstrate that it was their poor effort that was the cause, not your 'banditry'!