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I belong to a club which we play monthly tournaments at different courses (and everyone has an official handicap.) We have about 30 members and typically we only have 12-16 players per tournament and these are regular players so obviously everyone knows everyone else's game.
We have a long term member (let's call him X) who is a known sandbagger. X is about 55, not a long hitter, average on iron accuracy/distance, but great at scrambling and seldom have any blow-up hole (so basically he knows how to score.) Right now his index is around 10-something but he regularly breaks 80 at our tournaments (FYI most of our members are 40-60 so we play off the whites or around 6,000 yards on different courses, which on the average would translate to a course rating of about 70 on a par 72 and a slope rating of about 125.
X is a relatively nice guy both on and off the course, not a super stickler on the rules during casual rounds both on himself or his playing companions. I have not seen him cheat on the course (e.g., improving lies, reporting lower score on the hole, move the ball closer to the hole on the green). I suspect he builds up his handicap when he is not playing in the tournament somehow.
We do get a foursome together once in a while and play a version of Vegas with rotating partners at 25 cents a point and X usually wins on the average about $20 (yes, he does lose sometimes but not very often.)
What I am saying is that he should be more around a 7 or an 8 instead of a 10 (BTW his lowest index since the beginning of 2020 when everyone's handicap was reset based on the new formula was a 6-something.) And he can shoot low scores consistently.
FWIW I am attaching a link showing the probability of shooting your handicap or better during a given round:
I understand the above data were taken before 2020 (based on the old formula) but the table should still be relevant. Basically, you should only be able to shoot your index about once every 5 rounds. If you do it more often than that (or more egregiously, a few strokes lower consistently, well...Bagger!)
With all that preface here is my dilemma: I have been invited to a golf tournament in AZ during the summer for the second time this year (I know the organizer for about 20 years and he has only played with 2 to 3 other players in my club, but not X yet.) There will be around 40-50 players (we had about 30 last year.) There will be 4 rounds with players getting 100% of their handicaps. The low handicappers will tee off from the blues (getting the corresponding course handicap adjustments) and others tee off from the whites (same, albeit not as much). Each player will be contributing about $100 to the prize pool to be paid as follows:
1. Place based on cumulative net score after 4 rounds: Everyone will get paid (if you consider $1 for last place getting paid). Based on my estimate first place can be as high as $1,000 and the next 2 are in the high hundreds. So obviously a player's handicap would greatly affect where he finishes.
2. Closest to the pin on every par 3: This would probably somewhat handicap independent because the lower handicappers will be playing from longer distances on these holes.
3. Net and gross skins (separate): On each round you can win a net skin and/or a gross skin on any hole where no one else ties you. Normally, there will be a few winners sharing equally the prize pool each round. Again, a sandbagger would get strokes on a few holes each day which he does not deserve so his chances on a net skin would improve.
4. Hole of the day: On each round one specific hole is designated prior to the round so if any player shoots net par or better on that hole will share the prize pool. For this one I don't think X would benefit because based on my debut last year the designated hole each round is at least the 4th toughest hole or tougher.
Now, I have invited a few players from my club including the our current and longtime president, but not X. For the record 2 members of my club attended last year's tournament via my invitation so technically either of them can invite people from our club for this year (and did) but again, not X. They seemed to be waiting for me to be the one to pull the trigger. Just recently I got a text from our president asking me why I had invited a few of the other members but not X. He and X are close and I guess he tolerates X (but doesn't benefit from X since they play with each other frequently.) BTW, the president is a really good guy and everyone likes him.
So, now I am kind of under a little pressure to invite X to keep our president happy but I also want to "protect the field". I know that X knows about the tournament but I am not sure if X is influencing the president to push me to get him invited knowing how lucrative it could be. I think the organizer is sensitive of letting any sandbagger into the tournament so I also don't want to jeopardize the other members' (including the 2 other who have played and this year's invitees) and my own reputation.
So far the best solution I have come up with is (which I have not executed):
Step 1. I will inform the organizer about X and see if he will even consider having X if we were to assign X a lower handicap despite what X's official handicap indicates (I feel comfortable at least an 8 but maybe even better at a 7.) If the organizer does not agree I can tell my president what transpired and it's not my decision.
Step 2. If the organizer agrees I can then extend the invitation to X but tell him if he accepts he will have to play to a specific lower handicap (I have no problem call him out.) Whether X accepts or declines at least I am off the hook.
Sorry about the long narrative. Any suggestions?
We have a long term member (let's call him X) who is a known sandbagger. X is about 55, not a long hitter, average on iron accuracy/distance, but great at scrambling and seldom have any blow-up hole (so basically he knows how to score.) Right now his index is around 10-something but he regularly breaks 80 at our tournaments (FYI most of our members are 40-60 so we play off the whites or around 6,000 yards on different courses, which on the average would translate to a course rating of about 70 on a par 72 and a slope rating of about 125.
X is a relatively nice guy both on and off the course, not a super stickler on the rules during casual rounds both on himself or his playing companions. I have not seen him cheat on the course (e.g., improving lies, reporting lower score on the hole, move the ball closer to the hole on the green). I suspect he builds up his handicap when he is not playing in the tournament somehow.
We do get a foursome together once in a while and play a version of Vegas with rotating partners at 25 cents a point and X usually wins on the average about $20 (yes, he does lose sometimes but not very often.)
What I am saying is that he should be more around a 7 or an 8 instead of a 10 (BTW his lowest index since the beginning of 2020 when everyone's handicap was reset based on the new formula was a 6-something.) And he can shoot low scores consistently.
FWIW I am attaching a link showing the probability of shooting your handicap or better during a given round:
I understand the above data were taken before 2020 (based on the old formula) but the table should still be relevant. Basically, you should only be able to shoot your index about once every 5 rounds. If you do it more often than that (or more egregiously, a few strokes lower consistently, well...Bagger!)
With all that preface here is my dilemma: I have been invited to a golf tournament in AZ during the summer for the second time this year (I know the organizer for about 20 years and he has only played with 2 to 3 other players in my club, but not X yet.) There will be around 40-50 players (we had about 30 last year.) There will be 4 rounds with players getting 100% of their handicaps. The low handicappers will tee off from the blues (getting the corresponding course handicap adjustments) and others tee off from the whites (same, albeit not as much). Each player will be contributing about $100 to the prize pool to be paid as follows:
1. Place based on cumulative net score after 4 rounds: Everyone will get paid (if you consider $1 for last place getting paid). Based on my estimate first place can be as high as $1,000 and the next 2 are in the high hundreds. So obviously a player's handicap would greatly affect where he finishes.
2. Closest to the pin on every par 3: This would probably somewhat handicap independent because the lower handicappers will be playing from longer distances on these holes.
3. Net and gross skins (separate): On each round you can win a net skin and/or a gross skin on any hole where no one else ties you. Normally, there will be a few winners sharing equally the prize pool each round. Again, a sandbagger would get strokes on a few holes each day which he does not deserve so his chances on a net skin would improve.
4. Hole of the day: On each round one specific hole is designated prior to the round so if any player shoots net par or better on that hole will share the prize pool. For this one I don't think X would benefit because based on my debut last year the designated hole each round is at least the 4th toughest hole or tougher.
Now, I have invited a few players from my club including the our current and longtime president, but not X. For the record 2 members of my club attended last year's tournament via my invitation so technically either of them can invite people from our club for this year (and did) but again, not X. They seemed to be waiting for me to be the one to pull the trigger. Just recently I got a text from our president asking me why I had invited a few of the other members but not X. He and X are close and I guess he tolerates X (but doesn't benefit from X since they play with each other frequently.) BTW, the president is a really good guy and everyone likes him.
So, now I am kind of under a little pressure to invite X to keep our president happy but I also want to "protect the field". I know that X knows about the tournament but I am not sure if X is influencing the president to push me to get him invited knowing how lucrative it could be. I think the organizer is sensitive of letting any sandbagger into the tournament so I also don't want to jeopardize the other members' (including the 2 other who have played and this year's invitees) and my own reputation.
So far the best solution I have come up with is (which I have not executed):
Step 1. I will inform the organizer about X and see if he will even consider having X if we were to assign X a lower handicap despite what X's official handicap indicates (I feel comfortable at least an 8 but maybe even better at a 7.) If the organizer does not agree I can tell my president what transpired and it's not my decision.
Step 2. If the organizer agrees I can then extend the invitation to X but tell him if he accepts he will have to play to a specific lower handicap (I have no problem call him out.) Whether X accepts or declines at least I am off the hook.
Sorry about the long narrative. Any suggestions?