darthweasel
Well-known member
the too long to read version:
I now know how someone can legitimately shoot better than their handicap every day of a tournament
the "I like reading a bit more in depth" version
Potential sandbagging seems to be a major issue when it comes to handicaps. So does people playing to or above their handicap. I have carried a handicap for 2 or 3 years now and for the vast majority of that time, it was purely for my own amazement and amusement. I did not play in tournaments, did not gamble, and the only thing it did was serve as a benchmark for me to see my improvement. And sure enough, about one of every 4 or 5 rounds I would be happy with. Sometimes 2 or 3 in a row but that would be followed by many "bad" rounds as I reverted to the mean.
Now however I have a tournament coming up where it is almost guaranteed I will look like a sandbagger.
This past winter Frank got me interested in playing in a local winter series of tournaments. Even though my handicap was not "official" they used it as a baseline for the 1-day handicap thing. The first tournament I shot a net 1 under playing my own ball. The second was a 2 man best ball, Frank was not around so I partnered with a guy from work and we did the perfect ham and egg…I par or birdied the first 4 holes while he was double/triple/not finishing. Then he went par or birdie on 4 of the next 5 while I was in the midst of a meltdown where I picked up without finishing on at least two holes after 8 strokes...I did have a couple pars the rest of the way to help, he shot a 38 on his own. We finished several shots under par net because of how well we meshed. Third one was Frank and I in a shamble where again we meshed well…I was playing very well off the tee and very poorly thereafter. He was scuffling a bit off the tee but money close in. I had just enough good holes where he scuffled and vice versa to help out. We ended up 8 or 9 under. Funny part is in only one of these three did I play well…but the clever-eyed observer might note my team and I were net under all three times, and one of those by a lot. I was in 9[SUP]th[/SUP] overall in the league. Fortunately, the last tournament, again playing my own, I had a rugged day and was net 9 over. Weird to feel good about playing like garbage but I was not sad to underperform.
Moment of disclosure: between Frank and I's shamble and the tournament mentioned above, my back has deteriorated as residue from an auto accident is making life pretty miserable. I have lost so much flexibility I cannot cross one leg over the other between those times.
Fast forward to today. Handicap season just started. I signed up for the NWGG and they maintain a GHIN but none of my scores to date are entered so it is as if I am starting over. But there are complications. The back injury from my auto accident has been getting worse. The doc suggests as long as I can handle the pain it is better to be out doing stuff than sitting on my ever-growing posterior gaining weight and losing flexibility so I have been muddling through. However, the loss of flexibility has changed my swing. I have lost massive length off the tee, massive length and accuracy with my irons (example: a 156 yard hole in the last tournament, historically that is a 9i for me, I used a 7i…and came up 30 yards short) and cannot hit a wedge at all. My 50 degree ¾ swing that was money from 95 now goes about 35 yards. Or 60 yards. Or if I blade it 160 yards. Between my drive drpping from a 238 average to about 201, my wedges disappearing, and my irons being suspect, it is fair to say I am not playing to the best of my normal ability.
In the last tournament of the year on a pretty soft course I should reasonably shoot an 85 or so I nailed a sweet 98. On a 4800 yard, par 66 course with a massive slope rating of 90 (not a typo) I have just had back to back 46-43/89 rounds followed by a nine hole 45 spectacular. .I EXPECT to break 80 there even though really have only done so maybe 5 or 6 times.
Naturally when I get the requisite number of scores posted, my GHIN is going to be sky high. The first score recorded in it is that tournament 98. So I have the 98, two 89s at a slope 90 and whatever I shoot the next two Saturdays. It will be ugly. And it will also be accurate for how I am playing right now, playing to the best of my ability.
I am trying very hard to shoot low scores. Unfortunately, when you used to have a slight draw and now fade most things but pull when your hip spasms in the middle of a swing, chunk all your wedges…you don’t know where the ball will go. Or how far. I know my wedge will not work so I have started trying to bump and run from as far out as 135. So far I am not successful very often but it is coming closer more often.
There is a very plain, obvious hole in my game that if I can fix I will almost instantly drop 8-10 strokes a round. Be able to hit a wedge. Right now from 135 until maybe 20 yards off the green I literally do not have a makeable shot. My chipping and putting have been (for me) money, my tee shots, while short, have been decent. But there is 110ish yard zone where it is too short for my 9i, too long to bump and run and my wedges are…horrific.
Well, coming up at the end of April I am partnering with a co-worker and we are playing in the Central Oregon Shootout, and it is an event I will take serious. I like my co-worker, don’t want to let him down, and there are actually a ton of prizes available. As a result, I will actually suck it up, get out and practice the wedges. Then I will suck down double the meds to try to recover. I don’t do it right now because, full disclosure…it hurts. A lot. Like after golf I tend to have to resort to both over the counter (ibuprofen) and prescription (muscle relaxers) medications. So I don’t spend any time practicing right now. Nor will I till about a week before because I cannot face the pain that long. The day after the doctor told me this was the new baseline for rest of my life I was so depressed my wife, an RN, literally almost did not go to work because she was afraid I was suicidal. I was not, am not and will not be...but I gave that impression. Nope, just in pain.
But for the tournament I will try to spend the time to get my wedge swing back. I worked on that at the range before last tournament and it was on the edge of coming back. But it needs work. And that range session almost prevented me from finishing the tournament. But to make sure I hold up my end for Vince, I will fight through it and see if I cannot either consistently bump and run from that far out or make an adjustment to the wedge swing so I am not going Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel on every wedge.
Naturally if I suddenly go from not having a reliable shot to having a reliable shot in the scoring zone, my scores should…uh…improve. Noticeably. If I were to play Crosswater today I would not be shocked to shoot a 110 playing to the best of my current availability. After dialing in my wedges I will not be shocked to shoot an 85 or 90.
So I am really between a rock and a hard place. I am a better golfer than my legit, official handicap will show. If the scores I just recorded on my own were legit, postable scores I would be much lower but they are not legal to post. I know going in that even though my handicap is completely legitimate and legal, it is completely illegitimate for my actual potential.
I will play better all three days of the tournament. It will look to anyone who does not know the story like I am a sandbagger. I get how it can happen. It is going to be me. If I start the practice too soon, I will not have time to get enough scores for my cap. I also am unlikely to be able to play enough or finish the tournament, that is just my physical reality. I can either practice to show my legit score…or I can play. I cannot do both. that is simply my physical reality.
So to those who are there and think I am cheating; I will not be. If a miracle happens and I regain flexibility sooner (in physical therapy weekly still) then my cap will look better but if not: I will, feeling zero shame or embarrassment, outplay my cap every round.
Too long, did not read: I actually know of a real scenario where someone is virtually certain to shoot better than their handicap back to back to back days.
I now know how someone can legitimately shoot better than their handicap every day of a tournament
the "I like reading a bit more in depth" version
Potential sandbagging seems to be a major issue when it comes to handicaps. So does people playing to or above their handicap. I have carried a handicap for 2 or 3 years now and for the vast majority of that time, it was purely for my own amazement and amusement. I did not play in tournaments, did not gamble, and the only thing it did was serve as a benchmark for me to see my improvement. And sure enough, about one of every 4 or 5 rounds I would be happy with. Sometimes 2 or 3 in a row but that would be followed by many "bad" rounds as I reverted to the mean.
Now however I have a tournament coming up where it is almost guaranteed I will look like a sandbagger.
This past winter Frank got me interested in playing in a local winter series of tournaments. Even though my handicap was not "official" they used it as a baseline for the 1-day handicap thing. The first tournament I shot a net 1 under playing my own ball. The second was a 2 man best ball, Frank was not around so I partnered with a guy from work and we did the perfect ham and egg…I par or birdied the first 4 holes while he was double/triple/not finishing. Then he went par or birdie on 4 of the next 5 while I was in the midst of a meltdown where I picked up without finishing on at least two holes after 8 strokes...I did have a couple pars the rest of the way to help, he shot a 38 on his own. We finished several shots under par net because of how well we meshed. Third one was Frank and I in a shamble where again we meshed well…I was playing very well off the tee and very poorly thereafter. He was scuffling a bit off the tee but money close in. I had just enough good holes where he scuffled and vice versa to help out. We ended up 8 or 9 under. Funny part is in only one of these three did I play well…but the clever-eyed observer might note my team and I were net under all three times, and one of those by a lot. I was in 9[SUP]th[/SUP] overall in the league. Fortunately, the last tournament, again playing my own, I had a rugged day and was net 9 over. Weird to feel good about playing like garbage but I was not sad to underperform.
Moment of disclosure: between Frank and I's shamble and the tournament mentioned above, my back has deteriorated as residue from an auto accident is making life pretty miserable. I have lost so much flexibility I cannot cross one leg over the other between those times.
Fast forward to today. Handicap season just started. I signed up for the NWGG and they maintain a GHIN but none of my scores to date are entered so it is as if I am starting over. But there are complications. The back injury from my auto accident has been getting worse. The doc suggests as long as I can handle the pain it is better to be out doing stuff than sitting on my ever-growing posterior gaining weight and losing flexibility so I have been muddling through. However, the loss of flexibility has changed my swing. I have lost massive length off the tee, massive length and accuracy with my irons (example: a 156 yard hole in the last tournament, historically that is a 9i for me, I used a 7i…and came up 30 yards short) and cannot hit a wedge at all. My 50 degree ¾ swing that was money from 95 now goes about 35 yards. Or 60 yards. Or if I blade it 160 yards. Between my drive drpping from a 238 average to about 201, my wedges disappearing, and my irons being suspect, it is fair to say I am not playing to the best of my normal ability.
In the last tournament of the year on a pretty soft course I should reasonably shoot an 85 or so I nailed a sweet 98. On a 4800 yard, par 66 course with a massive slope rating of 90 (not a typo) I have just had back to back 46-43/89 rounds followed by a nine hole 45 spectacular. .I EXPECT to break 80 there even though really have only done so maybe 5 or 6 times.
Naturally when I get the requisite number of scores posted, my GHIN is going to be sky high. The first score recorded in it is that tournament 98. So I have the 98, two 89s at a slope 90 and whatever I shoot the next two Saturdays. It will be ugly. And it will also be accurate for how I am playing right now, playing to the best of my ability.
I am trying very hard to shoot low scores. Unfortunately, when you used to have a slight draw and now fade most things but pull when your hip spasms in the middle of a swing, chunk all your wedges…you don’t know where the ball will go. Or how far. I know my wedge will not work so I have started trying to bump and run from as far out as 135. So far I am not successful very often but it is coming closer more often.
There is a very plain, obvious hole in my game that if I can fix I will almost instantly drop 8-10 strokes a round. Be able to hit a wedge. Right now from 135 until maybe 20 yards off the green I literally do not have a makeable shot. My chipping and putting have been (for me) money, my tee shots, while short, have been decent. But there is 110ish yard zone where it is too short for my 9i, too long to bump and run and my wedges are…horrific.
Well, coming up at the end of April I am partnering with a co-worker and we are playing in the Central Oregon Shootout, and it is an event I will take serious. I like my co-worker, don’t want to let him down, and there are actually a ton of prizes available. As a result, I will actually suck it up, get out and practice the wedges. Then I will suck down double the meds to try to recover. I don’t do it right now because, full disclosure…it hurts. A lot. Like after golf I tend to have to resort to both over the counter (ibuprofen) and prescription (muscle relaxers) medications. So I don’t spend any time practicing right now. Nor will I till about a week before because I cannot face the pain that long. The day after the doctor told me this was the new baseline for rest of my life I was so depressed my wife, an RN, literally almost did not go to work because she was afraid I was suicidal. I was not, am not and will not be...but I gave that impression. Nope, just in pain.
But for the tournament I will try to spend the time to get my wedge swing back. I worked on that at the range before last tournament and it was on the edge of coming back. But it needs work. And that range session almost prevented me from finishing the tournament. But to make sure I hold up my end for Vince, I will fight through it and see if I cannot either consistently bump and run from that far out or make an adjustment to the wedge swing so I am not going Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel on every wedge.
Naturally if I suddenly go from not having a reliable shot to having a reliable shot in the scoring zone, my scores should…uh…improve. Noticeably. If I were to play Crosswater today I would not be shocked to shoot a 110 playing to the best of my current availability. After dialing in my wedges I will not be shocked to shoot an 85 or 90.
So I am really between a rock and a hard place. I am a better golfer than my legit, official handicap will show. If the scores I just recorded on my own were legit, postable scores I would be much lower but they are not legal to post. I know going in that even though my handicap is completely legitimate and legal, it is completely illegitimate for my actual potential.
I will play better all three days of the tournament. It will look to anyone who does not know the story like I am a sandbagger. I get how it can happen. It is going to be me. If I start the practice too soon, I will not have time to get enough scores for my cap. I also am unlikely to be able to play enough or finish the tournament, that is just my physical reality. I can either practice to show my legit score…or I can play. I cannot do both. that is simply my physical reality.
So to those who are there and think I am cheating; I will not be. If a miracle happens and I regain flexibility sooner (in physical therapy weekly still) then my cap will look better but if not: I will, feeling zero shame or embarrassment, outplay my cap every round.
Too long, did not read: I actually know of a real scenario where someone is virtually certain to shoot better than their handicap back to back to back days.