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Modern statistical methods to deal with sandbaggers: WSJ story.

That's an interesting article, and a simple solution to the problem. Its not foolproof, but the odds of hurting the innocent with that 'points' system seems remote compared to the number of sandbaggers who will be caught.

I haven't seen too much of it this year in the couple of tournaments I've played in, but I know it happens.
 
The 2010 winner of a prestigious amateur tournament shot net 65, 64, & 62 in the preliminary event. That golfer then won the event with a 69 in the championship round while the tournament committee did nothing to adjust the golfer's handicap.
 
At my home course, you can play and post your own scores, however, I remember a few years ago when we had a couple of guys who were well known sandbaggers, so the course cracked down and would only allow scores to be entered by the handcap chair person, and each card had to have two signatures.

It was funny to see several indexes go up and a few drop several strokes. I like the points system though in the artical. Looking at the index list from our course, I see 2 names today with a "R" listed. Not sure the problem will ever go away.
 
I don't try to sandbag, and is in fact desperately trying to reduce my index. However, I think I am better than my handicap and might be thought a sandbagger if I played in the office tournament now. The reason is, most of my rounds are played at a course and in conditions (i.e. wind) which I think is vastly under-rated by the slope assigned to it.
 
Sandbaggers suck. It doesn't affect me in golf, but I quit bowling in leagues because of it.
 
I currently play at a 12 and entered in a recent 78 into my GHIN (not a tournament, just a weekend round).

It set off like 20 alarms, and told me it was statistically outside of my likelihood. I needed to call my club chair to approve my score.

I think these new methods are great, and we all know some people sandbag while others just don't know how to enter a correct score for handicapping.
 
This is one of the reasons I am no longer playing in the World Am in Myrtle Beach. It has gotten ridiculous in that tournament. There are other reasons as well, but this is one of the main reasons.
 
Smallville said:
Sandbaggers suck. It doesn't affect me in golf, but I quit bowling in leagues because of it.
Click to expand...

Same here. Quit bowling league long ago. Quit mens golf league after last year. Just playing in a scramble league this year, where you know everyone is cheating.
 
I'm sure there are golfers that sandbag intentionally but I think there are at least a few that just play smarter, more conservative golf in club tournaments. Most of my golf is just shooting around with my friends and we play skins so I'll take some high risk shots (and I don't pull off many of them) that I wouldn't take in a club championship. Those failed high risk shots are going to make my score/handicap higher. My course has started tracking "Tournament" scores and those set your handicap for the multiple tournaments that the club puts on during the year.
 
Sandbagging and ways to stop it

Sandbagging and ways to stop it

Here's an article from Wall St Journal about some new methods to stop sandbagging. I personally despise this form of cheating as it takes everything good out of this wonderful game. I hope this helps but end of day a cheater is a cheater.

Love to hear your thoughts.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304450604576419670064691208.html
 
I'd like to see the odds for high-handicappers as well. The problem will always be guys not turning in all of their good or average scores or those in a money game intentionally taking more strokes after they've locked or lost the overall match.
 
Solid thoughts in the article. Posting all your scores is a must, but that's an honor code and up to the man or woman. Putting out and avoiding winter rules all summer brings scores back to earth also, for those that like to overstate their handicap. I don't enter tournaments at this point, so no advantage to it but I can spot a sandbagger from a mile away.
Was in a scramble a couple years ago where a team claimed a $700 skin for an eagle on a tough, long par 5 into a stiff wind. We birdied it and had a guy who played mini tour for a year who can blast it..Anyway, didn't think much about it until we heard admiring inquiries into how they did it. No one from the team would/could answer...which told everyone that they more than likely cheating...We followed them and didn't see any spectacular players, so it became even more dubious to us. Once again, honor is a funny thing...
 
Good read, I really find this type of person very frustrating. I recently played a 3 person scramble and the team handicap had to add up to at least 50. The winning team shot -17 for the round.......
 
good story, lord knows we have the same issue that everyone else has
 
Merged with a recent thread.
 
Great Story. I see it all the time.
 
I have the opposite problem. I play mostly 9 hole rounds and although I have never broken 90 for 18, though I regularly break 45 for 9 hole rounds. GHIN combines my 9 hole scores into 18 hole scores but 9 hole golf is a different game. Same goes with conditions like firmness, length of rough, wind etc. that are not factored into slope. Studies have also shown a difference depending on whether you carry, pull or ride. I keep my handicap to track my progress but would never wager anything based on it.
 
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