[RBJamez]

I've been doing extremely well in tournaments and competitive golf this year and I'm starting to feel guilty. I'm not posting my results to brag, but to show why there are rumblings about me being a sandbagger.

I started playing in May of 2010. My initial handicap was a 32 and got as low as a 24 last season. I started this season at a 23. My official handicap as of today is a 19.

Now here is where it get sketchy. My driver is my absolute worst club in the bag. I typically hit anywhere between 4-8 balls OB (lucky if I find them) in any given round with my driver. There have been many times where I hit 2 OB off the same tee.

I know this club is a problem for me and I work on it constantly on the range and change something about the swing just about every week. Regardless, when I do get a ball in play, I am usually in the trees or some other undesirable lie.

Knowing this, I won't use my driver when there is something on the line (tournament, bragging rights, etc...)

I played the club championship this year and was in the last flight of course. First round, I shot 21 over, second round I shot 20 over. This put me solidly in 2nd place, 15 strokes behind the leader.

Final round of the tournament, I tell myself that I'm going to play to score and win the tournament. I know the only way I can play to score, is to leave the driver at home.

I went on to shoot 10 over and missed first by just 6 strokes. ROUND of my life! Anyways, I went right back out and played another round the same day... 11 over. This was again with no driver.

The very next week, I go back to using my driver again because I'm determined to reign it in. Needless to say, I post 2 100+ scores.

Just last week, we had a match play tournament. I leave the driver home again and PAR the first 5 holes to take a huge lead. I win and hear a bunch of sandbagger comments.

My score is legit. I report EVERY round. Once it's time to play serious, I stop using the driver and score well.

Any suggestions how I should move forward with this? I don't want to have a bad rep around the club, but I am a fierce competitor and when something is on the line, I ditch the driver and play smart. As a result, I typically do very well in handicapped events.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[DzjwMKo5]

Get your driver sorted out before using it again. Changing something in your swing every week isn't helping anything.

If you are only using the driver when it doesn't count because it adds strokes and leaving it out when it helps you score better, when something is on the line, I don't think it's right. It's sandbagging. That's just my .02.

I saw it a lot in bowling. Guys would purposely bowl league games with equipment they couldn't score with (plastic), to lower their averages and get more handicap. Yet when tournaments rolled around they would use high performance equipment to score in handicapped tournaments. Others had no
shot because the scores were 50-60 pins higher than their average.

Ask yourself, how would you feel if someone did what you did?

Your tournament rounds being so much better and staying on your handicap sheet for a year regardless of score, your cap should be coming down either way.

[cypedembeda]

Maybe only keep/post scores where you dont use your driver? I mean if you dont use it during tournaments then to be close to accurate with your handicap you should only post scores sans driver?

I really dont know. my BIL does that thing where he wont use the driver in leagues or tournies and gets way better scores. When there is nothing on the line he uses the driver. I dont say anything but I think thats kind of wrong. Almost like padding your handicap imho.

My suggestion is to play either with or without your driver. Not picking and choosing when the situation presents itself to favor one or the other.

[Gosxjqum]

I know lots of guys at my club that refuse to play up a teebox because their handicap would plummet, yet relish the opportunity to use those tees in any tournament that will let them.. I can't help but feel like that's sandbagging, and I kind of feel the same way about what you're doing with your driver.. If your scores are based on rounds with your driver, so too should your money/tourney/bragging games..

[eliniaguilefp7m]

You, sir, are a sandbagger.

Posting rounds with an average of a 1/2 dozen penalty strokes only to completely eliminate them during tournament play is pretty much the definition of sandbagging.

[offinoNem]

You seem like a good guy, but yes, you are a sandbagger. If you don`t play your driver in tournaments because it costs you that many strokes but the rest of your game is pretty good, then you should work on your driver on the range, and play the rest of your rounds without it in the bag.

[usadatronourl]

Absolutely not. Good strategy when it counts. No different than Phil using a driving iron (or whatever he does) because he can't hit a driver.

[streMunford]

Um, I disagree with the sandbagger labels. If he is honestly posting scores, he is doing nothing wrong. He is at a disadvantage length wise leaving the driver out during tourneys, and is playing smart golf. He is honestly working on his driver, how is he supposed to get better without playing it? Just guess what his score would be without the OB's?
I think you should make it known at your club what the deal is, and see how they react. If they want to adjust your cap because of this, I would just go along with it for now, and keep workin on that driver swing. Give them the option, and you wont have to worry either way.

[ReginaPerss]

I dont get how he is a sandbagger. He just uses a different strategy to play in tourney's. That would be like saying I have to use my driver every hole I can at the Morgan Cup. It's just strategy. Handicap is potential to score to me and without his driver he is scoring to his potential.

[Gosxjqum]

Absolutely not. Good strategy when it counts. No different than Phil using a driving iron (or whatever he does) because he can't hit a driver.

Phil doesn't utilize a handicap to compete in events. If TrueFX were playing straight up, I'd agree with you. As there is an issue of a handicap, I see absolutely zero correlation.

[ReginaPerss]

I dont even think he has to tell his club. Should he really have to justify his rounds and club selection to anyone else?

Um, I disagree with the sandbagger labels. If he is honestly posting scores, he is doing nothing wrong. He is at a disadvantage length wise leaving the driver out during tourneys, and is playing smart golf. He is honestly working on his driver, how is he supposed to get better without playing it? Just guess what his score would be without the OB's?
I think you should make it known at your club what the deal is, and see how they react. If they want to adjust your cap because of this, I would just go along with it for now, and keep workin on that driver swing. Give them the option, and you wont have to worry either way.

[Gosxjqum]

I dont get how he is a sandbagger. He just uses a different strategy to play in tourney's. That would be like saying I have to use my driver every hole I can at the Morgan Cup. It's just strategy. Handicap is potential to score to me and without his driver he is scoring to his potential.

He is shooting just over 50% of his handicap without the driver. Handicaps are created using the 10 best rounds out of the last 20 rounds (at least for GHIN). That should mean that shooting below handicap would be a fairly heavy struggle more than 50% of the time, and yet he appears to be doing it with ease 100% of the time.

If I were to define his 'potential to score' based on his established handicap, it would include his driver. 10 may be his 'potential to score without a driver' but removing that for more success ONLY when it counts negates the handicap he's taken the time to develop. IMO.

[RBJamez]

Some good points so far.

I keep using the driver in my casual rounds because I feel like a lot of the problem is mental. Once warmed up, I can hit 5 drivers right down the middle on the range. I immediately go to the first tee and hit 2 OB.

But as some people here mentioned and how I am starting to feel, I am essentially playing 2 different games.

And another good point that was brought up, I am sacrificing a TON of distance by teeing it up with my 7 iron.

And in closing, keeping my driver in hand and shooting a 102 in a tourney is embarrassing.

Thanks for the input.

[RBJamez]

I dont even think he has to tell his club. Should he really have to justify his rounds and club selection to anyone else?

This where it is very sticky for me...

My club is a VERY social club. I own my own business and a lot of the members have become clients. I don't want a bad "golf rep" affecting my ability to cultivate additional professional relationships at the club.

[ReginaPerss]

I still dont get your line of thinking though. When you post scores after your rounds with your VR's to you have to justify what you used off the tee? Even if he is shooting his potential 50% of the time, what's it matter? No where have I read you need to disclose your club choice in order to maintain a handicap. How many times have we heard throughout this forum, leave your driver in the bag if its not working and go with your other clubs. What's different now?

He is shooting just over 50% of his handicap without the driver. Handicaps are created using the 10 best rounds out of the last 20 rounds (at least for GHIN). That should mean that shooting below handicap would be a fairly heavy struggle more than 50% of the time, and yet he appears to be doing it with ease 100% of the time.

If I were to define his 'potential to score' based on his established handicap, it would include his driver. 10 may be his 'potential to score without a driver' but removing that for more success ONLY when it counts negates the handicap he's taken the time to develop. IMO.

[myspacecoo]

Use the clubs that allow you to score the lowest. If I don't hit my driver well I keep it in my bag and go to my hybrid. Sure giving up the distance can be a challenge but lower scores is what we all want.

[ReginaPerss]

Completely understand that, I just don't get it sometimes. We preach scoring, yet when someone does it, they're sandbagging. You're just using what is best for you.

Maybe for the sake of business it would be a good idea. Maybe they will follow suit. Funniest part is more people should be using 3w's off the tee.

This where it is very sticky for me...

My club is a VERY social club. I own my own business and a lot of the members have become clients. I don't want a bad "golf rep" affecting my ability to cultivate additional professional relationships at the club.

[RBJamez]

I saw it a lot in bowling. Guys would purposely bowl league games with equipment they couldn't score with (plastic), to lower their averages and get more handicap. Yet when tournaments rolled around they would use high performance equipment to score in handicapped tournaments. Others had no
shot because the scores were 50-60 pins higher than their average.

I'm not sure the bowling example is a good reflection of my situation. They are intentionally raising their averages. I continue using my driver in casual play to try and raise my comfort level and skill with it on the course.

[oplapofffe]

Really, pulling driver is sandbagging? Then where do we draw the line? Do we all keep track of how our scores are affected when we pull long iron for hybrid or when we remove the lob wedge.

I gotta call nonsense on the sandbagging claims. Last season, I was set to play an important match but was struggling with driver. Knowing this, I pulled my regular driver and went with a 12* driver at 44". I shot very well and won our little match. So, by definition, I cheated? I wound up doing the same thing a few times. What would make it sandbagging? Once, twice, ten times.

The ghin system will probably flag him anyway but as long as his clubs are conforming and his intent is honest, it's not sandbagging. Sure there are people who would do this on purpose with the sole intent to artificially inflate their handicap and that's sandbagging. But a player who's been playing for such a short time and is honestly trying to improve with every club in his bag yet makes the calculated decision to maximize good play by pulling a club, is a cheater?

Slipperly slope, imo.

[fuslkdhfma]

Get your driver sorted out before using it again. Changing something in your swing every week isn't helping anything.

If you are only using the driver when it doesn't count because it adds strokes and leaving it out when it helps you score better, when something is on the line, I don't think it's right. It's sandbagging. That's just my .02.

I saw it a lot in bowling. Guys would purposely bowl league games with equipment they couldn't score with (plastic), to lower their averages and get more handicap. Yet when tournaments rolled around they would use high performance equipment to score in handicapped tournaments. Others had no
shot because the scores were 50-60 pins higher than their average.

Ask yourself, how would you feel if someone did what you did?

Your tournament rounds being so much better and staying on your handicap sheet for a year regardless of score, your cap should be coming down either way.

Well written Biggs. I've seen it done exatly how you wrote & it kills me.I even stopped bowling in Tournaments. Guys 150 average bowling 230 and higher. Dont like it in golf or bowling