[moopogyOvenny]

Two weeks ago, my partner and I played in the semi's for our League championship. Its a 9-hole league, and we play a combination of match play between the two players with the lowest and highest handicaps (two points each), and 2 points for low team net, for a total of six points. The low handicap gives strokes as appropriate.

I shot my worst round of the year (can you say CHOKE? - LOL) with a 48 for 9. But I had to give my opponent 5 strokes (I'm a 5, he's a 10 for 9 holes). It wouldn't have made a difference what I shot though, since he shot a 38, for a net 28 (eight under par)! I would have had to shoot 32 to beat him!

My partner's opponent was an 11 handicap for 9 holes, and this guy was +3 after six holes! Needless to say we were WIPED OUT!

I wished them luck after the match, and wondered silently if it was really worth sandbagging that much for a lousy shirt that the League winners get!

[PaulRyansew]

I play in a league too, but we don't have any sandbaggers. We do have a vanity handicapper though. I don't condone either ones behavior, but I can almost understand the mindset of the sandbagger. I don't get the vanity handicapper at all.

[moopogyOvenny]

I play in a league too, but we don't have any sandbaggers. We do have a vanity handicapper though. I don't condone either ones behavior, but I can almost understand the mindset of the sandbagger. I don't get the vanity handicapper at all.

I'll play against the "vanity" handicapper any day. Its the sandbaggers that I don't understand. I always thought that we take pride in improving our game, and as a rule, our handicaps reflect our skill level. Most people strive to play their best, and in doing so they lower their handicap, not "blow shots" to protect a handicap higher than their skill level. And certainly not in a friendly, no $ league.

[PaulRyansew]

I've decided this is my last year of league play. I have reached a point where I want to play golf with people I both like and respect. I'm fine with playing with strangers - chances are I'll never see them, let alone play with them again, but you have to play with the same people during the course of the league and I don't want to play with some of them.

[deermealec]

My home course 's men's league has few sand baggers in it's membership. I was a member for a while until I realized that the chapter's president was one of the worst sand baggers I had ever run across. A few of the other members took it that if can't beat them, then join them, which meant even more sand baggers. I would give up 10 strokes and still get beat by 10, even though I was shooting in the high 70s, low 80s. It might be different now since the course is under new management, but I still see some of the same names are still members.

[jPNy2BP5]

I once played in a 9 hole league at my home course - league golf was discontinued after that season. I will never forget one match I had - I was scratch and was matched with a guy who I had to give 8 shots. I knew early on I was in trouble, and played my heart out to shoot a 33, but lost anyway when the guy drove it over 300 yds over the creek on the last hole, leaving a 6 iron home on the par 5. His birdie gave him a 39, and a +2 win. I'm pretty sure he simply shot whatever he needed to shoot each week to win, and caught enough easy victims to keep his handicap up. Where's the glory in that?

[en-druzhba]

I once played in a 9 hole league at my home course - league golf was discontinued after that season. I will never forget one match I had - I was scratch and was matched with a guy who I had to give 8 shots. I knew early on I was in trouble, and played my heart out to shoot a 33, but lost anyway when the guy drove it over 300 yds over the creek on the last hole, leaving a 6 iron home on the par 5. His birdie gave him a 39, and a +2 win. I'm pretty sure he simply shot whatever he needed to shoot each week to win, and caught enough easy victims to keep his handicap up. Where's the glory in that?

That's crazy. I played in the city championships this year and I actually beat my handicap by 2 and 3 strokes each day. I ended up in 2nd place, but the guy who beat me beat his handicap by 4-5 strokes per day for 4 days. What are the odds of that.

[Aafimoq]

I've decided this is my last year of league play. I have reached a point where I want to play golf with people I both like and respect. I'm fine with playing with strangers - chances are I'll never see them, let alone play with them again, but you have to play with the same people during the course of the league and I don't want to play with some of them.

My last league of any kind was a bowling league 20 years ago. We played the first weeks matches against a team of ringers (who all easily averaged over 200). First week is scratch , while setting your handicaps. They won all four points (3 games and total) while setting their averages around 150. And they weren't making excuses either, they were like, "all we want to do is win the points." That was enough of handicap leagues of any kind for me.

[OwdBKKHO]

Sadly, sandbaggers are going to be in any competitive golf that you play. There are some ways to reduce it...but they will find another way around it. I have just learned to deal with them.