Talk about sandbagging...

[notroman]

They each shot one hot round and the other was pretty average so there's really not an issue

In Rec anything over 900 can be considered "hot"

We had issues with local non-members bagging events on their home courses so the people that run tourneys around here started keeping track of the players performance (what ratings they shot each tourney) themselves and give an "elf rating" to non-members. If someone is consistently shooting intermediate or advanced level golf they aren't allowed to sign up for recreational, even if they aren't PDGA members and have no official rating.

 

[mashnut]

In Rec anything over 900 can be considered "hot"

We had issues with local non-members bagging events on their home courses so the people that run tourneys around here started keeping track of the players performance (what ratings they shot each tourney) themselves and give an "elf rating" to non-members. If someone is consistently shooting intermediate or advanced level golf they aren't allowed to sign up for recreational, even if they aren't PDGA members and have no official rating.

And that's totally reasonable, anyone purposely not getting a membership so they can play down like that is absolutely gaming the system. Someone who does it once because they shoot hot or because it's their first tournament and they don't know where to play we don't need to be chasing them away from playing competitively by screaming bagger at them.

 

[notroman]

I agree. If it's your first tournament, play whatever division you want. You'll have a better idea of where you fit after that tournament.

I had two buddies that I've been trying to get to start playing tournaments for over a year. I finally got them to sign up to a local two-day event. They seemed pretty insecure about their abilities, never playing a tournament before, so they weren't sure which division to play. The TD basically told them that if it's their first tourney to just play Novice and Rec (one each day), then go from there.

One of them averaged 970 golf over the weekend and destroyed both divisions. Needless to say bagger cries were heard. He then joined PDGA and signed up for Advanced in an out of state tourney where he has never played before. His first round as a PDGA member was over 1000 rated and he found himself on the lead card of a big A-tier event. Once again, bagger cries were heard. You just can't get away from it.

 

[DavidSauls]

They each shot one hot round and the other was pretty average so there's really not an issue

There almost never is.....once you look into the incident that incited the "bagger" cries.

Among other things, it's foolish to make assumptions from a single round, or even a single tournament. Disc golfers can be inconsistent, new amateur players astonishingly so.

We had a first-timer at a 1-day event at Stoney Hill. He played Intermediate, the lowest division we offered. After the first round, he had a TEN stroke lead.

After the second round, his lead was gone. He won in a tie-breaker. I don't think he's ever been as good since as he seemed in that first round.

 

[DavidSauls]

A passing thought about the trophy-only proposals, in respect to the alleged sandbagger issue. There's a notion that the amateur payouts inspire players to try to play in divisions below their skill, to win stacks of plastic.

At the same time, we see a lot of amateur players playing in divisions above their rating. In spite of the chance to play in their proper divisions and certainly win more merchandise.

It makes me wonder how much the payouts really affects this issue, when they can't even entice players to stay in the divisions their ratings qualify them for.

(I understand there are other reasons people propose trophy-only, but was just thinking in terms of this thread).

 

[DavidSauls]

In Rec anything over 900 can be considered "hot"

We had issues with local non-members bagging events on their home courses so the people that run tourneys around here started keeping track of the players performance (what ratings they shot each tourney) themselves and give an "elf rating" to non-members. If someone is consistently shooting intermediate or advanced level golf they aren't allowed to sign up for recreational, even if they aren't PDGA members and have no official rating.

An excellent job by those TDs.

I'm an 896-rated player, and I don't consider any round over 900 "hot". Maybe "warm".

 

[JTacoma03]

It sounds like it still might have happened if they thought they were signing up for the correct division.

Though I do agree that all amateur divisions should be trophy only.

"none of this" includes the bitching though.

Less intentional bagging, BUT moreover MUCH fewer instances of people bitching or griping about others.

 

[Dan Ensor]

"none of this" includes the bitching though.

Less intentional bagging, BUT moreover MUCH fewer instances of people bitching or griping about others.

Absolutely. This is mostly why I wish Am were trophy only. I might play ma3 again if it weren't "for people who just started" and I wasn't "stealing money from people that really belong in ma3" ...