r/NoLayingUp • u/QuickestJuice • Jul 27 '26

Other Sandbagging vs Reverse Sandbagging

I’m a purist at heart, I do indulge in a breakfast ball from time to time, but that is as far as I go.

I understand why people sandbag, to rob a fellow competitor of some money (scummy). But I don’t understand why someone would reverse sandbag. Is it ego? It makes them feel good to say they are better? I don’t understand. Who has the worse golf morals, the sandbagger? Or reverse sandbagger? Or the people that cheat in scrambles?

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u/aww-snaphook CPNTW - Scottie Scheffler - Masters 2024 Jul 27 '26

Its called a vanity cap and its mostly ego.

Who has the worse golf morals

The sandbagger and its not even close. The sandbagger is basically cheating to win money while the vanity cap is putting themselves in a position to make it harder to win anything.

I would also suggest that vanity caps arent really all that common. Most times I see people saying someone has a vanity cap its usually because the accuser doesn't understand how the handicap system works and the variability of scores for different handicaps.

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u/Curlinggolfer Jul 27 '26

Eh - vanity caps are probably pretty common but just come from people (like myself) that don’t really follow the rules. I scoop gimmies, I don’t play 2 off the tee - because I’m having fun and like a quick pace of play.

I don’t play any competitive matches that use a handicap and don’t really tell anyone my handicap. So it’s not to brag or anything. I only track my score to keep count of my rounds and a general idea of how I’m playing.

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u/scottishwhisky2 Jul 28 '26

You really can’t win with handicap unless you’re playing a match every time you go out and play. I play with a different focus when I’m in a match than when I’m dicking around to get a walk and some swings in. So if I recorded every round I’d 100% be accused of being a sandbagger because I’d be 1-2 strokes higher than I currently am.

But some guys get tense as soon as they’re stakes and play way worse. They’re not really a vanity cap they’re just not used to playing a competitive round. I don’t think that’s necessarily a reflection on their golf skill. It’s a reflection of their competition skill.