“Wee Willie” Serves as Catalyst for Sandbagger Anonymous

By Sandy Bagger

April of 2008, I was a new member of a well-known Top 100 Course in Beaufort, SC., caddies only.  I had been a member for only a couple of years. I had a severe cervical neck problem and underwent a cervical laminectomy 3-4 years earlier. I took the opportunity to invite my neurosurgeon from Chicago. It was the first time I meet “Wee Willie” (self-proclaimed) William Wilson the Scotsman. Willie was sporting an 18 handicap and tore us apart shooting a 78. The course has a rating of 74.2 and a slope of 144 from the Grant Tees., 7068 yards. Formidable from the tips. The Lee Tees (where most clubs would consider the Blue Tees is 6697 yards with a 72.7 Rating and a 140 Slope.

Bad enough, but on Tuesday three days before the Friday to Sunday Member-Guest he shot a 78 in The Heritage Classic Pro-Am at Harbour Town Golf Links leading his team to victory. Probability of back to back 78’s on two different highly rated and sloped courses, let’s say astronomical. The Dye (Blue) tees are 6640 yards, Rated at 73 (Par 71) and a slope of 141. Two comparable challenges for an 18 handicap, both under tournament conditions.

I’ve been bagged before so as disappointed as I was, my guest was infuriated. For the next two to three weeks I would receive e-mails with suggestions to stop this kind of sandbagging.

Fri, May 2, 2008 6:15 pm

Brown, Frederick [BSD] – SUR (fbrown@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu)To:you Details

Hi, Greg. Here is the sandbagging link below. After you enter, click on dealing with sandbagging, and then click on odds of shooting an exceptional score. So, odds of an 18 shooting 80 when the course rating is 72, are 1 in 37,000. An avid golfer would probably play about 5000 rounds in a lifetime.  Shooting a 76 is way, way off the charts. I think it is data your handicap committee or club president should have in hand. Will get back to you early next week about your c-spine. Thanks again for everything.  Fred

From: James M. Kennedy
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 5:04 PM
To: Brown, Frederick [BSD] – SUR
Subject: Re: sandbagging

Dear Fred,

Here you are:

http://www.popeofslope.com/

Best,
Jim Kennedy

What I discovered was there was no Handicap Committee (not all clubs have one). The Pro’s know they can’t upset a longtime member without consequence. I later found out “Wee Willie” won a large number of club tournaments and stopped taking the framed hole pictures (probably ran out of wall space) according to one of the Assistant Pro’s. I was sent a website address from the neurosurgeon for a site that became the stimulus for Sandbagger Anonymous. The site, Dean Knuth’s Pope of Slope. Over the years people are fearful of calling out sandbaggers but peer review is really the best way to stamp out this silent killer of the integrity of golf. So, thank you “Wee Willie”!

Dr. Greg Slachta aka Sandy Bagger