Sandbag – a bag filled with sand used in fortification. To deceive someone about one’s capabilities.
Does any sport toss the word sandbagger around more than golf? It seems like every time someone shoots an unusually low score or has a great hole, they will inevitably be accused of being a sandbagger.
While it is almost certian that there are sandbaggers roaming golf courses all over the world, I would like to believe that most of our fellow golfers are honest people who happen to catch lighting in a bottle. Yet, as soon as this happens, the ‘bagger’ comments rain down like an unexpected afternoon shower.
So the more important question is not whether some people ‘work’ the system, but, rather, why do their fellow competitors feel compelled to question their motives whenever they go above and beyond their normal capabilities?
I personally have been in that situation and my response is that no one shows me sympathy when I have a bad round so why should they begrudge me the pleasure when I have a good round.
Yes, some of the sandbagging comments are probably done in jest, but, I’d be willing to bet that a great deal of these comments have at least some sense of reality to them.
So why do we (even in jest) accuse our fellow competitors of basically being cheaters? Maybe it’s jealousy. Or maybe frustration with our own game. Or human nature to not trust each other. Whatever the reasons, I really believe we need to lighten up on our reactions to others’ success. Maybe we could come up with a better term for someone who has an exceptional day on the links. Something that would celebrate a great accomplishment instead of denigrating what for someone may very well be a once in a lifetime achievement.
