Using a Lawyer to get your handicap adjusted - taking litigation a bit to far isn't it?

Not sure if anyones seen this, but through the course of my day I come across various news items from what my company would class as rival papers. This one has stood out to me and thought i'd share it with you all.

Seems this chap is so unhappy that his handicap has been cut he has decided to take out a lawsuit against his home club, and has since changed clubs.

The 2 things that stand out in this for me is the length of time he's been persuing this and the fact it was in court for 21days (still awaiting verdict). The 2nd thing is he states in the article he has lost contact with his children for personal reasons and often struggles to find someone to play with at his club. Makes you think about his personality and why no-one wants to know him.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-3026902.html

hmmm, some people...

Jings
I was once part of a handicap committee that reduced a guys handicap from 19 to 5 under rule 19. Would have been more if we could have got away with it.
He was sobbing his eyes out in my office. Not for the injustice but for the fact that it would take him about 6 years to be able to win a prize again.

Doon the Water wrote:Jings
I was once part of a handicap committee that reduced a guys handicap from 19 to 5 under rule 19. Would have been more if we could have got away with it.
He was sobbing his eyes out in my office. Not for the injustice but for the fact that it would take him about 6 years to be able to win a prize again.

Christ! Why on earth was he savagely cut by that margin!

I don't think I want to comment on this case - he might start suing us if we don't agree with his view!!

I honestly don't understand people who play golf with the main aim of winning handicap competitions; golf is all about getting your handicap as low as your ability allows you with winning a handicap competition merely an added bonus if you have a good round.

This silly old fool should be happy at being a 21 handicapper instead of a 28 handicapper.

This is clearly a publicity stunt. Nobody could possibly argue that having your handicap reduced by 8 could give rise to a set of circumstances disadvantaging him to the extent of €10 million.

In a word...pathetic!! and all that is wrong with amateur golf. The guy has no clue of what golf or life for that matter is all about....sad!!

As S_R might say, what a man sausage!

Being reduced by 7.7 over 5 or 6 seasons is not exactly branding him a cheat. Sounds like he played well in comps and got reduced. Also, it's not clear whether he got a rule 19 cut on top of that. Definite man sausage.

Fader.
On his application form the guy said that he had not been a member of another club.
He put in three handicap scores and was awarded 19 handicap.
First competition he played in was Captains Day where he if I remember correctly scored a gross 78 and won by quite a margin. He received his prize in stoney silence.
On checking we found that three years prior to joining our club he played off 11 at a club 200 miles away.

Fair play to your handicap commitee then doon a cheat that was trying to prosper and got wha the deserved.

That's partly why lots of clubs have a playing in requirement as part of the joining process. Guys who are intent on pulling a fast one are discovered pdq.

I know at my club, Ok it's not a private members club (looking into that at the moment) but when you first join once you have obtained a hnadicap you must play a minimum of 3 medals before you can win one and 6 club majors before you can win one of those. Effectively means you won't be able to win a club major in the first year but it does prevent people turning up gaining a false handicap and walking away with the spoils.

Quite a lot of clubs have rules like that too.

They are becoming unpopular though, as a consequence of joining fees being abandoned. There's much more movement between clubs now, and it's a bit unfair on a guy who has played off about the same handicap for years, and knows plenty of people at the new club to make him ineligible to win anything for a year.

George1507 wrote:Quite a lot of clubs have rules like that too.

They are becoming unpopular though, as a consequence of joining fees being abandoned. There's much more movement between clubs now, and it's a bit unfair on a guy who has played off about the same handicap for years, and knows plenty of people at the new club to make him ineligible to win anything for a year.

The ruling at our place does allow for members of other clubs to join as long as they bring their CONGU handicap across therefore they can compete straight away.

Who cares about winning club competitions enough to go to court. What a plum

Fader
That happened about 20 years ago.
The club immediately imposed a 3 medal played rule before entries were accepted for drawn competitions.

super_realist wrote:Who cares about winning club competitions enough to go to court. What a plum

It's not about that, he said he was labelled a cheat at his club and no-one would play with him.

Bloody chancer, most people would be delighted to be cut 7.7.
All about the money I think.

It is blatantly about the money and to say him being labelled a cheat was the reason no-one would play with him is laughable when you look at the previous sentence of even his children wouldn't speak to him for other reasons.

If it were not for the sum of money claimed could anyone sympathise with the notion that lowering his handicap in that way implied he was cheating.


Surely the proof would be how well he played over the long term before and after the change?

I don't think I would have sympathy for him as i'm sure the club wouldn't have slashed his handicap on a mere whim. I'm more inclined to think it's just his interpretation of the cut that he thought they implied he was cheating allied to the fact he clearly states his children won't speak to him for personal reasons I would hazard a guess that he can't find a playing partner for much the same reason.

I'd have thought proof would be provided to show the reason to warrant the cut.

Even with a 7.7 cut, he's still a total chopper so unlikely to win anything other than a Cat 3 sweep. What's the big fuss. He should be delighted that he's alive at 75, not chasing some pipedream damages claim.

This is amazing.. Why would you do that? Think the fact that he doesnt know where his kids are in the world due to personal reasons sums him up.

Although judging by this court case this probably has something to do with it

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/lovers-united-after-three-decades-apart-now-fight-over-house-1419967.html

I didn't see anything in the article about him using a lawyer to get his handicap adjusted...

Mac- I don't think lowering his handicap in that way implies he was cheating, the handicap commitee have a right to adjust someone's handicap in line with their performances in competition. It's not the commitee's fault if people brand him a cheat because of that, I'm sure he was already known as a bandit before the reduction(s). Don't think he has a leg to stand on legally, and also don't think nonsense like this should be allowed to get to court.