[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "sandbag and sandbagger"

Sandbagger means a liar who frequently changes their handicap.

‘Sandbagger’.

It means someone who is shameless and thick-skinned. For example, "A true golfer has two handicaps: one for bragging and one for betting." In golf slang, it refers to a rubber-handicap golfer, in other words, a handicap cheater who frequently changes their handicap.

A player who hides their true skill and power during the qualifiers and only performs their best in the finals is also a sandbagger. It refers to an unsportsmanlike golfer who deliberately reports a lower handicap to win prizes or money in golf tournaments. The term originates from a subway robber in New York who used a sandbag as a weapon. It is also said to come from the mafia weapon called a blackjack, a leather pouch filled with sand and fitted with a handle.

In poker, sandbagging refers to the tactic of using gestures to prevent opponents from folding when holding good cards, thereby winning a large pot at the end. In companies, a salesman who uses various tricks to set low sales targets and later greatly exceeds them to boast is also called a sandbagger. In the UK or Scotland, instead of sandbagger, the terms bandit or ringer are used.

A: Do you know what Mr. Chung shoots around?

B: Nowadays, he usually shoots around three or four over par, but he always falsely registers his handicap as nine.

A: That’s surprising. Is he a sandbagger?

B: I think so.

Written by Kim Maengnyeong, Golf Columnist

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.