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The Sandbaggers League

Individual format

Bogey vs Course

You are not playing the other three; you are playing the golf course. Win the hole against par, halve it, or lose it — and finish the round with a record like +2 rather than a number.

How it plays

  1. 1Play each hole as a match against par, with your handicap strokes applied.
  2. 2Net score better than par wins the hole (+1 to your record). Net par halves it (0). Net worse than par loses it (-1).
  3. 3The moment you cannot halve the hole, pick up and move on.
  4. 4Best record after nine holes wins. A round of +2 means you beat the course on two more holes than you lost.

Scoring and handicaps

  • Record is written as wins minus losses: 3 up, 1 down and 5 halved = +2.
  • Handicap strokes are applied by stroke index exactly as in net medal.
  • Level (0) against the course over nine holes is a respectable round on most tracks.
  • The league converts the record into the standard 10 / 6 / 3 / 1 finishing points.

Over nine holes

The bogey competition is the old club format nobody plays any more, and it is the one that produces the calmest golf we film. There is no scoreboard-watching — you cannot do anything about anybody else's round.

How to actually win it

  • Because the hole ends the moment you cannot halve it, this is the fastest way to play a busy nine.
  • Holes where you get a stroke are the ones to attack — a net birdie and a hole win are the same thing here.
  • It is the best format for playing alone or with a guest who does not want to be compared to anyone.

Questions people ask

What is a bogey competition in golf?

A bogey competition is match play against a fixed target score — traditionally par or bogey — rather than against another player. You win, halve or lose each hole using your net score, and your result is a record such as +2 or -3 rather than a stroke total.

Is par the same as a bogey competition?

They are the same mechanic with a different target. Historically a bogey competition was played against a 'bogey' score set slightly above par for the course; modern groups almost always play it against par and still call it a bogey competition.

Watch it played

We film Bogey vs Course live, badly, every season

Five friends, one camera, nine holes, and a forfeit waiting for whoever finishes last. The full round card for every Bogey vs Course week is on this site the day the episode drops.

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