A tradesman who has done work in the Dempster house for the past 20 years is a golf nut, as evidenced by the fact he played more medal rounds last year than I probably have in the time I’ve known him. On his latest visit last week, he was telling me about how he’d got to the final of a match-play competition last year and all I can say is that I was horrified by the tale he told me. According to him, the person he was up against had intentionally gone out the day before and played a counting round so that his handicap would go up a shot for their head-to-head clash. In doing so, that took him up to 20, giving him two shots instead of one, though it didn’t sound as though he needed any of them because, helped by hitting greens at 300-yard holes, he was 12 under his handicap by the time the contest had been decided in his favour. “I worked it out on my way home that I was six under my handicap,” reported my tradesman, who clearly felt shattered by his defeat at the time and it’s certainly been on my mind over the past few days. I have to hold my hand up here and admit that I may be a bit naive when it comes to how people operate when it comes to handicaps these days because, as already mentioned, I simply don’t play in nearly enough medals. I’ve played off 11 - 11.6 is the official mark at the moment, according to a check on howdidido.com - for as long as I can remember, but, and this is my own fault, I know, I am not even really close to that in real terms. I think 15 or 16 might be about right, though, even then, I could be trying to be optimistic, but, at the same time, I can occasionally still feel like an 11-handicapper and, with a bit of time on my hands, that long-held dream of getting down to single figures could possibly still be achieved. The point I am trying to make is that I have always believed that, if you have a handicap, you are trying to reduce it because that, of course, is a sign of success through improving your game. Yes, of course, someone could have a wretched year playing medal rounds and that handicap suddenly soars but, if that person is a ‘proper’ golfer, then you know that such a scenario will hurt like hell. However, if there are people out there who go out with the clear intention of trying to manipulate their handicap for a specific reason, then that, for me anyway, is akin to cheating. Yes, that is a strong word and one you never like to see in golf, but there should be no place in the game for people who are simply pot hunters and, in being so, spoil the fun of what is a great sport for others. In looking at the current handicap situation, it is important, of course, to mention the General Play scores that were introduced as part of the implementation of the new World Handicap System (WHS) by The R&A and USGA in early 2020 and I fear this could be a case of walking into a minefield. Subscribe today to Scottish Golf Courses You MUST play - our brilliant limited edition newsletter series Whereas previously only scores in official competitions counted for handicap purposes, under the WHS someone can submit General Play scores in that respect any any time over a “measured course” and, in Scotland, that is recorded using the Scottish Golf App. Technically, someone could go out every single day - they have to be playing with at least one other person - record a score and, based on that, a player’s Handicap Index would then be updated at the end of each day. On the one hand, I can see why General Play scores seemed a good idea, but, on the other, and especially after hearing the tale from my tradesman, I’m not sure it has been good for the game because, quite frankly, it looks as though it is being abused. Of all places, it seems as though that’s exactly what’s been happening in Mauritius because the federation there has just implemented a ban on the submission of General Play scores that don’t add up to par or better. In a letter posted on its website, the Mauritius Golf Federation said it had observed that “some players are submitting large numbers of General Play scores in order to increase their handicaps prior to a competition in which there are significant prizes”. There they are, those pathetic pot-hunters and hats off to the golfing body on the paradise island for taking action that should give those who don’t want to try and be handicap ‘cheats’ what should at least feel like a level playing field. Because I don’t play in too many medals, I can’t say this has affected me personally and, if I was playing in competitions off 11, I would probably feel like I was cheating myself because I almost certainly wouldn’t be able to play to that and, let’s face it, you need to be a good few strokes under your handicap to even be in with a sniff of winning. It surely can’t be good for golf in the wider sense, though, that there is something in place that is open to abuse and please don’t kid ourselves by thinking it’s only been a problem in Mauritius. Trying to grow the game is one thing, but - and, yes, my tin hat is at the ready - let’s not encourage the integrity and spirit of our great game to be damaged.