Skins Games in various flights – strange stories

[Rick Kimbrell]

In all my years of playing in the World Am, I have heard lots of stories about how different folks run their Skins Games…some are good, some are strange, and some are downright WRONG.

As I had stated previously, I would run skins in flight 48 and 49 (combined) if no one else volunteered. No volunteers, so I ran both flight combined. Had no issues and decent payouts. Out of 96 or so players we had right around 50 players participating every day.

Now…I had winners on Monday who did not stick around. I kept their money and paid them on Tuesday. Every other day, the winners were there to collect. But, no big deal if they left…I would just hold the money till next day. It is just the way to handle it. Last year, I had one guy win a skin on Thursday and he left. I ended up mailing him his money. Just what you should do if you run skins.

SO, what do you think about someone who runs skins and makes the comment…I shouldn’t pay you because you left and was not here to collect yesterday. Really…well it happened this year. Wouldn’t have been so bad had the skins guy not told him his birdie was cut and that was the reason he left.

Also, what do you think about someone who automatically takes around a 10% tip out before he pays you what you won? Happened this year.

We have all been warned to make sure your skins guys is actually supposed to be playing your course on that particular day before you hand over money to him. But, it seems now that people may have to ask for the Rules of Payout for Skins before they enter with some of these guys. Trust me, if you play in my skins game…my intent is to pay everyone what they have won and pay out everything collected for the 4 days. I do round off on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday but the money stays in the pot and then whatever is left over is paid out with what was collected for Thursday.

But, to have to be “present to win” and “automatic tip deducted”….who would do that? I know but will not say. Beware of your skins guy. It is people like this that give those of us trying to run an honest game a bad name.

[Jay Seifert]

10% cut “off the top” is ILLEGAL and he should be prosecuted IMHO. I actually ran skins a number of years because others were trying to profit off of them. Same thing on the payments. Anyone who WINS a skin gets paid… PERIOD! I also have issues with the skin game runner “claiming” skins were cut without actually SHOWING which of the players actually cut yours because some game runner’s have been known to fib so that they can pocket your coin. I believe that my flight was run honestly but I was only in the running the final day because when you miss 16 of the 18 greens every other day of the competition you don’t have many chances to make birdies.. LOL

[Dale Craig]

Let me start by saying that I did not go looking to run the skins this year, but fell into it because no one else stepped forward to run them in flight 17 & 18. I was happy to provide the service so that those who wanted to play skins had the opportunity. It is a time consuming and often times a pain in the butt. It is no fun standing around for nearly 2 hours on Monday morning trying to get as many people entered as possible. This obviously showed in my Monday score as I wound up shooting a 107 which placed me dead last in my flight. Grrr! I will not place all the blame on having to take care of the skins before playing instead of dedicating my time to practicing, but it probably did not help.

As for actually running the skins, I have only a couple gripes. I wish the people who want to play would pay it all up front, as collecting daily skins is more work and time for me and again takes time away from my own preparation. Secondly, was impressing on everyone that it is important to show me a legitimate eg:official scorecard, after the round. I actually had 1 instance where a player handed me a course scorecard with only 1 score on it for the hole he claimed he birdied. While I am by nature a very trusting person, Cmon, show me something I and everyone else can trust. All I wanted was to see was a scorecard that did not look like it was just filled out after looking over my shoulder and seeing where there were open holes and then giving me a card with you getting a birdie on one of those holes still open.

Now for the positives and other comments. I did not take any cut off the top and paid all skins down to the $1.00. I was actually surprised that some of the guys made me make change, but I guess they needed the $. I had one day where there appeared to be 3 skins to payout and I had paid out 2 of them and the 3rd guy was no longer around. At this point a guy approached me and asked if a certain hole had won a skin and I told him it had and it was the guy that was no longer there. He then said he birdied that hole and I said you never gave me your card. He got the card back from the pro and lo and behold he had birdied it, therefore cutting that hole and now there were only 2 skins to pay. Fortunately 1 of those guys was still there and I gave him half of what was the 3rd skin. That night I saw the other guy at the CC and told him I had more money for him in the morning. It was times like this that made it fun for me. Seeing the happiness every time I paid out the skins is really gratifying, plus having a drink or 2 bought while I was collecting scores helped. Having all the guys maybe not know me by name but always greeting me by “Skins Guy” is kind of fun. I go to the WA for the fun I have and the new guys I meet.

Finally, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who won a skin and threw a few dollars my way. It was nice to be appreciated.

See you all next year.

[Jay Seifert]

Thanks to Dale and all the “Skin Game Runners”! These events would not be the same without you & hopefully a few of the guys were kind enough to have provided a tip or two for all your good works.

[Rick Kimbrell]

Dale, I would agree. It can be a pain in the butt and I am never going to say that I am running skins before Monday of the tournament. If no one has volunteered, then I will gladly do it. Dang sure does not give us much time to warm up, does it? 🙂
Some of the guys make it a pain in the butt for those of us running it but honestly I don’t think they intend to. Just their nature. And, I am ok with them. Again, give me a chance to meet a lot of folks every year.
The crap this other character pulled running skins…simply unbelievable. I have friends who played in skins that covered a total of 20 different flights this year. Out of those 20 flights, only 2 flights/1 skins guy did crap that would have seriously upset me had I been in that game.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by Rick Kimbrell.

[Bob Whittington]

I ran the skins game for flights 19 and 20 this year. I too did not take money off the top and all money for that days pot was paid out to the winners. I also asked to see the OFFICIAL SCORECARD or a picture taken of the scorecard with the players cell phone. I had no problems with that from players and had many players show me their scorecard on their cellphones. Good idea for anyone running skins games next year.

Bob Whittington

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