I think there is a difference between 'sand bagging' and planning as you go along your career arc. There were times when I delayed advancing a tier, playing hard courses to keep my average higher so I could get to a level with longer clubs before hitting longer tees. There were times when I delayed advancement so I could play a particular tourney. But at best I would delay advancement a few days here or there. And considering I went 0 to 85 and Legend in a few months, no one will complain I was sandbagging. That is different from someone avoiding ranked games to stay at a tier for months and months.
Part of the problem is that... the game is for everyone. There are people who don't give a whit about avg or tiers, they like to play with others and enjoy the interpersonal discourse while they play. They get a kick from the challenge of MPCs, play them for the fun of it. They can't be forced to play ranked rounds. They can't be forced to stop playing MPCs. So what to do?
Another issue in this discussion is, other than the Legend balls (20 yards? OMG ROLFLOL... 2-4y tops... I play them because they go AS FAR as the regular i(z) with a bit more spin), there is absolutely no benefit to tiering, or to making Legend at all. We play from 20-30y farther back on most holes. We play on tourney greens on most tourneys. But we get no equipment that any hack can't use. Which is fine when we are competing with other Legends.
Yes, it's the putting. But that is because of practice and skill, not because we are Legends. It's not an advantage we are given, like shorter tees. Any hack can putt like a Legend with practice and skill. And any hack can hit a wedge to a green that I am hitting 5 iron to, thus getting closer.
The one obvious advantage to higher tiers is more prize money in the WGT tourneys. But as far as a Legend vs. any other tier, we have only disadvantages. There is no incentive to tiering, which encourages the sandbagging.
Shouldn't there be some real, tangible advantages to tier elevation? I myself did it for pride... to reach the top. I don't play for credits, though they are nice. I'm playing to be the best at this I can be. I get a sense of pride when I am playing alt shot with a Legend partner and we play a pair of TMs dead even, though we had an extra 150y off the tees. I don't play MPCs, I only play tier RGs. I play mostly CC tourneys. Sandbagging isn't a real issue for me. My input is because I believe there should be a benefit to increasing in tier, aside from the courses getting harder.
The dual-account cheats, though... They and their parent accounts should be eliminated and banned from the site.