There is another reason things won't be changing soon:

Tournament directors want all of the scratch bowlers in as many brackets as possible.  Think about the last handicap tournament you went to.  If you told all of the scratch bowlers they couldn't get in the handicap brackets, then you would have a lot fewer brackets.  Many scratch bowlers look to brackets as a source of income and try to get into as many brackets as possible.  I have seen people in as many as 150 brackets (scratch and handicap) for a single 3-game shift of a tournament.  So that equals at least 150 x $5.00 (or whatever the typical cut is for the bracket organizer).  There goal isn't to make it as fair as possible, but to find a way to get as many brackets going as possible to make as much money as possible.

When you enter a handicap tournament, you should know exactly what you are getting into. There is going to be chance that someone with a low average is going to score big. If that tournament lays down any Typical House Shot, then its a definite guarantee that many bowlers are going to score big. You just have to be prepared.

Any tournament trying to adjust handicap for "sandbagging" or "that low average bowler throwing big" is going to fail. Handicap should be set at highest average of entering bowler. Percentage should be no lower than 90%.

Big games are part of today's bowling. Just look at the pros. You see a pro throwing a 150 game then come back and throw 230 and 240 games. The average bowler can do this too. Throw a 140 then throw 190 or 210.

Now my only issue about handicap is the scores over 300. I actually think there should be a cap on handicap score. Once you hit 300, that is it. You get no more pins for the game.
 

+1 with Heap and tx.

I've always felt that the 180 average bowler (to use the earlier example) has a greater opportunity to bowl over their average. This is especially true if that bowler happens to be good at managing their average. Yea, there out there. There are a lot of honest bowlers, but there are those that manage to bowl 21 or 24 games and set lower average and walk in and shoot over. It is difficult as a tournament director to manage these situations. After all, you are in it to make money too. As far as the 230 average bowlers, we see a few of these but they are a minority. I would say the 210 to 220 have a fair representation and even more in the 200 to 210. I don't discriminate the guys above the handicap number and at times these guys will dominate the brackets. I see just as many of the lower average bowlers come in and shoot a great set and win everything they entered. Yes, there are more of the high average bowlers that walk in and say put me in every bracket, a lot more than handicap bowlers for sure. One thing I try to do is encourage my big guns to all bowl the same squads so there are a lot of scratch brackets and not as many handicap in those squads. These guys want the competition so given the chance they will bowl the big money squads. Most tournament directors don't go to the trouble to do this or have the connections to spread the word as to when to schedule to take advantage of the money if it is what they are looking for. You have to work with the entries you have and these days it is not getting any easier to fill your squads.

Good comments Tex.  It is difficult getting bowlers for tournaments. Tournament directors try to set up tournaments in a way to attract the most bowlers.  Set handicap based on 200 and no lower average bowlers show up.  Set it at 240 and no high average bowlers show up.  You can't set it to the highest because you don't know who the highest will be. 

Pick tournaments to bowl in based on what you feel the most comfortable with.  And spend money knowing there is a chance you walk out with nothing.  If you win or break even, then it was a good day.  But if you lose, just chalk it up to experience and get ready for the next tournament.

The only reason scratch bowlers get into handicap brackets is to make some money. If it is that much of an issue, then the tournament director should not allow scratch bowlers in handicap brackets.
But really that is the only way to make some money. At any given handicap tournament there is very few scratch brackets, and a ton of handicap.
But that is gambling, dont put the money up if you are affraid you are going to lose it. Thats just the way it is. I have lost countless brackets to handicap, and I dont care. He beat me, thats all there is, I could care less what his average is. Most of the time, I dont even look.

I also think that part of the issue is that the bowler of today has evolved somewhat due to the THS.

A 230 average bowler today is probably someone who strikes 70% of the time and is greater than 90% on their spare game while being almost 100% on corner pins.

A 215 average bowler today is probably someone who strikes 70% of the time but is around 60% on their spares and 75% on corner pins.

A 200 average bowler today us probably someone who strikes 50-60% of the time but is 50% or less on spares and corner pins.

All 3 bowlers, can shoot a lights out game, but the 230 guy covers his spares while the other 2 miss them.

I don't think the 230 guy out strikes, the others that often, he covers his corners.

Playing Devil's advocate here...you are a legit 200-210 average bowler on THS.  In the Dallas area at a tournament, your 7 opponents in a bracket could consist of

Chris Barnes - Top 5 bowler in the world
Derek Eoff (now in Wisconsin so probably not now)
Chris Johnson (former PBA Rookie of the year - 240 average)
Paul Fleming - recent PBA touring pro
Dino Castillo - current PBA touring pro
Wes Malott - top 10 PBA touring pro

along with several dozen other DFW bowlers who average 240+.

So I'm not going to criticize a guy for wanting a few pins against these guys.  And yes they do enter every bracket.  And I no, I do not expect a legit 210 average bowler to bowl Chris Barnes heads up scratch unless they WANT to.  He will lose 90% of the time.

Why would the 210 donate.  Even at with handicap, the guy will lose to Barnes 60-70% of the time.  Is that not good enough.  Is the 210 guy only supposed to win 5% of the time?  What is acceptable?

90% of 230 or 240? who the hell would do something that dumb!!!!! not a single scratch bowler would have any type of a level playing field. imagine a 180 average bowler shooting something over 240, which by the way is extremely easy.. the objective of the 90% of 220 handicap levels the playing field level so amateurs, such as yourself, can stand a chance. 90% of 225 is the most any handicap league should ever be unless the lowest average in that league is over 210. it is not 90% of 230 or 240 because the curve of advantages are steeper rather than it being a level playing field. a level playing field is how a bowling center operates to conduct good business. if that 180 bowler bowled over a 220, which is extremely easy by the way, no one unless you have tons of handicap would stand a chance. a scratch bowler would have to bowl better that walter ray and earl anthony every game to even come close to standing a chance in that type of handicap tournament... think logically amateur.