Dear Linda,
Some of the women in our weekly league (including me) are confused about what score to post. I believe we are supposed to post something called an ESC score. Would you please explain how that works?
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
"ESC” refers to Equitable Stroke Control. If you have an unusually bad hole and exceed your ESC allowance (see the next sentence), you must lower that score before you total your score to post it. If your Course Handicap is 9 or less, the maximum number you are allowed to post for any hole is double bogey; from 10 to 19, your maximum is 7; from 20 to 29, your maximum is 8; from 30 to 39, your maximum is 9; and for 40 or more, your maximum is 10.
Here is that information in an easier-to-read format (CH is an abbreviation for Course Handicap):
CH 9 or less = double bogey max
CH 10-19 = 7 max
CH 20-29 = 8 max
CH 30-39 = 9 max
CH 40+ = 10 max
Note that Course Handicap is different from Handicap Index. Your Index includes a decimal (e.g., 19.1). Your Course Handicap is a whole number (e.g., 21).
Let's take a look at Daisy. Daisy's index is 27.5. Daisy has just played 18 holes on her home course, which has a Slope Rating of 127. Daisy's Course Handicap for this course is 31. Looking at the ESC information above, you will see that Daisy, with her 31 Course Handicap, cannot post a score for a given hole greater than 9. Let's suppose Daisy had two really bad holes, on which she scored 12 and 16. She must record those numbers (12 and 16) for the tournament of the day. No subtraction takes place until she posts her score. After she submits her score for the tournament, she must now review her score before she posts it. Both the 12 and the 16 must be reduced to 9. If her total score for the day was 112, she will subtract 10 strokes from 112 and record a score of 102 for handicap purposes (Daisy subtracts 3 from 12 to get her maximum of 9, and 7 from 16 to get 9; 3+7=10).
There are six posts on my blog that should answer most of the questions you might have about posting scores. If you would like a refresher handicap course, go to the home page of my blog. On the right side, under Blog Archive, go to the bottom of the list and click on the arrow to the left of 2008. Scroll down and click on January. The blog entries related to handicap questions are the following numbers: 7, 9, 11, 15, 32, and 34. They discuss such topics as posting winter scores, how to post an unfinished round, posting scores for match play or better ball formats, posting 9-hole scores, and which scores you are not permitted to post.
Linda
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