Handicap ESC score?

[kygolfer1980]

How do u guys follow this rule? I know once u have an established handicap u are supposed to use the ESC according to the course rating/slope. I just feel like if I make a triple it should go down as a triple even though the ESC won't let me take more than a double bogey.

[hckymeyer]

You are supposed to count all shots and that is your score. When entering for handicap purposes you only enter based on ESC, so no more than a double for you or I. At my course you can enter hole by hole instead of a total score. It automatically computes the ESC score when doing it that way.

 

The purpose is to stop a player from being penalized for one blow up hole, and also to keep people from inflating their handicap.

[kygolfer1980]

You are supposed to count all shots and that is your score. When entering for handicap purposes you only enter based on ESC, so no more than a double for you or I. At my course you can enter hole by hole instead of a total score. It automatically computes the ESC score when doing it that way.

 

The purpose is to stop a player from being penalized for one blow up hole, and also to keep people from inflating their handicap.

Right, I count all strokes and then adjust when I put in my score on GHIN. I'm so inconsistent sometimes that I'll have 3 triples in a round and just doesn't feel right that it knocks that 3 strokes off if my handicap is within the ESC range for that course.

[Mr.Clean]

Gotta love "that guy" we have all played with before who says "put me down for a 6, that's the most I can take with my handicap!" after shooting a 10 on a par 4.

Then gets to the clubhouse and rubs it in your face how he beat you by 1 stroke LOL!

 

I agree that it feels a little grimy when ESC knocks down my triples too, but then I think of a lip-out here or there and realize everything evens out

[hckymeyer]

I'm in the same boat as you guys on how it feels knocking down a triple (or "other"), but at the same time it doesn't happen all that often and I'm glad my handicap doesn't get penalized too much for one bad hole.

 

In my opinion where it really helps is evening things out during a match play competition. Just think if someone wasn't correctly inputting their ESC score and had an inflated handicap, you would end up giving away strokes to a person you should be playing straight up. They have one bad hole then rattle off a bunch of pars and maybe a birdie. Next thing you know you are closed out on 15 because they don't know what ESC is and have an inflated handicap.

[JBones]

I don't have an "official" handicap, I use a free website, so I don't have this problem. Couldn't you make up that stroke somewhere else on the card?

[hckymeyer]

I don't have an "official" handicap, I use a free website, so I don't have this problem. Couldn't you make up that stroke somewhere else on the card?

 

That's the whole point of ESC though, you don't want to make up that stroke unless you are trying to inflate your handicap.

[JBones]

That's the whole point of ESC though, you don't want to make up that stroke unless you are trying to inflate your handicap.

I see. Like I said, I keep a unofficial handicap, so I enter my score no matter what it is. I need to start keeping an official handicap though, for tournament purposes.

[revkev]

Few - I started shouting no at the computer when JBones wrote, "Can't you make that up elsewhere on the card."

 

Whether intended or not handicaps essentially measure a players potential more than his or her actual skill. You should find that you play to your handicap between 20 and 25 percent of the time. If its significantly more or less than that you don't have the proper handicap.

 

Generally speaking better players will play to their handicap more frequently because they are more consistent. Generally speaking a better player won't fare as well in a handicap even where there are three or more players with a mid to high handicap because they have a larger dispersion of scores and someone is bound to "hit" that day.

[kygolfer1980]

My handicap has inflated from 7.0 to 9.7 so far this year. Time for some short game practice....

[Kor.A.Door]

I have established a handicap in the ghin system, it's pretty easy with the exception of double posting once. I tried to figure out how the ESC score, but I am having a difficult time trying to figure it out, the course/slope rating for where I play is 72.9/136. My HCP is at 7.8, I rarely do more than double on a hole but occasionally triple. I have looked up how the ESC works, but can't figure out what to do with it.

[hckymeyer]

1370465144[/url]' post='106353']

I have established a handicap in the ghin system, it's pretty easy with the exception of double posting once. I tried to figure out how the ESC score, but I am having a difficult time trying to figure it out, the course/slope rating for where I play is 72.9/136. My HCP is at 7.8, I rarely do more than double on a hole but occasionally triple. I have looked up how the ESC works, but can't figure out what to do with it.

 

The quick answer is you aren't allowed to post anything higher than double bogey for handicap purposes. So if you shot 82 with a triple you would enter 81 when posting your score.

[Kor.A.Door]

Thanks hckymeyer, I understand what the purpose of the ESC scoring system is, I just wasn't sure how to apply it in the system.

[JMiller]

How do u guys follow this rule? I know once u have an established handicap u are supposed to use the ESC according to the course rating/slope. I just feel like if I make a triple it should go down as a triple even though the ESC won't let me take more than a double bogey.

 

I just think it's all about potential ability and pace of play. The higher the handicap the more likely you are to shot your max score on a given hole. As a low single digit it is sort of rare for me to shot anything worse then double bogey unless if have some penalty strokes involved. Then it becomes, is the course busy or is it dead? If it's dead I play it out, if not I pick it up.

 

If you think about it the handicap number is a number based on someones projected potential. It's the lowest 10 differentials out of the most recent 20 rounds averaged then times by 0.96 to weight it a little bit. The entire thing is set up where most of the time you are going to be shooting gross scores of more then your handicap suggests. Anything within +/- 3 strokes of the course handicap is acceptable if it's a legitimate handicap.

 

If the course is dead then I use a double par plus 1 stroke max in my rounds. I don't think I have ever had to record the max and be in my pocket with that rule of thumb. Par 3 max = 7, par 4 max = 9, par 5 max = 11 you would have to make a HUGE mess of a hole to record something higher then that. I would have to say it would take multiple penalty strokes on a single hole to get close. One example of where you might get close to a double par+1 max is say TPC Sawgrass 17th, you put your first 2 in the water playing your 5th shot onto the green then you 3 putt for a 7.

 

A gross score of say 78 where you have 6 bogey's is a lot different potential then a 78 where 2 holes were triple bogey and the rest of them were pars. You can see the person that only had 2 blow up holes has the potential of playing at least 2 strokes better then they did without really blinking an eye. The person that scored all bogeys might not be any better potentially then the 6 bogeys so no adjustment needs made.

 

I'm like you however, there comes a point where your handicap is low enough to simply play off scratch and record what you get only looking at gross scores instead of net scores.

[JBones]

A gross score of say 78 where you have 6 bogey's is a lot different potential then a 78 where 2 holes were triple bogey and the rest of them were pars.

Ha, that sounds like my round last week, 2 triples, 12 pars, and 4 birdies for a +2.......damn OB in the middle of the course.

[Phil75070]

I suppose the software used for entering scores into GHIN may differ, but at my home course scores are entered for each hole and the system automatically adjusts for ESC based on your handicap. For "Away" scores and posting on-line where only the gross score and the tees played from are entered, then one must adjust for ESC one's self before inputting the total score.