As a novice I'm trying to get myself a feeling for my handicap, assuming I can play a few rounds even good enough to make a 28 :-)

One thing that is confusing me is equitable score control. I understand that this means for handicapping purposes the max score possible is double bogey, so a 5 on a par 3, 6 on a 4 and 7 on a 5.

However I can't work out what this means for handicap calculation. For arguments sake lets assume my 28 handicap as it stands. Today I hit 95 on a par 65 course, so 2 shots above a 28 handicap. However if I apply ESC to that 95 it comes down to 83, considerably below a 28 handicap and presumably reducing my current 28 handicap by some amount.

Which, if in fact either, of those scores should be used for handicap adjustment?

Cheers

Paddy

You get stopped at max double bogey for original handicapp calculations.

When you have a handicapp you get max 2 shots above your shot allowance for the hole.

I have never heard of this ESC, Patric, but I always thought that the maxim was nett double bogey, not gross double bogey, so in effect you could have a 9 on a par five if you got 2 shots on that hole.

If I have got all this wrong then I am sure someone will be along to put me right. What a crazy system it is.

Ah ok, that clears up things a little bit.

As far as Golfshake is concerned, should I be entering scores just as I hit them i.e gross, or gross minus ESC per hole?

Cheers

Paddy

John,

You're absoutely right, for me as a beginner the handicapping system is completley impenetrable in it's complexity.

How does one work out allowance per hole?

Thanks,

Paddy

I hope someone can explain Equitable Score Control to me - I've never heard of it!

Reading it back John I think you're right in what you say for someone who has an existing handicap, I believe that ties in with what Gary is saying in his second point.

James - As far as I can make out it's a system for handicap calculation to eradicate 'blow up' holes, where on a particular hole you post a wildly high score, far above what you'd normally expect to make.

I don't believe it has any bearing on the outcome of a game, it's only relates to handicap calculation.

If you're talking about a maximum of net double bogeys for handicap purposes then you're right.  As far as Golshake is concerned, just enter your gross, i.e. real scores and the system will work it out for you.

At your handicap of 28, you get a 2 shot allowance on holes with stroke indexes of 1-10 and 1 on holes with indexes 11-18.  So, for example, if you scored a 9 on a par 4 hole with a stroke index of 6, that would be a net 7 as you get 2 shots and would be reduced to a 6 for handicapping purposes.

Never heard of this !!!

When calculating your initial handicap gross double bogeys and no worse are counted. Once you have a handicap then your adjustments are then from nett double bogey.

So now i don't understand ESC,SSS,CSS.HCP.....FFS! There's got be a better way.

It's easy. 

Partic

Never heard of this but I gather you mean what score to put down if you have a blob. On the very odd time I have a pick up blob then I put the lowest score that would get me zero stableford points on that hole. On your hcp it would be 4 over par on si 1-10 and 3 over par on si 11-18. Or even simpler just put down a 10 as this would be rounded down for hcp. But medal you must hole out your ball no pick ups.

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

Dave,

I always record absolute gross, if I score 12 then 1 score 12. Everything does indeed then gert fed into golf shake and see what's what after that :-)

I don't think we need panic, from what I've read on this thread everyone does know what ESC is, just not that that is what it's called. It seems to be the term given for the process of dealing with high shot number holes for initial lhandicap calculation and then handicap adjustments after that, i.e : 

 Initial calculation, nothing more than double bogey gross is used.
 Adjustments after that, nothing more than double bogey Nett is used.

So it seems everyone knew it, just not what it was called.

Phew!  I thought, ello, I've only been here 5 mins and I've already caused mayhem! :-)

Phew!  I thought, ello, I've only been here 5 mins and I've already caused mayhem! :-)

don't worry Patric you won't get that mantle there are some serious mayhemers on here

ESC (Equitable Stroke Control) is primarily used in the US and Canada and their respective handicap systems.

Did I see someware the yanks drop there best score and worst score per round for their handicaps?

Any of our friends from the US members of GS?

Dave CAC handed Geordies

Dave, US system is average based so assuming you have played 30 rounds in last year it will take the last 20 and from those take the average of the best 10 thus your handicap fluctuates more dramatically.  

Then the US also use the slope and course rating system so if you have a handicap of say 15 at your home club when you went to play at another club your would get a course handicap which could be higher or lower dependent on the course difficulty.

Possible a fairer golf handicap system but sure we have discussed this at length in other threads  

I think the best bet is to count how many shots it takes for you to hit the ball into all 18 holes and let golfshake do the rest. Other than that don't worry about it. 

Patric, just to reiterate what others have said.  Yes record all shots in Golfshake and the system will adjust scores, calculate handicaps etc

Regards, Darren.

Golfshake.com Dev