5 Things You Need To Know About Keeping An Accurate Handicap
Nothing is more vital to success at the World Am than an accurate handicap, something that is easier said than done in some instances. With that in mind, we offer up five things every golfer needs to know to keep an accurate handicap and derive maximum enjoyment from the World Am.
1. Make sure you post all of your scores – It sounds simple and it is, but people have the tendency to let a couple of rounds slide. It’s in your best interest to post all of your scores, good and bad.
2. Use equitable stroke control – Equitable stroke control places a cap on the highest total you can record on a hole for handicap tracking purposes. It’s important to understand the concept and to understand how your handicap is formulated.
3. Make sure you play by USGA rules – Again, it sounds simple but a lot of people, for instance, don’t take stroke and distance during their Saturday morning round that factors into their handicap. Things that you pay little attention to at the time can make a significant difference in compiling an accurate handicap.
4. Play from tee to green – That 2 ½ foot putt that you pick up from May through July because it’s “good” – don’t do it. It doesn’t take much longer to putt out than it does to pick up, and the truth is, the average golfer is prone to missing those “gimmes” on occasion. Finish every hole.
5. Make sure you are entering scores from the correct tees/rating/slope – This is a much more common mistake than you might think, especially when you aren’t playing your home course. If this mistake is made more than once or twice, it can impact your handicap.
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what is equitable stroke control and can you provide an example
Jerry, Let me try to explain ESC(equitable stroke control). When posting your score to GHIN (a soft ware system that keeps track of calculating your handicap) questions are asked about date of round, slope, rating and ESC score. Next to the box for you to enter the ESC score is a bullet in the form of a ? mark. If you click on the ? mark it explains ESC like this. If you have a handicap 9 or less, the maximum score you can have for a hole is a double bogey. If HDCP is 10-19, max score is a 7;HDCP is 20-29, max is 8; 30-39,max 9, 40 and above, max 10. This is a very simiplified explanation. For more explanaton ask yur local handicap committee or pro. Good Luck, G
Equitable Stroke Control
Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for the handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential ability. ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player's Course Handicap. ESC is used only when a player's actual or most likely score exceeds his maximum number based on the table below but is applied to all scores for handicap purposes, including tournament scores. There is no limit to the number of holes on which a player may adjust his score.
A Handicap Index determined from scores to which ESC has not been applied may not be termed an NCGA/USGA Handicap Index.
EQUITABLE STROKE CONTROL (ESC)
Course Handicap
Maximum Number On Any Hole
9 or less - maximum is Double bogey
10 through 19 - maximum is 7
20 through 29 - maximum is 8
30 through 39 - maximum is 9
40 or more - maximum is 10
To bad more people and more systems don't encourage people to use the Equitable Stroke Control because this is a "true" picture of a golfer's handicap, not the raw score, but the adjusted scores on each hole for the total. We use that in our grop and everyone has done it for so long now, that it is just routine, it's easy.
If 13 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18 hole score. If 7-12 holes are played, the player must post a 9 hole score. For the holes not played, the player would record a score of par plus any handicap stokes that they are entitled to. This hole score, when recorded, should be preceded by an "X."
ESC is important, but the most important thing to do to have an accurate handicap is to play by the rules ALL THE TIME. Every year when I play in the World Am I hear the same complaint about not being able to play to one's handicap. A handicap is not an average or a mean. It is supposed to represent a score you shoot on your best day. You should only shoot net par one out of maybe 4 times.
The best way to have an accurate one is to play by the rules. Putt all the strokes. Every year I see people miss the little ones. Take stroke and distance. If you second tee shot is good and in the fairway you are hitting 4 not 3. Don't want to go back to the tee, then play a provisional or else play 4 from where you drop without going back. This will add a few strokes to your score as the day goes on, but will be closer to your real potential. But even that is not REALLY accurate. If you play a second from the tee then it too may be lost so you are now playing 6 from the fairway if yur 3rd tee shot is in the fairway.
Learn the other rules such as a water hazard and a lateral water hazard rules. Play by the rules.
If you play by the rules and take all the penalties you should, then your handicap will go up resulting in better net score in Myrtle Beach.
Honesty and stroke control that is all you need
The case for net double bogey. While the current ESC is "easy" to use it keeps handicaps too high for too long. The previous method (i.e. you could only take one more stroke than allowed - a 9 course handicap could take a max double bogey on 9 holes & a max bogey on 9 holes) this was changed because the USGA felt it was too "hard" to use. It's absurd that a 10 course handicap can take a 7 on a par 3 under current system - or a 20 course hcp. can grind thru an 8 on a par 3 (holding up whole course). Golf Assoc. in all of Europe & New Zealand & many other countries use the "net double bogey" rule, a good compromise - i.e. if you get a stroke on a par 3 you can take max 6 - if you don't get a stroke then max 5. Visit: popeofslope.com or see Golf Digest Nov.'09 Rules article
I WAS READING THE HANDICAPPING PROCEDURE AND A COUPLE GUYS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT GETTING STROKES ON A HOLE AND ABOUT TAKING MAX STROKES IS DURING THE YEAR OR AT THE WAGC.
You know, I can find a lot of interesting information in your posts, and I think all do. But, it's a pity that "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."