Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is a method used in golf to adjust the maximum score a player can record on a hole for handicap purposes. The purpose of ESC is to prevent exceptionally high scores on individual holes from overly inflating a player’s handicap index.
This adjustment ensures fairness and accuracy in handicapping, allowing players of different skill levels to compete on an equitable basis.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) and other golf governing bodies have established guidelines for ESC. These guidelines typically stipulate that a player’s maximum score on any given hole should be capped at a certain number above the player’s Course Handicap, which is a measure of a player’s potential ability on a specific golf course.
For example, if a player has a Course Handicap of 18, and the ESC limit is set at double bogey plus one stroke, their maximum score on any hole would be a triple bogey (double bogey, which is 2 over par, plus one stroke). Therefore, regardless of how many strokes it takes the player to complete the hole, they would only record a triple bogey for handicap purposes.
The specific ESC limits may vary depending on the handicap index and the rules of the golf association governing the course being played. ESC is intended to encourage players to focus on improving their game while maintaining a fair and accurate handicap index for competition purposes.
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