17 replies to this topic

[jhscott1]

I have been given different answers by different playing golfers. I am currently a scratch golfer. The other day I made a 8 on a par 4, I shot a 76. When I was going to post my score my playing partner said I was to post a 74 because the highest score a scratch golfer can post is a double bogey. Is this true. I have also been told that the highest score a scratch golfer can post is a 6 no matter what par is on the hole. Need some clarification on this issue.

[jwfgolfpro]

jhscott1, on 14 November 2012 - 02:01 PM, said:

I have been given different answers by different playing golfers. I am currently a scratch golfer. The other day I made a 8 on a par 4, I shot a 76. When I was going to post my score my playing partner said I was to post a 74 because the highest score a scratch golfer can post is a double bogey. Is this true. I have also been told that the highest score a scratch golfer can post is a 6 no matter what par is on the hole. Need some clarification on this issue.

[Pepperturbo]

jhscott1, on 14 November 2012 - 02:01 PM, said:

I have been given different answers by different playing golfers. I am currently a scratch golfer. The other day I made a 8 on a par 4, I shot a 76. When I was going to post my score my playing partner said I was to post a 74 because the highest score a scratch golfer can post is a double bogey. Is this true. I have also been told that the highest score a scratch golfer can post is a 6 no matter what par is on the hole. Need some clarification on this issue.

Yes, but double bogey is max; same is true for us low single digit players.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

One of the many advantages of being a scratch golfer is only having to remember the first line of the ESC table. Double bogey.

[Stuart G.]

It might be obvious to some but for those it's not, that's the course handicap the table is based on, not the handicap index.  Now that will rarely (if ever?) make a difference for scratch players but it might for higher single digit HC'rs.

[bhj83]

Maybe I've been reading it wrong but I assumed that 7 for 10-19 meant the most I could post was a triple bogey. Does this really mean I can't post higher than a 7 on a par 5 but I would have to post a 7 on a par 3 if I scored 7 or higher?

[Pepperturbo]

Yes... means max "7" on a par 3, 4 and 5.

[Stuart G.]

Yeah - it never has made sense to me that I could post a quad for a blow-up on a par 3 but no worse than a double on a par 5.  Oh well.

[bhj83]

I guess it probably evens out in the end...

[duffer987]

Not taking pot-shots, really I am not, but I find it surprising how many serious golfers (you have to be pretty into the game to be scratch or a low single digit capper) don't know how the ESC works.
It seems to come up often enough here. I wonder where the meeting point is between it not being promoted/publicised enough and folks not looking into it enough.

[Pepperturbo]

duffer987, on 16 November 2012 - 11:14 AM, said:

Not taking pot-shots, really I am not, but I find it surprising how many serious golfers (you have to be pretty into the game to be scratch or a low single digit capper) don't know how the ESC works.
It seems to come up often enough here. I wonder where the meeting point is between it not being promoted/publicised enough and folks not looking into it enough.

If someone can't golf, then the next best thing is to know all the rules.  Least then he can sound like a golfer.

[YMark]

Pepperturbo, on 16 November 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

If someone can't golf, then the next best thing is to know all the rules.  Least then he can sound like a golfer.

Good stuff. Kind of like the joke about teachers....

[Sawgrass]

Pepperturbo, on 16 November 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

duffer987, on 16 November 2012 - 11:14 AM, said:

Not taking pot-shots, really I am not, but I find it surprising how many serious golfers (you have to be pretty into the game to be scratch or a low single digit capper) don't know how the ESC works.
It seems to come up often enough here. I wonder where the meeting point is between it not being promoted/publicised enough and folks not looking into it enough.

If someone can't golf, then the next best thing is to know all the rules.  Least then he can sound like a golfer.

Sorry, I'm with Duffer on this one.  You can tease him (and me too) about not being scratch, but that really doesn't have anything to do with whether good players are mistakenly increasing their handicaps by failing to put down a lower, ESC-adjusted score.

And IMO in most cases you have to work pretty hard at ignoring ESC.  On GHIN.com, where I post, right next to the box you put your score in it says, "ESC Score:"  and right next to that there's a little, live "question mark link" that leads you with one clidk to the following throrough explaination:

Q. What is ESC? A. All scores for handicap purposes, including tournament scores, are subject to the application of Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). This mandatory procedure reduces high hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential ability. A handicap determined from scores to which ESC has not been applied may not be termed a Handicap Index.

Course Handicap

Maximum Number

9 or less

Double Bogey

10-19

7

20-29

8

30-39

9

40 and above

10

Please visit Section 4-3 of the USGA Handicap System manual for further reference.





If you don't care to "know all the rules" fine, don't.   But in that case don't keep a handicap.  At least don't keep one that's distorted with inappropriately high scores.


Edit:  Sorry, the chart I pasted above didn't reproduce well here.  It's simple to see on GHIN.  But in any case you get the idea . . .

Edited by Sawgrass, 16 November 2012 - 05:04 PM.

[duffer987]

Pepperturbo, on 16 November 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

If someone can't golf, then the next best thing is to know all the rules.  Least then he can sound like a golfer.

And you've done it so well in your previous posts in this thread

[Pepperturbo]

Sawgrass, on 16 November 2012 - 05:02 PM, said:

Pepperturbo, on 16 November 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

duffer987, on 16 November 2012 - 11:14 AM, said:

Not taking pot-shots, really I am not, but I find it surprising how many serious golfers (you have to be pretty into the game to be scratch or a low single digit capper) don't know how the ESC works.
It seems to come up often enough here. I wonder where the meeting point is between it not being promoted/publicised enough and folks not looking into it enough.

If someone can't golf, then the next best thing is to know all the rules.  Least then he can sound like a golfer.

Sorry, I'm with Duffer on this one.  You can tease him (and me too) about not being scratch, but that really doesn't have anything to do with whether good players are mistakenly increasing their handicaps by failing to put down a lower, ESC-adjusted score.

And IMO in most cases you have to work pretty hard at ignoring ESC.  On GHIN.com, where I post, right next to the box you put your score in it says, "ESC Score:"  and right next to that there's a little, live "question mark link" that leads you with one clidk to the following throrough explaination:

Q. What is ESC? A. All scores for handicap purposes, including tournament scores, are subject to the application of Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). This mandatory procedure reduces high hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential ability. A handicap determined from scores to which ESC has not been applied may not be termed a Handicap Index.

If you don't care to "know all the rules" fine, don't.   But in that case don't keep a handicap.  At least don't keep one that's distorted with inappropriately high scores.


Edit:  Sorry, the chart I pasted above didn't reproduce well here.  It's simple to see on GHIN.  But in any case you get the idea . . .

No worries Saw... I don't take discussions like this very serious.  Arguing over who might or might not know all the rules, especially if they are a low single or scratch... makes me   I applied for an index about 3 months after taking up the game, and have played in enough events to know the main rules that most often affect me... but that doesn't mean others in tournaments know them.

I have friends that are really good golfers, but never maintained an index.  Hence haven't a clue of ESC so when we play they ask me.  I wouldn't put it past people to make statements on here just to get a rise out of people, and others make broad assumptions, then go off in preponderance as if...

[Pepperturbo]

duffer987, on 16 November 2012 - 05:30 PM, said:

Pepperturbo, on 16 November 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

If someone can't golf, then the next best thing is to know all the rules.  Least then he can sound like a golfer.

And you've done it so well in your previous posts in this thread

Explain yourself??? Done what so well?  Sounds like you have your panties in a wad, maybe take yourself too serious, or maybe just want to argue because your online.  By the way, there are plenty of mature people that know the rules, way better then me... and their best day on the course is 85, and that's not very often, so what I wrote fits.

Edited by Pepperturbo, 16 November 2012 - 05:43 PM.

[Imp]

Fourmyle of Ceres, on 14 November 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

One of the many advantages of being a scratch golfer is only having to remember the first line of the ESC table. Double bogey.

I'll take my single digit ESC over your 11 letters and a space.

--kC

[jhscott1]

Thanks for the help guys. I always wondered what the ESC meant. Im alwasy posting my scores in a hurry and have never looked into it.