Let's Talk Rules
Darin Chin-Aleong, Head Golf Professional

Acceptablity of Scores

Fair handicapping depends upon full and accurate information regarding a player’s potential scoring ability as reflected by a complete scoring round. Every player must be responsible for returning all acceptable scores. For handicap purposes, Equitable Stroke Control must be applied to all scores including tournament scores.

Scores on All Courses
Gross Scores from all courses with a USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating made during an active season, the player along with the appropriate USGA Course Rating and Slope rating at home and away, must post both.

Scores in All Forms of Competition
Scores in both match play and stroke play must be posted for handicap purposes. This includes scores made in match play, in multi-ball, or in team competitions.

Posting of Scores
Posting scores in person immediately following the round at the course where the round is played is the preferred way to expose scores to peer review. This method of posting must be used whenever possible. The place for returning scores from all courses should be convenient to make it as easy as possible for players to record every round played.

Tournament Score
A tournament score is a score made in a competition organized and conducted by a committee in charge of the competition. The competition must identify a winner based on stipulated rounds and must be played under the principles of the rules of golf.

If 13 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18-hole score. If 7 to 12 holes are played, the player must post a nine-hole score. In either case, scores for unplayed holes must be recorded as par plus any handicap strokes that the players is entitled to receive on the unplayed holes.

Unfinished and Conceded Strokes
A player who starts, but does not complete a hole or is conceded a stroke must record for handicap purposes the most likely score. The most likely score may not exceed the player’s Equitable Stroke Control limit. There is no limit to the number of unfinished holes a player may have in a round, provided that failure to finish is not for the purpose of handicap manipulation.

Equitable Stroke Control
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. ESC is used when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds a maximum number, based on the table below, for the player’s Course Handicap from the tees played.

Equitable Stroke Control Table

Course Handicap	Maximum number on any Hole
9 or less	Double Bogey
10 through 19	7
20 through 29	8
30 through 39	9
40 or more	10

There is no limit to the number of individual hole scores on which an Equitable Stroke Control reduction may be made.

posted August 2007