Equitable Stroke Control
The WSGA handicap software automatically adjusts your score if you post on a hole-by-hole basis at your home course. All other scores must be adjusted prior to posting.
ESC is an adjustment of individual hole scores (for handicap purposes) in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential. ESC is used after the round and is only used when the actual score or the most likely score exceeds his/her maximum number. ESC sets a limit to the number of strokes a player can take on a hole depending on his Course Handicap. ESC applies to all scores, including tournament scores.
A handicap determined from scores to which ESC has not been applied may not be termed a Handicap Index.
Below is the maximum number a player can take:
| Course Handicap |
|
Maximum Number |
| 9 or less |
|
Double Bogey |
| 10-19 |
|
7 |
| 20-29 |
|
8 |
| 30-39 |
|
9 |
| 40 and above |
|
10 |
Please refer to Section 4-3 of the Handicap System manual.
Example: A player with a Course Handicap of 6 has a maximum number of par plus two strokes (double bogey) for any hole. A player with a Course Handicap of 13 has a maximum number of 7 for any hole regardless of par. A player with a Course Handicap of 42 has a maximum number of 10 for any hole.
A player without an established Handicap Index MUST use the maximum Handicap Index of 36.4 for men, or 40.4 for women, converted to a Course Handicap, to determine a maximum ESC number.
There is no limit to the number of individual hole scores on which Equitable Stroke Control reduction may be made.
Nine-Hole Equitable Stroke Control
| Course Handicap |
|
Maximum Number |
| 4 or less |
|
Double Bogey |
| 5-9 |
|
7 |
| 10-14 |
|
8 |
| 15-19 |
|
9 |
| 20 and above |
|
10 |
Example: A player with a nine-hole Course Handicap of 12 must adjust to a maximum score of 8 for any hole, regardless of par.
The maximum nine-hole Handicap Index (N) is 18.2 for men and 20.2 for women.