What Is Equitable Stroke Control?

Have you ever played a round of golf with someone that plays far better than they score? Have you ever wondered how golf’s ruling bodies make sure that that guy doesn’t end up playing you in the club championship? Believe it or not, there are quite a few strange rules in golf that have nothing to do with playing the game, but rather, keeping the game fair for those that may be a bit less skilled. For example, one such “rule”, for lack of a better term is found in the USGA Handicap System. Section 4 addresses the subject of Equitable Stroke Control, or ESC for short.

ESC is based on your handicap. It limits the number of strokes that you can ‘earn’ on your handicap by limiting the number of posted shots you can place on any hole. For example, I am a 3 handicap, so the largest score I am allowed to post on any given hole is a double bogey. That doesn’t mean I didn’t score a 9 on that ugly hole, but all I can post is a 6. This is to keep a higher level player from posting 2 or 3 blowup holes which would increase their handicap to a lower level flight in tournament play. To toss myself in for an example again, playing a 3 handicap means I’m probably playing in the first flight in most tournaments. If I were to jack my handicap by going for the 18th green with a 250 yard shot over water to the pin and drop 4 shots in the water, my handicap could climb 5 or 6 shots within a couple rounds, pitting me against players that regularly shoot 85. It wouldn’t be fair.

So, how does this work, exactly? First things first, you don’t adjust your score on the hole while playing, only when entering in your scoring data. If the system you use for handicapping automatically, then you do nothing but enter your scores. If not, you will simply adjust your scores based on the handicap of the course that you are playing. If you a 9 or less, you can only post a double bogey. Under 19, you get a 7 as the worst score. Under 29, you increase to 8 on a hole. Under 39, you go to a 9 and over 40 will net you a 10.

Remember, this isn’t a maximum you can use when you are playing skins with the guys on the weekend. This is only used for handicapping purposes. It levels the playing field to those that make that one or two big mistakes that cost them serious strokes each round. It keeps the game fair and playable for everyone. If you have any questions on ESC, shoot me a message at backinthefairway@gmail.com or comment below.