What You Need to Know About Posting Scores

By Leon Johnson

Chairman, Handicap Committee

From time to time, the ASMC Handicap Committee hears complaints and concerns about members who don’t post scores after matches or who don’t fully understand how to post scores on a regular basis. To help address those concerns, we thought it would be worthwhile to remind everyone of some of the scoring rules that we depend on to have accurate handicaps.

That in turn will lead to fair, competitive tournaments in addition to friendly, competitive rounds when playing for fun.

First of all, everyone should know it is the responsibility of the Handicap Committee to verify as much as possible that members post all acceptable scores for handicap purposes and to ensure that recorded scores are available for peer review. The second, of course, is what makes the first possible. 

One of the reasons that complaints of inaccurate or non-reporting of scores is made is that some members do not know the rules along with the understanding that posting of scores must be done for all rounds – nine and/or 18 holes -- completed when played following the accepted rules of golf.

As a matter of routine, golfers should:

1. Post scores in person immediately after the round at the course if possible. The handicap computer accepts both nine and 18 hole scores, but you do have to identify your round as a nine-hole entry when you have played at least seven and no more than 12 holes (see #2 below). The computer is programmed to accept the 18-hole score automatically. Individual ASMC tournament scores are posted by the Tournament Committee only when the rules sheet says they will.

2.  Understand that posting scores is required when a player plays seven holes of golf under the accepted rules of golf. If seven to 12 holes are played, a person must post a nine-hole score. If the player has completed 13-18 holes, he is required to post an 18-hole score. Uncompleted holes are to be recorded using “par plus” scoring.

This is NOT the same as the maximum allowable score. “Par plus” means adding one’s handicap strokes to par for that hole. Let’s take an example: No. 15 at Seascape is rated on the scorecard as the number 8 handicap hole. If a player has a 10 handicap, he gets a handicap stroke on that hole. So if he stops playing after No. 14, he would score No. 15 as a 5 on his card because he would take par plus his handicap stroke. On the other hand, a player with a 6 handicap who stopped after No. 14 would have to record a 4 on No. 15, because he would not get a handicap stroke No. 15.

If a player stops playing a hole for any reason before par plus becomes valid, he must use his "most likely" score that he would have made if he had completed the hole. In other words, he cannot just pick up and take the maximum allowable score under the Equitable Stroke Control rules (more on that later). The "par plus" rule is especially important when playing in a match play tournament. It should be used for all holes after a match has been won by an individual unless he scores a par or better.

3.  In posting the score for the round, Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) rules are followed for handicap purposes.  It is used when a player’s score on a hole exceeds a pre-set maximum stroke number on a hole.  ESC is based on the following table:

Handicap 0-9 = double bogey

Handicap 10-19 = 7

Handicap 20-29 = 8

Handicap 30-39 = 9

Again, this is not the score a player may post if he picks up. For that, a player must use “par plus” or the most likely score he would have made. For example, if 30-handicap player is in the bunker on No. 12, he can’t just pick up and record a 9 because that’s his maximum allowable score using ESC. He has to honestly assess what he likely would have made on the hole, which might include taking two shots to get out of the bunker and two putts for a 5.

On the other hand, if a 16-handicapper knocks two shots out of bounds on No. 3 and then takes three to get on the green and two putts, he should record a 9 on the card but this must be adjusted to a 7 when totaling his score for posting because he is not allowed more than 7 strokes on any hole. (The computer program will do this automatically when the Tournament Committee is posting scores for tournaments.)

There are many other things involved in developing a handicap, but these are the basics for everyone to understand in order to make our competitions fair and honest to all players. The No. 1 source of complaints is the perceived failure of players to post scores from all rounds they play. So please, post your scores every time you play a round.

Feel free to email me with any questions or complaints. There is, on the top of the computer at Seascape, a small booklet which details the above information and much more. I can be reached at leonj@comcast.net or 831-662-2668.