Although
we’ve reviewed it a number of times, we still find members who don’t understand
the maximum allowable strokes they are permitted to take on a hole, in part
because there is confusion about “par plus” and “equitable stroke control.” So
let’s review.
Equitable Stroke Control
In posting a score for completed holes, Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is
followed for handicap purposes. It is used when a player’s score on
a hole exceeds a pre-set maximum number of strokes that may be taken on any 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
In other
words, a 36 handicapper can post no more than a 9 on any hole. If he had
a 10, it has to be adjusted before he posts. Likewise, a 6 handicapper
might make a 7 on a par 4, but when he posts, that 7 has to be adjusted
down to a 6.
If, for
example, a 16-handicapper knocks two shots out of bounds on No. 3 and then
takes three more 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 posting his score because he
is not allowed to post more than 7 strokes on any hole. (The computer
program will do this automatically when the Tournament Committee is posting
scores for tournaments.)
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.
Par Plus
“Par
plus” means adding one’s handicap strokes to par for that un-played
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 before No. 15, he would score No. 15 as a 5 on his card because
he would take par plus his handicap stroke. He does NOT score 7,
which his maximum allowable postable score under ESC.
-- A
player with a 26 handicap would get 2 handicap strokes on No. 15. If he picks
up before completing the hole, he must score 6 – par plus his 2 strokes.
He does NOT score 8, which is his maximum allowable postable score under
ESC.
-- 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. The
"par plus" rule is especially important when playing in a match play
tournament. It must be used for all holes after a match has been won by an
individual unless he scores a par or better.
