Equitable Stroke Control Explained

[jvincent]

Mods, not sure if this belongs here or in the Rules section. Please move if necessary.

Since this came up in the Citizen thread, here's the explanation. First a quote from the RCGA handicapping manual.

Equitable Stroke Control (ES C)
“Equitable Stroke Control” (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole
scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a
player’s potential ability. ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on
any hole depending on the player’s Course Handicap. ESC is used only when a
player’s actual or most likely score exceeds the player’s maximum number based
on the table in Section 4-3.

The basic premise behind the handicapping system is that it is a measure of your "potential". I.e. not your average score, but your typical good score. Using statistics speak, your handicap is probably one (or maybe two) standard deviations better than your average.

But since golf is a hole by hole game, you need to make adjustments on that basis. For example, the 18th hole at my home course is a short par 5 with a carry over water for the second shot. If I play 1-17 even par every day, but because I am stupid, or trying to fudge my handicap, I always try to hit the par 5 in two and end up putting multiple balls in the water every round is this truly indicative of my potential? Not really.

Every one of us has the occasional brain cramp on the course. Better players have fewer of them. Are they a good indication of your ability? Probably not. Certainly if you make enough mistakes they will eventually catch up with you and your handicap.

Again, this only works if people are being honest and not trying to manipulate the system. Of course the system isn't perfect since a change in playing strategy can affect your scoring but then again no system is perfect.

[Kilroy]

Further explanation from the Handicapping section here:

Equitable Stroke Control is the downward adjustment of unusually high individual hole scores for handicap purposes only in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential ability.
Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player's Course Handicap. ESC is applied to any hole where the player's score exceeds the limits for their handicap.

New Handicaps
If you are entering your first scores and do not have a handicap yet, enter the total score without adjustment until the system gives you a handicap. This will happen when you enter your fifth round.
Handicap Factor vs Course Handicap

Your Course Handicap is your Handicap Factor adjusted for the difficulty of the course and tees played, which is indicated by the Course Rating and Slope.

A course with a Slope of 113 is considered to be of “standard”, or average, difficulty. On courses with a Slope rating below 113, players receive fewer strokes than their Handicap Factor but more strokes on courses with a Slope Rating higher than 113. Slope Ratings range from 55 to 155. Course Handicap =
Handicap Factor * Course Slope / 113

Here is a conversion chart Once you establish your Course Handicap enter your adjusted score by using ESC as follows:

Course Handicap Maximum
0 or plus - 1 over par
1 through 18 - 2 over par
19 through 32 - 3 over par
33+ 4 over par

Example: If your course handicap is 15, your maximum for any hole is a double bogey. If your gross score was 85 and you had one quadruple bogey, and a triple you would post an Adjusted Score of 82 for handicap purposes. Your quad-bogey is 2 above double, and the triple-bogey is one above double for a total ESC adjustment of 3 for the round.

Scores that include reasonable conceded putts are acceptable and should be recorded, except the ESC shall apply when the score exceeds that allowed by the formula.

Under no circumstances shall the procedures of this section be used by a player to manipulate his Handicap Factor.

[jonf]

Are you sure about that equation?

my handicap is 18.6. I played a round at a course with a slope of 115. So, I should be getting more strokes than 18.6. However, by that equation, I end up with fewer strokes.



18.6 * 115 / 113 = 18.929

That means I get fewer strokes, even though the course is harder than the standard (which is the opposite of what this system is supposed to do).

I believe the equation should read : Course handicap = Handicap Factor * 113 / Course slope

If that were the case, it would be as follows

18.6 * 113 / 115 = 18.276

That would be giving me fewer strokes (by which I mean, not allowing me to take as many off my score)


Let's take a different example, because It's hard to make my point with these numbers. Let's say my handicap is an even 17. I play a course with a slope of 120.

17*120/113 =18.05

OR

17*113/120 = 16.00

So, with the first equation, I am only allowed to adjust holes where I shoot worse than a triple (making my entered scores higher)

With the second, I am allowed to adjust holes where I shoot worse than a double.

It seems that the equation as you have posted above is punishing me for playing a course with a higher slope. That seems to be the opossite of its intent. Am I wrong?

[jeffc]

hmmm, harder course means more strokes off. 18.9 is > 18.6. Makes sense to me.

[Kilroy]

From The RCGA handicap manual

10-4. Course handicap

A player’s Course Handicap is determined by multiplying a Handicap Factor by the Slope Rating of the course played and then dividing by 113 . (See Section 3-3 .) The resulting figure is rounded off to the nearest whole number ( .5 or more is rounded upward) .

[jonf]

Upon thinking about it a little, I think I get it now. On that course...because it is harder....I would play it more like a 19 cap. I gotcha. I was thinking about it the wrong way round.

As a side note. I am an 18.6. Does that mean that my max score is a double, or a triple?

[jonf]

Ok, and Dan has answered that question too.

[Kilroy]

Tripple until your course cap is under 18.5 (round off to 18). Lots of calculating while you play on that bubble. Been there done that!

Upon thinking about it a little, I think I get it now. On that course...because it is harder....I would play it more like a 19 cap. I gotcha. I was thinking about it the wrong way round.

As a side note. I am an 18.6. Does that mean that my max score is a double, or a triple?

[jonf]

Okay...here's another question.

I know think that I have been doing this wrong for the past year, and My handicap is higher than the software is telling me. However, I do not have any of my scorecards, apart from this year. What should I do. Should I start from scratch, or should I just continue on (entering all future rounds correctly) and allow it to sort itself out?

[Kilroy]

If it's not critical, ie unofficial, just play on. It's an indicator. A measure of imptovement. No big deal. In 10 more rounds it will work itself out. In 20 it's ancient history.

Or just start using esc as a dbl now. As you say you may be a shade lower than your recorded cap and you are as close to the line as possible at .1