Vanity Score....

[hackzaw]

I've got a beef with two of my playing partners with regard to at the end of the round, you ask them what they shot, and they'll basically tell you what they shot WITH ESC.

Furthermore, on any given hole, these guys don't even bother holing out once they're at their ESC max (2 max at their handicap).

With one of the guys, I bet he makes at least a triple once or sometimes twice every round or two. And then at the end of the round, you ask him what he shot, and he says "78" (really an 80 or maybe 81).

Do you tell people what you actually shot, or effectively your ESC score which you'd put in the handicap system?

(I've made the poll such that it doesn't list your selection, so you can tell the truth)

[DenisO]

It depends if you're playing against them or just playing your game. If there's no competition between you and you guys haven't really verbally said to keep actual scores without ESC then lots of people choose not to. I play regularly with a friend which I don't compete against, and now I always enter in my ESC score, don't always hole out, etc since its my score and I'm playing against myself.

However if we decided to have a friendly match or even for some money, then that's completely different, and I would. It all depends.

[Kilroy]

At the end of the day it's either "I shot 85" or "I shot an equitable 85" if there was an X on the card. They each have merit.

In our group we play a 4 man skins style game. If you pick up on a hole, you score an X. If you score a tripple, well, it's a triple, but one would only reach a tripple if the lowest opponent had scored a tripple If you have reached your esc max and someone is in with less, then there is not much point in finishing, unless it's a slow day and there is nowhere to go. If someone is in with a par and you have a putt for your ESC max, you putt out. We don't pick up unless ESC max is reached and the hole is lost.

We don't care what members of the group shoot day to day, but it will reflect in our handicaps after ESC is applied. Ultimately it's who's change purse is recieving and it's determined by holes won with handicap strokes that gives you the bragging rights for the day.

[justsomeguy]

I've got a beef with two of my playing partners with regard to at the end of the round, you ask them what they shot, and they'll basically tell you what they shot WITH ESC.

It doesn't matter to me what my playing partners shoot, and I'm pretty sure they don't care what my score was either. If its a non-competitive round then as far as I'm concerned people can keep score any way they want. Frankly, the game is enjoyable even if you don't keep score at all.

[goochy]

I always keep/tell people what I shot without ESC. I only use ESC when I enter my scores for handicapping.

I don't think the point of ESC is to artificially keep your score down during a round...it is to stop a blowout hole artificailly inflating your handicap.

However, (only sometimes) if I am having a nightmare hole, have reached triple and yet to hole it and the course is busy I will pick up and mark ESC with an X on my card.

But as others have said, I don't really get too hung up on what my playing partners do unless its a tournament

[nokids]

c) i'd say i shot 'x' but after applying ESC it becomes 'y'.

[hackzaw]

I don't care what anybody else shoots. It just get's tiring when at the end of our round, I ask

"How'd you shoot?"

"78" with an aire of superiority (sp?).

When meanwhile, I know a hole or two, at best he would have shot a triple or maybe even a quad and really carded an 80 or 81.

Really, it's just annoying. When someone asks you, "What score did you shoot?" shouldn't the answer be the truth. It sure sounds a lot better to say you shot a 78 rather than the 81. Simply annoying.

We play for a beer after the round, and these holes are basically x-outs so they never have any impact on our game.

It's a vanity score. Just card no worse than a double, and things always sound better than they actually were.

[DenisO]

So bring it up to them then? Obviously you do care what they shoot if it's affecting you so much. If you asked me "Howd you shoot?", I'd say, "Pretty good, thank you" and be done with it. If you guys are playing for rounds after the game and scores matter, then tell them to keep straight up scores, or you keep all of their scores on an "Official After-Round Beer Scorecard", and ask them to hole-out or come up with a fair max. It can all be done in a way to not offend anyone.

All I'm saying is the reason you're getting annoyed is your own fault, not theirs, lol. It's not a vanity score, its an ESC score.

I don't care what anybody else shoots. It just get's tiring when at the end of our round, I ask

"How'd you shoot?"

"78" with an aire of superiority (sp?).

When meanwhile, I know a hole or two, at best he would have shot a triple or maybe even a quad and really carded an 80 or 81.

Really, it's just annoying. When someone asks you, "What score did you shoot?" shouldn't the answer be the truth. It sure sounds a lot better to say you shot a 78 rather than the 81. Simply annoying.

We play for a beer after the round, and these holes are basically x-outs so they never have any impact on our game.

It's a vanity score. Just card no worse than a double, and things always sound better than they actually were.

[Wilster]

Interesting , i had a similar conversation with a friend the other day on the course , and we both agreed that we keep our overall score (with trips etc) and that's the score that you shot that day. I pick up from time to time because of the ESC ( i hate slow play and will not force it on to the group behind) but i'll note that hole. I personally hate shooting a low score with an ESC on the card , i'd much rather have a low score without it , but wouldn't we all

[goochy]

interesting aside...the R&A (among others) estimates that only 20% of golfers maintain a handicap.

Therefore, 80% of all golfers should have no need of ECS on the course or otherwise. (and talking of R&A, I believe in the UK there is no such thing as ESC, you just enter it as it is)

[justsomeguy]

I don't care what anybody else shoots. It just get's tiring when at the end of our round, I ask

"How'd you shoot?"

"78" with an aire of superiority (sp?).

If YOU don't care, then why do YOU ask?

Don't get me wrong, I can sympathise when someone brags about their score because they're trying to show that they're better than you - when you know their REAL score is 4-5 strokes higher. But when YOU know they're going to lie and yet YOU still say "How'd you shoot?", then you're setting yourself up for it.

Let's face it, in recreational golf people's scores are meaningless for comparison purposes. Even without ESC, maybe he's one one of those people who never had a bad lie, never played a shot from under a tree, never played a provisional because he can always "just drop one", always took the "nicest" point of relief, played one mulligan per side, etc., etc. Maybe you do some or all of those things too. As long as you're not comparing scores with someone who doesn't do some or all of those things, then really WHO CARES!

I never ask other people their score, and only give my score when asked. Its just easier that way.

[BC MIST]

Do you tell people what you actually shot, or effectively your ESC score which you'd put in the handicap system?

Triples and quads in golf? I thought that they were part of ice skating.

I count every stroke.

ESC is applied AFTER the round in front of the computer or your psychologist, when determining an adjusted score for handicapping purposes. Unfortunately, many golfers apply it on bad holes, to avoid making an ego deflating large number. It IS against the rules of golf.

It is a lot more fun to make the occasional 9, 10 or an 11 and be able to laugh about it later, than never to make a large number because of a convenient misinterpretation of what ESC is.

[quinner]

Unless I am playing for something I take my ESC max. What difference does it really make in a casual round if you shoot a 10, 11, 12 and make your buddies wait by sitting on the tee and hitting a small bucket, or puke all over yourself on a hole. I do it for my own sanity and for respect of my friends that are playing better than I am and not making them wait.

[quinner]

I assume that the 20 people that responded that they keep track of all of their scores that if they need to walk back and re-tee they do it and not just drop and play from there. I find that hard to believe that so far 83% of this poll do that for a weekend round with buddies.

[goochy]

I assume that the 20 people that responded that they keep track of all of their scores that if they need to walk back and re-tee they do it and not just drop and play from there. I find that hard to believe that so far 83% of this poll do that for a weekend round with buddies.

No...If I think my ball may be lost I hit a provisional to save me going back (that's what they're for). If for some bizarre reason my ball is lost and I haven't hit a provisional, then yes, I go back (did it yesterday at Renfrew in fact).

I do occassional pick up if I've reached triple and have yet to hole out AND the course is busy (as I posted earlier). If I do that I just put an X next to my ESC max.

I keep a handicap as many here do....it's pretty meaningless if I don't play by the rules.

[fundonny]

Personally, my regular guys NEVER pick up their balls and say ESC..... To each their own, but I'm there to play golf, not handicap golf.

[Kilroy]

It's all in how you look at it.

In my case it's not "handicap golf" it's skins. Once you can't win the hole, all that's left to play for is your cap. Once your max is reached, it's just practice because it doesn't count for anything other than the statement "I shot XX today" which admitedly I don't care about as much as those who play stroke play.

[fundonny]

Good point, that's the big difference right there. We're all about stroke play. Because otherwise i'd lose my shirt.

[spackler]

When I shoot a 72, it's 100% legit. I mark my scores as I make them on the course and walk to the 15th tee with my head held high.

[brucestats]

When I shoot a 72, it's 100% legit. I mark my scores as I make them on the course and walk to the 15th tee with my head held high.

funny

[nokids]

I assume that the 20 people that responded that they keep track of all of their scores that if they need to walk back and re-tee they do it and not just drop and play from there. I find that hard to believe that so far 83% of this poll do that for a weekend round with buddies.

i'm one of the 4 who voted "put the ESC and move on"

i agree with quinner. it seems to happen to me at least once every other round that a hit a shot that is obviously inbounds and not lost, i dont even think to hit a provisional on some of these shots (otherwise i'd be hitting a provisional very often); only to walk up to the area where my ball should be and not find it. the fact is i'm walking, i'm not going to walk back 250 yards to the teebox after 5 minutes of looking for my ball when there's usually a group behind me waiting at the teebox. for what? my max score is going to be a double no matter what so why waste my time? "X" on the hole, put down my ESC double, and walk straight to the next teebox cursing the golf gods along the way.

i'm sure it's been discussed ad naseum online, but I think players should be able to drop a ball under penalty of 1 stroke in the general area of where they lost their ball and take the distance (similar to hitting a ball in a lateral water hazard). that would end the need to hit a provisional ball and speed up the game dramatically. plus i think it's fair.

[Kilroy]

Where's that "Can of Worms" smiley

i'm sure it's been discussed ad naseum online, but I think players should be able to drop a ball under penalty of 1 stroke in the general area of where they lost their ball and take the distance (similar to hitting a ball in a lateral water hazard). that would end the need to hit a provisional ball and speed up the game dramatically. plus i think it's fair.

[jvincent]

I assume that the 20 people that responded that they keep track of all of their scores that if they need to walk back and re-tee they do it and not just drop and play from there. I find that hard to believe that so far 83% of this poll do that for a weekend round with buddies.

I will remind everyone that for maintaining a handicap it is perfectly acceptable to record "X" for a certain number of holes and still have the round count.

That being said, if you want to compare scores, count them all. If you don't then just have fun.

[jvincent]

for what? my max score is going to be a double no matter what so why waste my time? "X" on the hole, put down my ESC double, and walk straight to the next teebox cursing the golf gods along the way.

Don't forget that if you make a "birdie" on the second ball that your score for the hole will only be a bogie so it's not a forgone conclusion that you will make more than double.

[nokids]

Where's that "Can of Worms" smiley

[nokids]

Don't forget that if you make a "birdie" on the second ball that your score for the hole will only be a bogie so it's not a forgone conclusion that you will make more than double.

i know it's possible to get bogey, but the way i look at it, 1 stroke is not worth the walk AND embarassment of holding up the group behind me. lol

[Kilroy]

True, but when I have 150 yards left for my double bogey, it's all over but the crying unless I win the lottery or my buddy has a coronary, which in this heat is a distinct possibility!

Don't forget that if you make a "birdie" on the second ball that your score for the hole will only be a bogie so it's not a forgone conclusion that you will make more than double.

[jvincent]

Holing out from 150 for double is definitely a low percentage play.

[Kilroy]

LOL, just making a point. Some holes truly suck. 3 off the tee can do some damage.

[jvincent]

3 of the tee is bad. 5 or 7 is even worse. :-(