Equitable Stroke Control
Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes. All scores for handicap purposes, including tournament scores, are subject to the application of Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). This mandatory procedure reduces high 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 of the RCGA Handicap Manual.
| Course Handicap | Maximum Number on any Hole |
|---|---|
| 0 or plus | 1 over par |
| 1 through 18 | 2 over par |
| 19 through 32 | 3 over par |
| 33 and over | 4 over par |
Example: A player with a Course Handicap of 13 has a maximum of double bogey for any hole regardless of par. A player with a Course Handicap of 42 has a maximum of quadruple bogey for any hole. A player without an established Handicap Factor must use the maximum Handicap Factor of 36.4 for men, or 40.4 for women, converted to a Course Handicap, to determine a maximum ESC number.
There is no limit to the number of individual hole scores on which an Equitable Stroke Control reduction may be made.
*Note: In other countries, the system of ESC may be different than the RCGA system, (e.g. USGA system). When a score is made under a system of ESC different to the RCGA ESC system, that score must be adjusted to the RCGA ESC system before it is entered as an adjusted gross score under the RCGA Handicap System.
A handicap determined from scores to which ESC has not been applied may not be termed a Handicap Factor. (For nine-hole Equitable Stroke Control table, see Section 10-5c.)
