Yegen Golf  Club

It happens. You have time to play a quick round, but no one can join you. So, you play alone. Up until now, no big deal. But, on 1/1/16, the USGA issued a new rule stating that if you play your round alone, you shouldn’t post your score. If you do, and flag it as having played alone, it will display in red on your record and will not be used in the calculation. This is to allow for peer review. The rule can be found in the USGA Handicap System Manual, Section 5-1e (vi). What if you play with strangers? Attesting your score is not required, and you are still playing with other people, so your score counts. How about adjusting your score using Equitable Stroke Control? If you post your score hole-by-hole, then you don’t need to adjust your score. The handicap system does it for you. But if you post a total gross score, it must first be adjusted using the ESC. You can view the ESC table when you are posting your score at the course kiosk, online, or on the smartphone app. In a nutshell, find your handicap range on the chart, and if your score for any hole exceeds the maximum number, adjust it down to that number. All scores should be adjusted, including tournament scores. This requirement reduces high hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability. You can read more about ESC in the USGA Handicap System Manual, Section 4-3.