Trenton Country Club Handicap Information

The purpose of the USGA Handicap System is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by enabling players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis.
Two basic premises underlie this system:

1. Each player will try to make the best score at every hole in every round, regardless of where the round is played.
2. That the player will post every acceptable round for peer review.

What Scores Should I Post?

• If one plays 13 or more holes he/she MUST post an 18-hole score.
• Match Play Tournaments such as the President’s Cup or Governor’s Cup. Even if the hole is unfinished or the stroke is conceded.
  • o A player who starts, but does not complete a hole or is conceded a stroke must record for handicap purposes the most likely score. The most likely score may not exceed the player’s Equitable Stroke Control limit. This most likely score should be preceded by an “X”.
• If one plays 7-12 holes he/she MUST post a 9-hole score.
• All scores whether home or away

Example #1: A player with a course handicap of 30 stops playing after 16 holes because of darkness. Hole 17 is a par 3 and is the number 18 handicap stroke hole. The player will record 3 (par) plus 1 handicap stroke for X-4 on hole 17. Hole 18 is a par 4 and is the number 12 handicap stroke hole. The player will record 4 (par) plus 2 handicap strokes for an X-6 on hole 18.

Example #2: A and B are playing a match. On a hole on which neither player receives a handicap stroke, A has holed out in 4; B has a 30-foot putt for a 5. B has lost the hole, and picks up. B records X-6 on the scorecard because 6 is B’s most likely score.

What Is Equitable Stroke Control?

• 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 is used when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds a maximum number, based on the table below.
   

The Trenton Country Club Handicap Committee

Brian Logue, Frank Clavelli, and Phil Lanctot