Equitable Stroke Control
ESC as defined by United States Golf Association
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 below.[1]
| Course Handicap | Maximum per Hole Score |
| 9 or less | Double Bogey |
| 10 to 19 | 7 |
| 20 to 29 | 8 |
| 30 to 39 | 9 |
| 40 or more | 10 |
ESC as defined by Royal Canadian Golf Association
Within the RCGA Handicap calculation process, the ESC is implemented as a limit to the number of strokes "above par" for determining a players handicap. This limit will define the maximum per-hole, based on the par score for the hole, rather than providing the same maximum score for all holes on a course.
The ESC for a player is determined on per "course handicap" basis as calculated for each player, and results in the following ESC values:
| Course Handicap | Maximum Number on any Hole |
|---|---|
| 0 or + | 1 over par |
| 1 through 18 | 2 over par |
| 19 through 32 | 3 over par |
| 33 and over | 4 over par |
Beginning March 1st, 2012, the RCGA will adopt the USGA standards for Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)
Notes
References
United States Golf Association
Royal Canadian Golf Association Handicap Manual