The Club at Rawls Creek
Handicap System Policy
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 the USGA Handicap System, namely that
each player will try to make the best score at every hole in every round, regardless of where the round is played,
and that the player will post every acceptable round for peer review.
If 13 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18-hole score.
If 7 to 12 holes are played, the player must post a nine-hole score.
Scores in both match play and stroke play must be posted for handicap purposes.
A player who starts, but does not complete a hole or is conceded a stroke must record for handicap purposes the most likely score.
If a player does not play a hole or plays it other than under “The Rules of Golf” (except for preferred lies), the score recorded for that hole for handicap purposes must be par plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on that hole.
All scores for handicap purposes, including tournament scores, are subject to the application of Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). ESC is used when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds a maximum number, based on the table below:
COURSE HANDICAP MAXIMUM SCORE
0 – 9 Double Bogey
10 – 19 7
20 – 29 8
30 – 39 9
40+ 10
The Handicap Committee has the responsibility of making certain that each player has a Handicap Index reflecting potential ability. (The Handicap Committee may: (1) enter a penalty score when a player fails to post scores as required by this policy and (2) adjust a players Handicap Index when circumstances warrant.)
The above text consists of excerpts from the USGA Handicap System Manual. The interested reader will refer to the manual for complete treatment of the subject.
Sincerely,
The handicap committee: Dennis Parker, Mike Dennis, Jim Giannaros, and Diane Woodrum.
