NOTE: This section is reproduced from the flyer that was sent with your 2003 NCGA membership card.
Sections 4 and 5 of the NCGA Handicap Manual spell out the details surrounding the score posting requirements of the USGA Handicap System.
With few exceptions, a golfer is required to post all his 9 & 18-hole rounds. This includes both stroke play and match play rounds; individual and team competition rounds (excluding obvious forms of team play like Scrambles and alternate-shot events).
Provisions have been made within the Handicap System for situations in which a golfer does not play a hole or does not complete a hole.
If a golfer does not play a hole or plays it other than under the Rules of Golf (except for "preferred lies"), his score for that hole for handicap purposes shall be par plus any handicap strokes he is entitled to receive on the hole.
If a golfer starts but does not complete a hole or is conceded a stroke, that player shall record for handicap purposes the score he most likely would have made. The most likely score consists of the number of strokes already taken plus, in the player's best judgement, the number of strokes that the player would need to complete the hole from that position more than half the time.
In the most general terms, golfers are required to post according to the following schedule:
| # OF HOLES PLAYED | SCORE TO POST |
|---|---|
| 1-6 | can't post |
| 7-12 | 9-hole score |
| 13-18 | 18-hole score |
Before posting, a golfer must apply his score to 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 only used when a player's actual or most likely score exceeds his maximum number based on the table below, but is applied to all scores for handicap purposes, including tournament scores.
EQUITABLE STROKE CONTROL
| COURSE HANDICAP | MAXIMUM NUMBER ON ANY HOLE |
|---|---|
| 9 or less | Double Bogey |
| 10 through 19 | 7 |
| 20 through 29 | 8 |
| 30 through 39 | 9 |
| 40 or more | 10 |
If a player fails to post an acceptable score as soon as practicable after completion of the round, the Club Handicap Committee should post the score and/or a penalty score and Ratings equal to the lowest handicap differential in the player's scoring record.
Post your scores!
Want to learn more? The NCGA's web site is an excellent source of information on handicapping and course rating.