EL CARISO MEN’S GOLF CLUB

HANDICAP COMMITTEE

ALEX PEREZ, CHAIRMAN

On behalf of the Handicap Committee welcome to the El Cariso Men’s Golf Club.  The Committee, along with all members of the club, hopes that you find your association with the Men’s Club is one of active participation, enjoyment, and game improvement through our numerous competitions.

In order for you to enhance your enjoyment of the great game of golf the Committee believes it is important that you understand the purpose, requirements, and responsibilities of both the Handicap Committee and, you, the player.  It is also very important that while establishing a handicap you, the player, thoroughly understand both the purpose and the requirements for posting your scores.  Therefore, take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with the purpose and procedures that must be followed in order to establish and maintain a current U.S.G.A. certified handicap index.

“The purpose of the “USGA Handicap System” is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by enabling golfers of differing abilities to compete on and equitable basis.  The System provides fair Course Handicaps for players regardless of ability, and adjusts a player’s Handicap Index up or down as his game changes.  At the same time, it disregards high scores that bear little relation to the player’s potential scoring ability and promotes continuity by making handicaps continuous from one playing season or year to the next.  A USGA Handicap Index is useful for all forms of play.  A basic premise underlies the USGA Handicap System, namely that every player will try to make the best score he can at each hole in every round he plays, regardless of where the round is played, and that he will post every acceptable round for peer review.”

YOUR CURRENT INDEX

HANDICAP CALCULATOR

Player responsibilities:

“A USGA Handicap Index is the USGA’s mark which is used to indicate a measurement of a player’s potential scoring ability on a course of standard playing difficulty.  It is the result of a mathematical calculation based on scores returned.  A Handicap Index is converted to a Course Handicap for competition on a particular course.”  Therefore a player must follow the following posting rules:

A.     Adjust all scores correctly and in accordance with the USGA’s “Equitable Stroke Control” table.

B.     Post all scores played on all courses in all forms of competition.

It appears that the player’s responsibilities are pretty simple, doesn’t it?  However, most penalties, which result in the reduction of a player’s Handicap Index, are the result of a player not complying with items A and/or B which are listed on page one.

The Committee would like to attempt to explain the USGA’s Equitable Stroke Control system.  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 scoring 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 his maximum number based on the table below.  THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF HOLES ON WHICH A PLAYER MAY ADJUST HIS SCORE.

EQUITABLE STROKE CONTROL TABLE

                                                                                    Maximum Number Of Strokes

                        Course Handicap                                     Allowed On Any Hole

                                    9 or less                                             Double Bogey

                        10 through 19                                                             7

                        20 through 29                                                             8

                        30 through 39                                                             9

                        40 or more                                                                  10

EXAMPLE # 1:  A player, playing at El Cariso Golf Course, with a Handicap Index of 15.2 will Slope to a Course Handicap of 13 at El Cariso.  The Equitable Stroke Control Table listed above shows that the maximum number of strokes the player must adjust his score to on any hole, regardless of par on that hole, is 7.

In other words if a player with a Course Handicap of 13 shoots a total score of 79, but on one of the holes that he played he shot a 9 that 9 must be adjusted down to a 7, for handicap calculation purposes, when entering the total score on the computer. Therefore, when entering this score on the computer the player must enter an adjusted score of 77.

NOTE:  All golf courses have a Slope Conversion Chart.  This chart is used to convert a players Handicap Index to a Course Index for that particular golf course.

EXAMPLE # 2:  A player, playing at El Cariso Golf Course, with a Handicap Index of 8.3 will Slope to a Course Handicap of 7.  The Equitable Stroke Control Table listed above shows that the maximum number of strokes this player must adjust his score to on any hole, regardless of par, is a Double Bogey. 

If a player with a Course Handicap of 7 shoots a total score of 68, but on one of the par 3’s he shoots a total score of 6, and on one of the par 4’s he shoots a total score of 8, the player must adjust his score for the par 3 down to a 5 (Double Bogey), and he must adjust his score for the par 4 down to 6 (Double Bogey).  This results in an adjustment of minus 3 to the total score for handicap calculation purposes. Therefore, when the player enters this score on the computer he must enter an adjusted score of 65.

Note:  If this same scenario were to be applied to the player in Example 1, who has a 13 for a Course Handicap, that player would not have to adjust his score on the par 3 because he is allowed to record scores on all holes up to a total of 7 strokes.  However, the 13 handicapper would have to adjust his score on the par 4 downward to a 7 due to the fact that the maximum strokes on any hole that a player with a 13 handicap may take is 7.

In this situation the 13 handicapper who shot a 79 would only have to adjust his score for handicap purposes by minus one stroke.  He would then enter and adjusted score of 78 on the handicap computer system.

Handicap Committee Responsibilities:

The Handicap Committee has numerous responsibilities.  A few of the more important ones are informing members as to where scores are to be posted or returned; to issuing index information to all members; to issuing instructions as to how and where to post away scores; to issuing adjustments and / or penalties to a players index.  A few more of the important responsibilities of the Handicap Committee also include posting monthly handicap revisions along with making handicap adjustments and/or withdrawals to an individual’s index. 

THE HANDICAP COMMITTEE HAS THE OBLIGATION TO ADJUST ANY PLAYERS HANDICAP INDEX IF THE PLAYER VIOLATES ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

A.     Posts erroneous scores.

B.     Does not adjust his score correctly

C.     Fails to Post.

D.     Deliberately manipulates his score

E.      Posts from the incorrect teeing area (Example- Plays from the Blue Tees but Posts from the White Tees).

The Handicap Committee hopes that this has given you some insight as to both the players and Committees responsibilities. If at any time you have any question concerning your handicap, please don’t hesitate to ask questions of any Board member. 

HELPFUL HINTS:

1.      Always check the addition of your own score on the Official Scorecard.

2.      Always adjust your own score when necessary.

3.      Always post your own score.  Do not rely on anyone else to post your score.

4.      Post all scores immediately upon completion of your round.  That means prior to visiting the 19th Hole.

5.      If you do happen to make a posting error, inform a Handicap Committee member immediately, do not attempt to correct your mistake on the computer. If a Handicap Committee member is not available there are always “Posting Correction Forms” available.  These forms are located by the Men’s Clubs box on the back bar of the 19th Hole.  Fill out the “Posting Correction Form” completely and drop it in the box.

In order to establish a temporary handicap you must turn in at least five (5) scorecards to the Handicap Committee.  These scorecards, in addition to being signed and dated, must be completely filled out.  That is, you must indicate the date the rounds was played and it is very important that you clearly indicate which set of tees you played ( White; Blue; Gold; etc.).  If you do not indicate which tees you played from, the round will be entered into the handicap system using the tees with the highest rating and slope. Establishing, and maintaining, a handicap index that truly reflects your playing ability is a very serious matter when you belong to a golf club.  

Again, “WELCOME TO THE EL CARISO MEN’S GOLF CLUB”.  We hope that you participate in all the activities of the club including the monthly meetings which are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the 19th Hole.  Join in and meet everyone.  See you soon.