How Do You Score Blowups?

[DennisMiller]

If I'm holding up my group or the one behind us, I pick up. If not, I'll play out and put some horrible number on the scorecard. Since my handicap is only an estimate and I don't play in any kind of tournament, it really doesn't matter one way or the other.

[Vinsk]

I just put a 💀 on the card for that hole(s).

[bones75]

I just always found ESC odd in certain situations.

Ive seen this a ton: two guys playing a casual round. 'Dude A' is better and his ESC caps at double, while 'Dude B' caps at triple.

They play a casual round, but they're two dudes... so there is always at least an ego comptetition. They both triple a hole, Dude A writes down double and dude B writes down triple. That doesnt seem right to me... especially when they talk about who "beat" who that day (again, still meaningless casual rounds).

[DaveP043]

1 minute ago, bones75 said:

I just always found ESC odd in certain situations.

Ive seen this a ton: two guys playing a casual round. 'Dude A' is better and his ESC caps at double, while 'Dude B' caps at triple.

They play a casual round, but they're two dudes... so there is always at least an ego comptetition. They both triple a hole, Dude A writes down double and dude B writes down triple. That doesnt seem right to me... especially when they talk about who "beat" who that day (again, still meaningless casual rounds).

That's a fair criticism, and its not the way I believe the scores should be recorded.  I'll always write down my actual score, or my most likely score if I don't finish the hole, and adjust for ESC after its all done.  At least in my circle of friends, we all do it that way, but I'm sure there are those who do just as you described.

[Jeremie Boop]

I put down what my score was almost always. Very rarely will I pick up and not finish a hole. When I kept an official handicap I adjusted those holes for ESC, but otherwise that's the score I shot so that's what I wrote down.

[mcanadiens]

3 minutes ago, bones75 said:

That doesnt seem right to me... especially when they talk about who "beat" who that day (again, still meaningless casual rounds).

It's either a casual round or it isn't

Using ESC when you haven't actually holed the ball precludes bragging about anything.

[CarlSpackler]

12 minutes ago, bones75 said:

I just always found ESC odd in certain situations.

Ive seen this a ton: two guys playing a casual round. 'Dude A' is better and his ESC caps at double, while 'Dude B' caps at triple.

They play a casual round, but they're two dudes... so there is always at least an ego comptetition. They both triple a hole, Dude A writes down double and dude B writes down triple. That doesnt seem right to me... especially when they talk about who "beat" who that day (again, still meaningless casual rounds).

ESC is ONLY for adjusting your gross score to post for handicap. It doesn't say that you put down a 7 when you shot a snowman or worse. Your gross score is what you shot. You Adjusted Gross for handicap posting is limited by ESC.

Hope that helps.

[David in FL]

And for those in the “I never pick up and move on” camp, I’d like to refer you back to the many pace-of-play threads...

[CarlSpackler]

Off topic (but not really), this is my favorite blowup hole.

 

 

[Missouri Swede]

8 minutes ago, David in FL said:

And for those in the “I never pick up and move on” camp, I’d like to refer you back to the many pace-of-play threads...

In principle, I agree with you. But I can record a 9 and still keep up with the group ahead.

(Tee OB, new tee shot, flubbed or bladed green side chip, finish up with a Rory-esque 3-putt.) Bad play doesn’t have to be slow!

[Shindig]

59 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

In principle, I agree with you. But I can record a 9 and still keep up with the group ahead.

(Tee OB, new tee shot, flubbed or bladed green side chip, finish up with a Rory-esque 3-putt.) Bad play doesn’t have to be slow!

And good play doesn't have to be fast (see also Holmes, J.B.). 

[ShawnSum]

I play the ball as it lies and write down however many strokes it takes to put the ball in the hole. Literally the only legit way to play golf imo if you want to be taken seriously. No gimmies, no moving the ball around to get a better lie or any of the BS. How can you have a accurate handicap with picking stuff up and what not?

[Shindig]

3 minutes ago, ShawnSum said:

How can you have a accurate handicap with picking stuff up and what not?

Because the rules for handicap do have a limit on how high a number you can count on a hole.  If you shoot a twelve on a hole, yes, it's a 12 on the scorecard, but there's a limit to what the number is for purposes of posting a handicap.  For me, it's a 7 (course handicap in a particular range).  So if I make a 12 in a tournament (don't laugh, Arnold Palmer did that in the L.A. Open at my home course), it's a 12 for purposes of the tournament, but a 7 for purposes of totaling the score when posting for handicap purposes.  

[David in FL]

12 minutes ago, ShawnSum said:

I play the ball as it lies and write down however many strokes it takes to put the ball in the hole. Literally the only legit way to play golf imo if you want to be taken seriously. No gimmies, no moving the ball around to get a better lie or any of the BS. How can you have a accurate handicap with picking stuff up and what not?

If you’re not applying ESC to the scores you’re posting for your handicap, then you’re artificially inflating your handicap and, even if doing so unintentionally, cheating...

[leftybutnotPM]

15 hours ago, bones75 said:

 

 

If someone asks me what i shot that day, i'd say my score using the above and typically add "including one pickup".

Why not "I didn't finish because I picked up on one hole".

It's one thing to have rounds with pickups counted for handicap, but you can't say you had a score on a hole when you didn't and then say you shot X even with your disclaimer.

[pganapathy]

My logic is very simple.  My job is to write down what I actually shot on the hole.  It is the scoring/handicap committee's job to work out an ESC score, if necessary.  So whether I shoot a 3 or 13 I note it down accurately.  And this applies for any game I am playing.  It is the only way for me to improve.  It forces me to focus on my game at all times

[bones75]

1 hour ago, leftybutnotPM said:

Why not "I didn't finish because I picked up on one hole".

It's one thing to have rounds with pickups counted for handicap, but you can't say you had a score on a hole when you didn't and then say you shot X even with your disclaimer.

Its just easier. My wife always asks me what i shot. She just wants to know how well i played. I could tell her "i didnt finish. I shot 80 strokes on 17 holes, skipping a par 3" or i could say "86" which although technically not accurate, conveys a lot more relevant information to her.

[leftybutnotPM]

6 minutes ago, bones75 said:

Its just easier. My wife always asks me what i shot. She just wants to know how well i played. I could tell her "i didnt finish. I shot 80 strokes on 17 holes, skipping a par 3" or i could say "86" which although technically not accurate, conveys a lot more relevant information to her.

Or - "Nothing. I made a mess of it." I assume she'd understand that.

Edited August 8, 2019 by leftybutnotPM