Largest number you can make on a hole??

[shankopotamus]

What is the rule on this?? Is there a maximum number you can make on a hole, or is it infinity?? Typically I will take a double par as the max. (Just to speed up play. I hate holding my group/ the whole course up). My golfing buddies all played high-school golf back in the day, and they said in tournaments the highest number they could post was a 9. Is this a common rule?

Thanks for any help on this.

[Pinseeker81]

There's no limit to what you can make on a hole. There is a limit on how high a score you can post for handicap reasons which is called Equitable Stroke Control.

If it makes you feel better, Mickelson made an 11 in a tournament a while back, and Harrington made a 9 a few weeks ago.

Heck, at the Houston Open there were several guys posting snowmen on the 18th.

[David in FL]

What is the rule on this?? Is there a maximum number you can make on a hole, or is it infinity?? Typically I will take a double par as the max. (Just to speed up play. I hate holding my group/ the whole course up). My golfing buddies all played high-school golf back in the day, and they said in tournaments the highest number they could post was a 9. Is this a common rule?

There's a difference between the highest number you can "post" for handicap purposes and the highest number you can actually "score". There is no limit to what you can "score" on a hole, though in the interest of speedy play, picking up when you're either out of the hole or simply lose interest

is certainly encouraged. As far as posting your score for handicap purposes, you are limited to what you can post on any single given hole by "Equitable Stroke Control". That number varies by your handicap index......here's the breakdown: Handicap Index / Max you may post 9 or less / double bogey 10-19 / 7 strokes 20-29 / 8 strokes 30-39 / 9 strokes 40 or more / 10 strokes Hope that helps.

[jopela]

WFIW I always play double par as my max to keep up the pace of play.

[shankopotamus]

There's a difference between the highest number you can "post" for handicap purposes and the highest number you can actually "score". There is no limit to what you can "score" on a hole, though in the interest of speedy play, picking up when you're either out of the hole or simply lose interest

Thanks David, that helps alot. So far this year my HI is 30.1. (The 28 i have posted was just a quess, I just recently figured out how to calculate this). So keep pace of play up, I will start picking up after 9 strokes .

[87vert]

I usually figure double par is a good stopping point :)

[dro]

As far as posting your score for handicap purposes, you are limited to what you can post on any single given hole by "Equitable Stroke Control". That number varies by your handicap index......here's the breakdown:

I'm not saying this breakdown is wrong according to the ESC but it is downright flawed. The max a person with a 9 or less handicap can post is a double bogey? What is the reasoning behind this?

If a player with a 9 handicap scores a 6 on a par 3 they post a 5? Or if they score an 8 on a par 5 they post a 7? I hope I am getting something wrong about this because it is downright stupid. You are not exempt from a higher score because you are a better player by any means. If I'm not wrong and people, like you, actually do this then your handicap is wrong.

[munky]

Heck, at the Houston Open there were several guys posting snowmen on the 18th.

I've seen this term a few times on here, what exactly is a 'snowman'?

I have a feeling I'm going to become familiar with it pretty quick.

[David in FL]

I've seen this term a few times on here, what exactly is a 'snowman'?

LOL. Draw a quick snowman on a piece of paper and tell us what number it reminds you of.

[elementz]

Frosty the 8

[Pinseeker81]

I'm not saying this breakdown is wrong according to the ESC but it is downright flawed. The max a person with a 9 or less handicap can post is a double bogey? What is the reasoning behind this?

Yep. You're wrong. They still have to use the big number for actual score, but the double bogey max for calculating the handicap. This prevents the occasional blow up hole from hurting your handicap too much, and makes it hard to artificially inflate your handicap by making it slower to rise than to fall.

If you don't like the rule, here's where you can make your argument.

[iacas]

I'm not saying this breakdown is wrong according to the ESC but it is downright flawed. The max a person with a 9 or less handicap can post is a double bogey? What is the reasoning behind this?

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...s/esctest.html http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...adjusting.html

Source: USGA Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) keeps an exceptionally bad hole from changing your Handicap Index too much. For example, I occasionally make a mess of a water hole and wind up playing the hole like a hound. In cases like this, Equitable Stroke Control is used to adjust my score back into its normal range. Equitable Stroke Control sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player's Course Handicap. For Handicap purposes, after the round you are required to adjust your hole scores (actual or probable) when they are higher than your maximum number you can post. All scores, including tournament scores, are adjusted for ESC. There is no limit to the number of holes on which you can adjust your score.

If I'm not wrong and people, like you, actually do this then your handicap is wrong.

No, YOUR handicap is wrong. Your handicap is NEVER an average of your scores, but rather an indication of your potential.

You can get a 13 and it still counts for your skins game, your match play match, your stroke play match, etc. but when you post the score for handicap, you apply ESC.

[shankopotamus]

I'm not saying this breakdown is wrong according to the ESC but it is downright flawed. The max a person with a 9 or less handicap can post is a double bogey? What is the reasoning behind this?

I agree, this seems like a flawed system. If i understand it correctly, a 40 handi and a scratch golfer can play a round and both shoot 180. (not likely, just using this for the sake of argument). The 40 has to post the 180, and the scratch gets to post a 108. Doesnt seem fair.

[Pinseeker81]

I agree, this seems like a flawed system. If i understand it correctly, a 40 handi and a scratch golfer can play a round and both shoot 180. (not likely, just using this for the sake of argument). The 40 has to post the 180, and the scratch gets to post a 108. Doesnt seem fair.

Because if the scratch shot that high, he's either goofing off, trying to inflate his handicap, or had such a massive unthinkable problem that the round would not be indicative of his normal game.

[Jay-Bird]

John Daly got an 18 on #6 at Bay Hill in 1998. 6 balls in the water. Amazing.

[David in FL]

I'm not saying this breakdown is wrong according to the ESC but it is downright flawed. The max a person with a 9 or less handicap can post is a double bogey? What is the reasoning behind this?

Yep, you're wrong. What's more, if you're not applying ESC your handicap is too high and if you're playing in any kind of "net" game or tournament you have an unfair advantage. Note that ESC is only applied when posting your score for handicap purposes. It has nothing whatsoever to do with your actual score for the round. As an example, I shot an 82 last week. Hit 2 OB on 10 and carded a lovely 9 on a short par 4. Lost the nassau all 3 ways as a result. When I posted my score for handicap though, I had to reduce that 82 to a 79 since the most I can post on a par 4 is 6.

[MiniMoe]

Handicap is all about your potential, so your handicap should go down a lot faster than it goes up. Most people don't like it because if they are playing bad for a spell, their handicap does not reflect this for a while. According to the USGA you should only shoot your handicap a small percentage of the time. Odds of shooting your handicap

[andy]

Yep, you're wrong. What's more, if you're not applying ESC your handicap is too high and if you're playing in any kind of "net" game or tournament you have an unfair advantage.

Wow this is great news for me. I've been posting the actual scores and I always blow up a few holes a round lol...so my handicap is actually lower huh