Handicap systems and the X-score scorecard

[Blues Golfer]

So, you had to pick up on a hole, and you put down X-5 on your card.

 

You end the round, go to the pro shop, and prepare to record your score.

 

You want to post an 80, but there's this X-5 you scored on the 9th hole.

 

Uh, where does the X go? The system does not allow letters in the score field. X80 does not work, 80X either. 80-X? Nope.

 

What do you do with the X you had to record?

[Sawgrass]

Blues, if I understand you correctly, you put down an X-5 on your scorecard because 5 was the most likely score you would have obtained had you finished the hole. The "X" simply means that the round wasn't an "official" round, but it nevertheless is "offical" enough where you must enter a handicap score. If your "5" was the correctly estimated score, and didn't require a further ESC adjustment, then for handicap purposes you simply consider the 5 the score you got. The handicap computer doesn't care that there was an "X", nor does it have a place for an "X". Just score it as a 5.

[sporto98]

regardless of why you did not finish the hole, you can only post your highest allowed score on any given hole. it doesn't matter if it is tuesday in the evening or saturday morning in a men's club game. Your club should have it posted but for instance at my club if you are a 9 handicap or lower the max score you can post for any hole is a double. 10-18 handicap max is an 8, 19-28 handicap is a 9, and 29+ is a 10. if you are an 8 handicap, and that hole is rated #8 or less for the course handicap then you post a bogey. if it is rated #9 or higher you post a par. likewise, if you are a 20 handicap, if the hole is rated #1 or 2 for the course handicap you would post a double because you get two strokes on those holes. if it is #3-18 than you post a bogey.

[Sawgrass]

regardless of why you did not finish the hole, you can only post your highest allowed score on any given hole. it doesn't matter if it is tuesday in the evening or saturday morning in a men's club game. Your club should have it posted but for instance at my club if you are a 9 handicap or lower the max score you can post for any hole is a double. 10-18 handicap max is an 8, 19-28 handicap is a 9, and 29+ is a 10. if you are an 8 handicap, and that hole is rated #8 or less for the course handicap then you post a bogey. if it is rated #9 or higher you post a par. likewise, if you are a 20 handicap, if the hole is rated #1 or 2 for the course handicap you would post a double because you get two strokes on those holes. if it is #3-18 than you post a bogey.

 

 

Sporto, I'm not sure what you mean by, "you can only post your highest allowed score on any given hole", but a more complete thought is that you can only post up to the highest allowed score . . . . you might have to post a lower score.

 

If you're a 25 handicap and your ball is an inch away from the cup in two on the #1 handicap hole, if a lightning siren sounds and you pick up, your score is X-3.

 

 

Here's the rule:

 

Conceded Strokes/Unfinished Holes

Q. How does a player post a score if conceded a stroke or does not finish a hole?

A. If a player does not finish a hole or is conceded a stroke, record the most likely score for handicap purposes. A most likely score is the number of strokes already taken, plus in the player's best judgment, the number of strokes needed to complete the hole from that point more than half the time.

 

The most likely score should have an "X" preceding the number. For example, player A is just off the green in two strokes, and player A’s partner just holed out for a two; therefore, player A decides to pick up. Player A determines the most likely score would have been to chip on and two putt; therefore, player A will record an X-5 on the scorecard (two strokes already taken plus three more strokes to complete the hole). Player A does not automatically put down the Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)™ maximum. First, player A determines the most likely score and then after the round checks to see if the most likely score is above the ESC limit. In this case, player A has a Course Handicap™ of 24 and an ESC maximum of eight. Recording X-5 is not above ESC limit and therefore, X-5 is the score that must be posting for handicap purposes. Please visit Section 4-1 of the USGA Handicap System manual for further reference.

 

[DaveLeeNC]

[quote name='Blues Golfer' date='28 March 2010 - 11:59 PM' timestamp='1269835185' post='2347355']
So, you had to pick up on a hole, and you put down X-5 on your card.

You end the round, go to the pro shop, and prepare to record your score.

You want to post an 80, but there's this X-5 you scored on the 9th hole.

Uh, where does the X go? The system does not allow letters in the score field. X80 does not work, 80X either. 80-X? Nope.

What do you do with the X you had to record?
[/quote]

Posted scores have no "X'es" - even though your hole score(s) have an "X".

And as Sawgrass correctly posted, not finishing a hole does NOT necessarily mean that you post either your ESC or "Hole Par plus strokes".

dave

[Speedly]

Whenever this comes up (and it generally does, with the twilight schedules the local courses keep), what I do is fire up the ol' calculator, as I put in my scores on an online handicap-calculating website when I get home.

If there are 13 or more holes played, I'll do this:

- Average out your scores on the card for each: Par 3s, Par 4s, and Par 5s.
- Take those numbers and apply them as best you can to the scorecard's holes. Since you'll more often than not get a fraction, I'll try to accurately show it on the card. For instance, let's say I get an average of 4.6666~ for Par 4s on the day, and there are three Par 4s with blank scores. I mark them 4, 5, 5. It doesn't always work out perfectly like this, but you get the point.

It makes it less of a subjective thing and more of a performance-that-day thing. There are holes in the logic... for instance, let's say the last three holes are the 1, 2, and 3 handicap holes. The results will likely be a bit skewed from the rest of the card.

If I don't have 13 holes played, then it's not of legal length to call a full round for handicap purposes, and only enter my nine-hole score.

It's a rough system, but it seems to have worked out so far for me.

[Blues Golfer]

So my point is WHAT is the POINT of putting an X?
USGA >
[color=#505050][list]Big numbers. Douglas picked up at the 14th instead of playing his eighth shot from a bunker. Figuring he most likely would have made a 10, his Course Handicap of 21 meant he had an Equitable Stroke Control limit of 8. Douglas erased the X and put down X-8.[*]Although not happy with a 113, Douglas could post it in the computer. He realized the two-step process was simple - determine his most likely score on a hole, then see if it exceeded his Equitable Stroke Control maximum. If there was a lesson, it was that going into his pocket didn't necessarily mean posting a big number.[/list]Roger pointed out a nearby bulletin board with a USGA Handigram, a poster of frequently asked questions to assist those uncertain of how to apply the procedures. Douglas left the course proud of the few holes where he had contributed to the team, and vowing that the next time his play proved less than satisfactory he would still post a proper score.[/color]
[color="#505050"]>>[/color]
[color="#505050"]What is the point of writing an X on the card, and doing nothing with it? Why is it even still in the handicap manual? [/color]
[color="#505050"]
[/color]
[color="#505050"]Does this mysterious writing of the X have some supernatural impact to balance the universe? Or is it an anachronism that the USGA cannot rid itself of?[/color]

[SNIPERBBB]

My wager would be for the purposes of the X is if you belong to a course that requires you to turn in your scorecards to be posted for handicap in case that there is an objection to your score by another player or the handicap committee.

[Sawgrass]

Perhaps it's simply a reminder to you that the X-score is only valid for handicap purposes, and the total score which included one or more X scores is not what you actually shot that round, but just a handicap-valid approximation.

Or, maybe it's that supernatural impact/universe balance thing of which you speak.

[DaveLeeNC]

It has a definite use for (for example) 4 man team competitions where the 'X' indicates that the score cannot be used as part of the team score.

dave

[Blues Golfer]

I appreciate the spirit of "not used in 4 ball competition" but in a four ball competition, I would think everyone holed out. Once you hole out, the X is gone. There's no X if you hole out. You might have a gross of 13, but a handicap ESC makes it a whatever, depending on handicap. But on the tournament scoresheet, you grossed a 13.

I buy the part about those clubs that still turn in scorecards. I don't know of any that still do, but that is valid to me. I see that practice as rare and getting rarer.

What I really want is some USGA rules maven to ID themselves, and post the real answer.

[DaveLeeNC]

[quote name='Blues Golfer' date='03 April 2010 - 07:20 PM' timestamp='1270336834' post='2358903']
I appreciate the spirit of "not used in 4 ball competition" but in a four ball competition, I would think everyone holed out. Once you hole out, the X is gone. There's no X if you hole out. You might have a gross of 13, but a handicap ESC makes it a whatever, depending on handicap. But on the tournament scoresheet, you grossed a 13.

I buy the part about those clubs that still turn in scorecards. I don't know of any that still do, but that is valid to me. I see that practice as rare and getting rarer.

What I really want is some USGA rules maven to ID themselves, and post the real answer.



[/quote]

I don't know why you would assume that everyone would hole out in a four ball competition as this is most definitely one form of 'real golf' where it is most unlikely that a participant will hole out every shot [u][b]as a requirement of the competition[/b].[/u]

dave