| 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 or her score. For eighteen hole handicaps the ESC is as follows:
| Course Handicap | Maximum Score Posted on Any Hole |
| 9 or less | Double Bogey |
| 10 through 19 | 7 |
| 20 through 29 | 8 |
| 30 through 39 | 9 |
| 40 and above | 10 |
For nine hole handicaps the ESC is as follows:
| Course Handicap | Maximum Score Posted on Any Hole |
| 4 or less | Double Bogey |
| 5 through 9 | 7 |
| 10 through 14 | 8 |
| 15 through 19 | 9 |
| 20 or more | 10 |
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