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A "Tin Cup" Moment

provisional

provisional

Could Care Less
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
2,217
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Location
Las Vegas, NV
Handicap
10+/-
Ok I join up with a foursome for the last two holes. On both holes you have to carry a water hazard, with the 18th hole two water hazards of it's own. #17 is a par three, 135 yards. One of the foursome guys takes a 12 with several balls not making it across.He told their score keeper he had a 12

On #18 the same guy makes it across the first hazard with no problem leaving himself a carry of 130 yards to clear the second water hazard on this hole. The guy puts 9+/- ( I quit counting) balls in the hazard before finally making it across. He holes out with a one putt of about 10 feet. I don't know exactly what score he took on the last hole.

Now I understand rules are rules, and there was no drop area that anyone knew of on the last hole, but taking 20+/- strokes on one hole might be considered excessive in some circles. Add in a some what lengthy preshot routine, and we were all there for quite a spell. His buddies did a good job of keeping themselves contained, and myself, being that I had just joined to finish up, was not about to say anything. However, it was tough to watch, and keep a straight face.

Once at the cart barn, the guy made no excuses, but was quite rough with his clubs, tossing them in the back of his truck, and in a hurry to disappear.

I heard one of his buds say that he really is a better golfer than that, that he just had a bad couple of holes. Apparently ESC is not a part of his game. :banghead:
 
I've done something similar, not on consecutive holes though. I stood on the tee box and put at least 6 (it might have been more) balls in the pond that runs the length of the fairway. There wasn't any groups behind us and I was bound and determined to find the fairway. I have always hated that hole and still do.
 
provisional said:
I heard one of his buds say that he really is a better golfer than that, that he just had a bad couple of holes. Apparently ESC is not a part of his game. :banghead:
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Good for him. He can use ESC in place of what he scored (I still think that ESC is ignorant, but oh well) but Your score is your score, not your esc score!

John Daly took a 17 in some tournament years ago. That's the way it goes. Imagine if Daly had said, give me a 7, that's my ESC!

(And yes, I know why they have it and what it's in place for. I just don't like it!)

I wouldn't have faulted the guy for dropping on the other side though, after that carnage!
 
When we played Sawgrass years ago, we were paired with a novice golfer that hit nine in a row into the water on the 17th from about 125-130.

Kevin
 
One of my customers put 15 in the water on a 160 yard par 3 with water wrapping the front and both sides. It got really boring throwing him another ball.....out of HIS bag, he's a customer but I am not crazy.
 
In a normal round (not a tournament) and also not playing for money I would have probably played the ESC card after about the third ball (just to save money on Z Star's)...however, having played in a few Amatuer tournaments (stroke play events) you would have to finish the hole or run out of balls and be disqualified...I think in this case some reasonableness should have been applied for the sake of his fellow players and his finances (cost of balls) and he should have played the ESC card...just my 2 cents...:thumb:
 
Pardon my newness to the sport, but what is an ESC? :confused2:
 
Golf Chick said:
Pardon my newness to the sport, but what is an ESC? :confused2:
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Equitable stroke control.

Am I reading the rule wrong? I thought you still had to finish out the hole but you only had to mark your ESC on the scorecard.
 
TheGasman said:
Equitable stroke control.

Am I reading the rule wrong? I thought you still had to finish out the hole but you only had to mark your ESC on the scorecard.
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And this is......
 
Hey Prov, what kind of balls was he playing with? If they're Pro Vs, tell me which golf course, and I'll be grabbing a diving mask... :twist:
 
I agree ..after 2 in the water it's time for a different strategyfor me.But I can't cast any stones cause I've done 3 before and wondered what was I thinking.
 
ZM_Factor said:
In a normal round (not a tournament) and also not playing for money I would have probably played the ESC card after about the third ball (just to save money on Z Star's)...however, having played in a few Amatuer tournaments (stroke play events) you would have to finish the hole or run out of balls and be disqualified...I think in this case some reasonableness should have been applied for the sake of his fellow players and his finances (cost of balls) and he should have played the ESC card...just my 2 cents...:thumb:
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If the round is just going to be used for handicap then it only makes sense to pick up after a certain degree of futility has been demonstrated. If the round is played in any sort of competition where the rules are being followed, then he has no choice but to keep going until he runs out of balls.

Golf Chick said:
Pardon my newness to the sport, but what is an ESC? :confused2:
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ESC is an adjustment that is made to exceptional hole scores after the round is finished and before the score is returned for handicap. The reason for it is that your handicap index is supposed to represent your scoring potential, and a hole score above a certain point is considered as being outside of your "normal" potential, thus shouldn't factor into any handicap calculations. Since I'm in the 10-19 handicap range, my ESC maximum is 7, meaning that is the highest hole score I can post to handicap. If I shot 84, but I took an 8 on one hole, then my ESC score will be adjusted down one stroke. The score I return for handicap would be an 83.

However, if I'm playing in a competition, or any other time that I want to know my real score, any adjustments are made only at the end of the round. All of the strokes and penalty strokes accrued on the course count toward the actual score I shot. This is typically how I play, regardless of the importance of the round.

If it ever took me 9 shots to get over a water hazard, I'd probably just drown myself in it anyway. :banghead:
 
Fourputt said:
If it ever took me 9 shots to get over a water hazard, I'd probably just drown myself in it anyway. :banghead:
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That would problebly be what I'd do if I didn't bleed out from slitting my wrists before I made it to the water.
 
Golf Chick said:
Got it, thanks :) Kind of like on the Par 3 courses where you need to move on after 6 strokes :D
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Well it depends on your course handicap for that course and you can check here Golf Course Handicap Calculator before (or after) each round to know your course handicap and then be able to apply your ESC score as follows:

Course Handicap = Maximum Score
0-9 = DB
10-19 = 7
20-29 = 8
30-39 = 9
40 or more = 10

So if that guy's course handicap would have been 40 then the worse score he can use for ESC scoring would have been a 10...therefore, what we are saying is after the 5th ball in the water (10th stroke if I counted correctly) he could have simply (again for the sake of his playing partners and to save money on balls) picked up and wrote down a 10.
 
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