Exceptional Score Reductions (ESR's)

This subject is described in paragraph 5.9 of the Rules of Handicapping and in England Golf's Guidance on the subject, but the main points are as follows:

• When a player does a round with a score differential of 7.0 to 9.9 lower than their handicap index an Exceptional Score Reduction (ESR) of 1.0 is made to their handicap index, and an ESR of 2.0 is made when the score diffential is 10.0 or more lower than their handicap index.
• These ESR's are in addition to the change of handicap index resulting from that score being one of their counting scores, eg best 8 in the last 20 rounds
• ESR's are made by the inclusion of -1 or -2 in the "Adj" column against all the scores in a player's handicap record including the exceptionl score, having the effect of reducing all the score differentials, and the handicap index, by that value.
• Subsequent scores in a player's record will not have the -1 or -2 adjustment made against them, and in this way the ESR will have gradually diminishing effect on the player's handicap index.
• The Handicap Committee may review the handicap index of a player who has had an ESR, or override the adjustment though it is usually warranted to correctly reflect the player’s current playing ability.

Prepared 30/10/2021 in line with WHS Rules of Handicapping