New ESC Handicap Calculation starting in 2018

According to the USGA, the purpose of a handicap is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by enabling players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis.
A handicap system provides a fair course handicap for each player, regardless of ability, and adjusts a player's handicap up or down as the player's game changes.
At the same time, a handicap system disregards high scores that bear little relation to the player's potential ability and promotes continuity by making a handicap index continuous from one playing season or year to the next.

In the past, the FHSGL handicap did not effectively handle these principles.
Starting in 2018, our handicap system adjusts the gross score for each member to reflect what the USGA calls Equitable Stroke Control or ESC.
Basically, we now use an adjusted gross score based on ESC. Under ESC, there will be a maximum number of strokes that can be used for a handicap calculation on a given hole.
This maximum is based on the golfer’s current course handicap. Essentially, the very low handicaps are limited to double bogey on each hole and the very high handicap players are limited to a 10 per hole, with 3 levels in between the two.

The USGA believes that within a handicap system each player will try to make the best score at every hole in every round, and that the player’s score will be posted for every acceptable round.
The current handicap is computed from no more than the most recent 20 scores.
It reflects the player's potential because it is based upon the best handicap differentials posted for a given number of rounds, ideally the best 10 of the last 20 rounds.

In the past, the FHSGL handicap had been calculated using only the last ten scores.
Starating in 2018, we have attempted to eliminate the volatility of this calculation and move to handicaps based on the best 10 of the last 20 rounds thereby getting our handicap system closer to a player's potential ability.