From Brent Kelley,
Your Guide to Golf.
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Definition: Equitable Stroke Control, or ESC, is a system used by the USGA to minimize the effects of "disaster holes" on handicap indexes. You know, that one or two holes per round where you put three balls in the water and then 5-putt.

If you put a "14" down on your scorecard, it might throw your handicap index out of whack.

Therefore, the USGA introduced Equitable Stroke Control, which sets a maximum score per hole based on your course handicap. For example, if your course handicap is 8, your maximum score for any hole on the course is a double bogey.

You can count all your strokes, but for handicap purposes, you'll turn in the total using Equitable Stroke Control (the resulting score is your "adjusted gross score").

Also Known As: ESC