Some people are not clear on what it means to have an adjusted score. An adjusted score is based upon the equitable stroke control. See the explanation below.
Based upon the following grid, if you have any scores that fall above the maximum allowable score for you on any hole, then you are required to subtract however many strokes will bring you down to your maximum for each hole. Once you have adjusted down all of your scores for that round, you have arrived at your adjusted score for that round that you then should post. Now don't try and understand why the rule doesn't take into account the difference between a par 5 and a par 3, that is just the rule whether it makes sense or not.
| Course Handicap | Maximum Score on hole |
|---|---|
| 9.9 or less | Double Bogey |
| 10-19.9 | 7 |
| 20-29.9 | 8 |
| 30-39.9 | 9 |
| 40 or more | 10 |
So, for an example. Say I have a handicap of 6.9 and I am playing on a course with a slope of 127. You consult the Slope Rating tables that should be located on the wall by the posting computer and it should tell you that I have a course handicap of 8. Therefore, on that course, from that set of tees, the highest score I can take for posting purposes is a double bogey. Now that doesn't mean I can't take a score higher than a double bogey, that just means that when I go to post my score, I will be adjusting any holes where I scored higher than a double bogey. In tournaments, your score is always your gross score. Adjusting of scores should always happen only when it comes time to post.
So, say that in my round, I have a gross score of an 82. But, I take a 7 on a par 4 and an 8 on a par 5. That means that I need to adjust down the 7 to a 6 and the 8 to a 7, both then being double bogeys instead of triple bogeys. That is a total of 2 strokes that should be adjusted prior to posting. Therefore, my adjusted gross score is an 80 and that is the score I should post.