How To Read A Golf Scorecard
- Hole. The most self explanatory part, the number here indicates which golf hole was played. You will enter your relevant...
- Yardages (Red, White, Yellow, Blue). You will see different yardage options for each hole on the course separated by...
- Golf Handicap/Stroke Index. The next section is the golf handicap or stroke index section. What this...
How to fill in a golf scorecard?
Oct 25, 2019 · How To Read A Golf Scorecard Hole. The most self explanatory part, the number here indicates which golf hole was played. You will enter your relevant... Yardages (Red, White, Yellow, Blue). You will see different yardage options for each hole on the course separated by... Golf Handicap/Stroke Index. ...
What are bad scores for a par-3 golf course?
Sep 15, 2021 · Here we give you all the info you need on how to read a golf score card. Decide on your tees. When you open a standard golf scorecard, you’ll see a grid with an array of numbers and blank spaces. Before you do anything else, you should look for the information that will guide the decision on what tees you should play off.
How to use the handicap line on a golf scorecard?
The scorecard broken down Hole Number Pretty simple, the hole numbers usually range from 1 – 18 or from 1-9 for a 9 hole course. Most golf courses will have 18 holes, other shorter 9 hole courses can obviously be played twice to create an 18 hole experience. There’s also a few courses out there that have 27 holes to mix things up even more.
How to read odds in golf betting?
Using the sample golf scorecard from before, to find your handicap index, you would do the following: Handicap index = lowest differential x 0.96 = (6) x 0.96 Handicap index = 5.76, or 5.8 as you always round to the nearest tenth.

How long is a golf scorecard?
Typically the scorecard will be around 6 inches long by 4..5 inches when it is folded. This makes it easy to carry in a pocket or golf bag without taking up too much room. Each golf scorecard has some common elements that are important to understand when playing a round of golf.
Why do golfers use scorecards?
The golf scorecard is used by golfers all over the world when they are playing a round of golf at any of the vast amount of golf courses. This can range from the PGA Tour to even crazy golf! It helps players to track their performance both individually and in competition against others.
What is handicap strokes?
The handicap strokes section of a scorecard is fundamental for golfers when calculating their score based on their golf handicaps. This is the case both individually and in competition. The best way to illustrate this is to use an example golfer of with a 9 golf handicap. What happens in this case is you will deduct one stroke for the each ...
What does 18 mean on a golf scorecard?
18 means that it is the expected easiest hole on the golf course and 1 means that it is the expected hardest hole on the golf course. The handicap strokes section of a scorecard is fundamental for golfers when calculating their score based on their golf handicaps.
What does the circle symbol on a golf scorecard mean?
These represent a golfers score on a particular hole. Solid circle symbol – Represents an Eagle or better score (e.g. an Albatross or hole in one) By using these golf symbols for scores it makes it quicker and easier to identify scoring when reading a golf scorecard.
How to score a birdie in golf?
They work as follows: 1 Solid circle symbol – Represents an Eagle or better score (e.g. an Albatross or hole in one) 2 Circle symbol – Represents a Birdie 3 No symbol – Represents a Par 4 Square symbol – Represents a Bogey 5 Solid square symbol – Represents a Double-bogey or worse
What format is golf played under?
Pay Attention To The Format. There are different formats that golf is played under. Ranging from stroke play to stableford. It is important to factor this in when completing your score card, especially in competition. Depending on the type of competition that you are playing will impact how you mark your scores.
What does a golf scorecard look like?
Many people who are new to golf may think the scorecard looks like a bunch of numbers with no rhyme or reason. There will be numbers in white, gold, black, blue, or red boxes. There will be numbers that range between 1 and 18, 3 and 5, and about 100 to maybe 600. Here are tips to help golf newbies read a scorecard. pinterest-pin-it.
What is the par line on a golf scorecard?
The par line on a golf scorecard will have a list of numbers that will range between 3 and 5, although I have personally played one hole that was a par 6.
How many shots do you need to get to the par 4 hole?
A player should take three shots to finish a par 3 hole. He or she should take four shots to get home on a par 4 hole. The standard golf course will have a par of between 70 and 72, depending upon the number of par 3 and par 5 holes (the most common is four of each and a par of 72).
What does slope rating mean in golf?
The slope rating is supposed to tell a bogey golfer (one who shoots a bogey for each hole on average) how difficult a course is.
What is the hardest hole in golf?
The hole that has a handicap of 1 is ranked as the hardest hole on the course. Correspondingly, a hole with a rating of 18 would be considered the easiest. Golfers can play in relation to a handicap. This is a complex formula that gives an estimate of how well a person will score at a course.
What is a course rating?
The course rating is the score that a scratch golfer (a golfer who averages a score of par for an entire round) could expect to have for a round at a course. For example, a scratch golfer could expect to shoot a score of 74 (two over par) on a course with a par of 72 and a course rating of 74.
How many holes are there in a golf course?
Some executive (short) courses might have 6 holes or so, but the general number of holes on a regulation golf course will be either 9 or 18 holes. The hole number will be listed under "Hole," and these holes should be played in consecutive order.
How to fill out a golf scorecard?
According to Golf Week, here are the six steps to filling out a golf scorecard correctly: Name of each player – You should have a list of all the players on each scorecard, as well as the name of who is keeping track of your points (also known as the “scorekeeper”).
How does scoring work in golf?
Golf scoring works by counting the number of purposeful swings, accounting for penalties, and totaling with handicaps and par. Although it may seem like a complicated system, once you understand the basics, scoring for golf becomes effortless.
What is a stroke in golf?
Mark all the strokes for each player – In a game of golf, a stroke is understood to be an intentional swing at the golf ball. Even if the ball doesn’t move, if a player swings at it, that counts as a stroke. You can add or subtract the par and handicap at the end of the game.
How many strokes to score if you hit the ball with a club?
When it comes to marking penalties in golf scoring, follow these twenty rules: If you ask another golfer what club they used to hit the ball with: Add two strokes to your score for that hole. If the ball moves after you put your club behind it: Add one stroke to your score for that hole, unless it falls off the tee.
What is handicap in golf?
According to American Golf, a handicap for golf simply means the variable number of the player’s level of experience that helps people of different levels play together. Another way to think of a handicap for golf is in the context of playing tag with small children. You, a full-grown adult, wouldn’t run as fast as you actually can to give the kids a chance to catch you. It’s the same idea for a golf handicap; it’s so people of any level can play the same field.
What is match play in golf?
Match Play. According to Golf Rules and Etiquette, match play scoring for golf puts more of an emphasis on each hole, rather than the course as a complete system. To score using the match play method, a point is given to the player who had the least amount of strokes per hole.
How to play golf in numerical order?
Usually, you play in numerical order, but if the course is busy, players can start at the halfway point and wrap back to the starting hole after playing the highest-numbered hole. (e.g., from holes 1-18, start at hole ten and play until hole 18, then go to holes 1-9).
How to score a golf scorecard?
When playing stroke play, count the number of strokes you've taken on the hole just completed, and write that number down in the box corresponding to that hole on the scorecard. At the end of each nine holes, tally up the strokes for your front nine and back nine totals ( often marked "out" and "in" ), respectively, then add up those two numbers for your 18-hole score.
What does a circle on a golf scorecard mean?
But because it's a PGA Tour thing, some golfers like to do it this way. So one circle represents a birdie, and a score circled twice represents an eagle or better.
How to mark stableford on scorecard?
To mark Stableford on a scorecard, it's most common to use two rows. Using two rows makes the scorecard easier to mark and easier to read later. The top row is your stroke play score — the number of strokes you took to complete the hole. The second row is the Stableford points earned on that hole.
What does a scorecard look like?
Here's what a scorecard looks like when your course handicap is 18 or above, which means that you get to take a stroke on every hole, and sometimes two strokes on a hole.
How to score a stableford?
For Stableford with handicaps, begin by marking the scorecard as you would for regular stroke play using handicaps (using the dots and slashes). Add a second row to the scorecard and mark it "Stableford — Gross.". Then add a third row marked "Stableford — Net.".
What is a match play vs par?
Match play vs. par or bogey describes a match in which you are playing not against a fellow golfer, but against par itself, or bogey itself. In our example above, the match is against par. This means that if you par the hole, you've halved; if you birdie, you've won the hole (because you beat par), and if you bogey you've lost the hole (because par beat you). This is a good game to play when you're on the course by yourself.
How to take a stroke on a golf course?
Always start by marking the holes on which you get to take a stroke. Make a little dot somewhere within the box for the holes on which your course handicap will be used. (The "handicap" row of the scorecard tells you where to take strokes. If your course handicap is 2, then take a stroke on the holes marked 1 and 2.
How does golf scoring work?
Scoring in golf is based on par. Par is an expected measure of an expert golfer's performance on each hole of a golf course. Each hole has a par rating -- typically 3, 4 or 5 -- and the par for all 18 holes of a golf course is added together to measure the total par for a golf course -- typically 70, 71 or 72.
How do you read a golf leaderboard?
A golf leaderboard shows the order of players from first place to last. The players are listed in order of their score against par for the entire tournament. A golf leaderboard shows a player's aggregate score against par.
How many rows are there on a golf scorecard?
Most golf scorecards contain several rows of information. For example, a scorecard will always have the "Hole" row, the numbers 1 through 18 corresponding to the holes being played. Beneath that will likely be at least three more rows (let's say, for example, "Red," "White," and "Blue;" or "Forward," "Middle," and "Back") ...
How many strokes can you take on a golf course if your handicap is higher than 18?
What if your course handicap is higher than 18? Then you get to take two strokes on some (possibly all, depending on how high your course handicap is) holes, one on other holes. Let's say you get to take 22 strokes. Obviously, you'll get at least one stroke on each of the 18 holes on the course; but you'll also get a second stroke on ...
How many strokes does a 15 handicapper get?
For example, let's say there are three golfers in the group; one is a 10 handicapper, one is a 15, one is a 20. The 10-handicapper will play at scratch (no strokes), the 15-handicapper will get 5 strokes (15 minus 10) and the 20 handicapper will get 10 strokes (20 minus 10).
What is handicap in golf?
The "Handicap" line of the scorecard rates the holes for use by golfers who carry a handicap index. The handicap index is used to produce a course handicap, and the course handicap tells golfers how many strokes they get to take off their gross scores to produce a net score .
How many strokes do you need to take to get a handicap?
If you get to take 11 strokes, then you find the 11 highest-rated holes on the handicap line, and take one stroke on each of those holes. If you get to take 18 strokes, then you get one stroke on every hole.
How many strokes do you get on the 18 holes of golf?
Obviously, you'll get at least one stroke on each of the 18 holes on the course; but you'll also get a second stroke on the four highest-rated holes on the handicap line of the scorecard. So on the holes designated 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the handicap line, you'll take 2 strokes each; on the other holes, you'll take 1 stroke each.
What is the difference between 1 and 2 on the handicap?
The hole identified as "1" on the handicap line has been rated the hole where a golfer is most likely to need a stroke in competition against a better player. The hole identified as "2" on the handicap line is the second-most likely hole where a stroke will be needed, and so on.
