fore! Unlike the scoring system in most sports, in golf, a lower score is considered better. A score of 72 is much better than a score of 102. Scoring in golf may be easy – hit the ball, find the ball, hit the ball again, and so on – and all you have to do is add up all the strokes at the end of the game. However, there are a few small things you need to know before you start playing golf and scoring properly. See Step 1 to get started.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Recording the Score by Counting the Number of Strokes (Stroke Play)
Step 1. Provide a scorecard
One round of golf is played in 18 holes. After each hole, you must record the score on the scorecard. Even experienced golfers can forget to remember a few strokes without a scorecard. Keep a record of your score and that of the other players in your group.
- Generally, it is your responsibility to keep track of your opponent's score and vice versa (he should record yours). After each round, you must check your opponent's cards, approve your scoring results by him, and sign or initial them. You will also have to do this in the last round. So if your opponent makes a mistake (even if it was an unintentional one) and makes your score worse than it should be, you are to blame.
- The other players assign one person who records all the players' scores before the game starts.
Step 2. Count all attempts to hit the ball as strokes
A golfer will almost certainly make contact with the ball. But if he tries to hit and misses hitting the ball, it still counts as a hit. On the other hand, if you practice swinging and accidentally hit the ball, it doesn't count. Every time you swing your stick at the ball, it counts as a hit, no matter what.
- Each hole has a number of strokes called "Par". This is the average number of strokes it takes to get the ball into the hole. If the par is 3 and you hit the ball with 4 strokes, your score is recorded as a 1-over or over one stroke. If the overall par of the course is 80 and you finish the course on a total of 95, your score is 15-over or over 15 strokes.
- While you don't need to know anyone is scoring, you should know that a birdie is one stroke under par, an eagle is two under par, and a bogey is one over par.
- Some players decide not to hit more than double bogey or 2 strokes over par on each hole.
Step 3. Know your penalty
Penalty means strokes that result in additional points. Keep in mind that you want to score as low as possible and those penalties will only increase the score. Here are some penalties:
- If you hit the ball into the water, place the ball in the designated location and receive a 1 stroke penalty.
- If you hit the ball outside the field of play (marked by the white post), hit it back from its starting location and receive a 2 stroke penalty.
- If you lose the ball, hit it back from its starting location and receive a 2 stroke penalty.
Step 4. Add up your points
When you're done, add up your score on each hole to get the total. Double check the amount. If you play in a tournament, one of your opponents will record your official score. You have to check it and then sign your scorecard to make it official. The player with the least number of points emerges as the winner.
Some players add up points every 9 holes, so they don't have to do too many calculations at the end of the game and can settle disputes about scores more easily
Step 5. Know your handicap
After playing at least 10 rounds of golf on the same course (or the number of rounds that must be played on that course to determine a handicap), you will have a handicap. The handicap takes into account your previous score from the same round of golf. You can play while remembering your handicap. (The goal is to score better than before.)
If you want to play around with handicaps, you can use the Stableford method. In this scoring method, the golf score is not the number of strokes made on each hole, but the number of net points scored on each hole. If the net score equals par, you get 2 points; if you hit one over par (bogey), you get 1 point. If you hit 1 under par (birdie), you get 3 points, and if you hit 2 under par (eagle), you get 4 points
Method 2 of 2: Recording the Score by Counting the Number of Holes (Match Play)
Step 1. Record the score for each hole as "holes up" or "holes down"
This is the best way to play for beginner golfers, because you don't have to be so meticulous about scoring each round. All you have to do is win more holes than your opponent. So let's say your score on the first hole is 5 and your opponent's score on the first hole is 3; your opponent is now "one up", because he is one hole ahead of you.
Step 2. Drill one hole if necessary
If you're having trouble getting the ball into the hole on one particular spin and prefer to save your energy and common sense, you can give up the spin and move on to the next hole. You can start over on the next hole.
Step 3. Record the winner of each hole
Keep playing and write down the winner of each hole after each spin. Just write +1 if you win a certain hole or -1 if you lose that round. If you and your opponent hit the ball with the same number of strokes, you can write "US" under the hole column and consider it a tie.
Step 4. End the match when one player wins more holes than they have left
The match can end if the score is " four and three ". This means that one player will win after winning by four holes with three holes remaining (after the 15th hole), because the other player does not have enough holes to win the round.
Step 5. Don't obsess over the number of strokes made
It's more important for a beginner to focus on getting the ball into the hole than getting upset about hitting too much. You will also focus more on playing with rhythm rather than over-analyzing the game. As you get more experienced, you can practice to reduce the number of strokes and get better gradually.
Tips
- Learn how to Calculate Handicaps in the Game of Golf. Very proficient golfers and very unskilled golfers can play competitively using handicaps.
- If you play for fun and draw at the end of the round, determine the winner by practicing hitting the ball in the green area or doing arm wrestling.
- You'll be amazed how many strokes golfers don't count. If your playmate says his score is "5" and you think his score is "6" – check his shots again and get the correct score.
- Know the basic golf rules when it comes to penalties. You will not have to worry about scoring and avoid potential arguments with your playmates.
Warning
- If drinking alcohol is part of your golf game, forget about scoring and focus on keeping your golf cart running on the right track.
- If you're playing with someone who's always trying to score low, don't fight. Especially if he is your partner or lover. Find someone else to play with.
- If you sign the wrong score in any of the tournaments, you will be disqualified. You also waste five hours having fun outdoors.
