How to complete a golf scorecard

Completing your golf scorecards can be the last thing you are thinking about after experiencing the joys of a birdie or the woes of a double-bogey. However, ensuring that you complete all the necessary details of the scorecard is important, and if playing in a tournament, a wrongly-pencilled card can lead to disqualification. This article describes how to complete a golf scorecard.

What needs to be done when completing a scorecard

Tee-Time You need to state the date and time in the designated spaces on the scorecard. Player's names and handicaps Decide which player is 'Player A' and 'Player B', and if required, designate each player's handicap. What colour tees are being used by each player On a golf course, there are usually a variety of different tees which you can tee-off from. For example, it might be that a player with less golf experience plays off tees closer to the hole, whereas the more experienced players could lay off the tees further away from the hole. Whichever colour tee you decide to use, this needs to be designated on your scorecard. Scoring each hole After the completion of each hole, you are required to write your own score and the score of the other player. Total scores After completing your round, you will need to add up the score of each hole to see your total score. It maybe necessary for players handicap's to be taken into consideration before declaring the winner after all the scores are added up. Signature If playing in a competition, you will need to sign your scorecard, and once the scores have been verified, get the other player to sign the scorecard too.

Scorecard terms defined

'Out', 'In' and 'Total Score' Your 'Out' score is your total score from the front nine holes. The term 'Out' refers to moving outward from the clubhouse. Your 'In' score is your total score from the back nine holes. The term 'In' refers to moving back towards the clubhouse. To gain your total golf score, you need to add your 'Out and 'In' score together. Stroke index There will usually be a 'Stroke Index' column on your scorecard. This refers to the difficulty of each hole. A stroke index of '1' indicates the most difficult hole, whilst a stroke index of '18' indicates the easiest hole. Handicap A handicap in golf is used to calculate a net score to make a round more competitive between players of different skills. For example, if player 'A' has a handicap of 20, and player 'B' has a handicap of 15, player 'A' can still finish up to four shots worse than player 'B' to win the match.