How to Fill out a Golf Scorecard

Filling out a scorecard incorrectly in professional golf results in a disqualification for the guilty player, but there are no such worries for the average everyday golfer. Beginners should focus on using their scorecard to gauge their progress. While there is no method set in stone on how to fill out a golf scorecard, a player should be able to take one look at her card after a round and have an idea of what went wrong or right on the course that day.

1. Write your name in the appropriate place on the scorecard.

2. A typical golf scorecard will have all of the hole numbers running across the top with a column corresponding to each hole, to tell the golfer the distance from each of the sets of tees to the middle of the green on every hole. There will also be a column that lets the golfer know what the par is for each hole and the handicap of the hole. Below this information will be open boxes for your scores, with an area to the left for the player’s name.

1. Keep track of the number of strokes you need to complete a hole. After you have finished a hole, proceed to the next tee box and then write your score in the column that matches up with the hole just completed. Avoid writing down your score while still on or in the vicinity of the green so that you do not hold up other players waiting to hit to that green.

1. Circle your score for a hole if you were under par for the hole and put a square around it if you were over par.

2. For example, if you scored a 4 on a par 5 hole, you would circle that number; conversely, a 6 on a par 5 would have a square drawn around it. This habit will allow you to quickly see where you did well and where you struggled. You can put two squares around a double bogey (7 on a par 5, for example) and so forth.

1. Write down in the column below your score the number of putts you needed to get the ball on the hole once you were on the green. There is ample room on a scorecard for extra statistics such as this. By keeping count of your putting, you will be able to chart improvement in this facet of your game.

1. Use other columns to chart other important categories.

2. You may want to utilize one column to write down whether or not you hit the ball in the fairway on your tee shot. This can be done with a “Y” for yes and an “N” for no.

1. Total up your score after nine holes have been completed. There will be a box for this number.

2. After you have completed the back nine on the golf course, enter that score in the appropriate box and then add the front nine and the back nine to get your score for the entire 18 holes and write that number it the box provided. Write the date on your scorecard and keep all your cards so that you can check your progress.