Scoring in golf is straightforward: Every time the ball is hit, a stroke is counted. Scoring can become a little more tricky, however, when penalties are involved. Though rarely assessed, penalties typically occur when the ball is not hit from the appropriate location, either because it has been illegally moved, or because it cannot be hit from its landing location --- as when the ball ends up in the water.
Step 1
Assess a two-stroke penalty any time a player grounds the club in a hazard. This commonly occurs in sand traps, which are hazards set up to make hitting the ball more difficult. In a sand trap, the golfer may not let the club head touch the sand at any point, except when striking the ball. Practice swings can't touch the sand, which makes it tougher for the golfer to prepare for the shot. Though a common rule in league and competitive play, players often do not observe this penalty for grounding during a casual round.
Step 2
Move any ball that is considered unplayable and add a one-stroke penalty to a person's score after she drops it in a playable location. Balls landing in water hazards are often impossible for a player to reasonably hit. The player may drop the ball on the land closest to the ball's landing spot in the water, dropping within two yards of the edge of the water or obstruction.
Step 3
Add one stroke to a player's score and return the ball to its original location if the ball becomes lost. This is a steep penalty, since a stroke is added without any advancement of the ball; it is one of the most common forms of penalty.
Step 4
Add one stroke if the ball moves after you have started taking practice strokes, or if you move a ground obstruction that causes the ball to move. It is legal to move ground obstructions like rocks or sticks to get a better shot, but you may not move the ball in doing so.
Step 5
Disqualify any player who signs a scorecard with a score lower than his actual score from that round. Players who sign for scores higher than their actual score are not assessed any penalty, since the higher score can hurt them in club rankings, cost them standing in a competition, or affect their handicap index.
Things You'll Need
- Scorecard
- Pencil
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