How Do You Keep Score In Golf?

Golf is a great way for an individual to enjoy his free time from work. You get to spend time outside and enjoy nature and you also get to test your hand-eye coordination and skills at the game. Once you have learned how to hit the ball, you probably will want to keep score so you can measure your progress and see how you do against compared to other golfers.

Step 1

Get a scorecard at the course you are playing. As you play your round, you keep track of the score you recorded at ever hole. At the end of the round, add up the scores to get your total. The final total is your score for the round of golf. Typically, most golfers add up their totals at the end of the first nine holes and the second nine holes and add these totals. This is called medal or stroke play.

Step 2

Write down your score after each hole and compare it to your playing partner or competitior. If you took three strokes to get the ball in the hole on the first hole and your partner took five strokes, you won the hole and are now "plus-1" on the scorecard. If he gets the ball in the hole in four strokes on the next hole and it took you five strokes, you are now "even" on the scorecard. It doesn't matter that you beat him by more than he beat you. It only matters who wins the hole. You keep on playing the round of golf until one golfer is more holes ahead than there are holes left to play.

Step 3

Play "best ball" with a playing partner and keep score that way. To play best ball, both golfers drive the ball off the tee. Hit your second shot from the spot of the best drive. If you drove the ball 200 yards and your partner hit it 250 yards, you take your ball up to the spot that his ended up and you hit it from there. Continue playing in this fashion until you reach the green. You and your partner's best ball score will be compared to the others playing the tournament.

Step 4

Compare your two- or four-round score to others playing in a golf tournament. This is not only the way most pro tournaments are scored, it is also the way most amateurs keep score at an important tournament. Whether you are playing against other golfers at the course you play at regularly, a corporate event or an amateur tournament, a 36- or 72-hole tournament will give you a chance to find out where you stand compared to others.

Step 5

Count the number of putts you take in a given round of golf. Many golfers have a hard time improving because they struggle on the putting green. Counting your putts separately from the rest of your score will let you know exactly how well you are doing on the putting green and will let you know whether you need to improve in that area.