Every course in golf has a score card which will tell a player every hole's length, rating relative to other holes and its par. The hole rated No. 1 is the most difficult, while the one rated No. 18 is the easiest, providing the best opportunity for a low number of hits to the ball. There are several basic rules for scoring in golf.
Match Play
With match play, golfers don't have to write down any number score. Instead, golfers simply record which holes they win and which they lose. At the end of the course, the golfer who's won the highest number of holes wins the game. This scoring system can be used either by single players or teams.
Stroke Play
With stroke play, golfers count one stroke each time they swing at the golf ball. Thus, if it takes a golfer six swings to make the ball into a hole, he writes the number "6" on his scorecard. Golfers do not, however, keep their own scores. Instead, golfers record each other's scores. Each golfer signs the card he's kept score on at the end of the round and returns it to the player whose score it reflects. The player double-checks the score and also signs the card.
Stuck Ball
When the ball cannot be hit because it is in a bush, against a wall or due to another issue, there are three options. Each option adds a one-stroke penalty, meaning an additional stroke to the golfer's score. The golfer can return the ball to the original point that she hit it from, pick up the ball and walk back toward the original point of the shot, or pick up the ball and drop it within two club lengths of the spot where it got stuck. With the third option, it cannot be moved closer to the hole, however.
Water Ball
There's also a one-stroke penalty if a golfer's ball lands in the water. The golfer can either hit a new ball from the spot he just hit the ball from or drop the ball at the point where it crossed the water hazard, going as far back as desired.
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