Scorecards are an unavoidable part of golf. These little cards are very much helpful to track your score and evaluate your performance. As a golfer, whether you are new or pro, you must consider the scorecard as a good friend. But if you hold a scorecard for the first time in the golf tournament, you probably won’t understand a bit of it. That’s why it is necessary to learn how to read a golf scorecard. By learning it, you can’t easily read a scorecard without any confusion!
Columns in The Card
For reading the golf scorecard, you will find certain words in it. Here is a brief explanation of some common words of a scorecard.
Back Tee, Middle Tee and Forward Tee in Golf Tournament
These are also sometimes called the Champion Tee, Men’s Tee, and the Ladies Tee respectively. There should be some number in the lines of the scorecard that refer to the average number of yards between the tee box and the center of the green that simply measured down the center of the fairway. Every single box of the columns will have one number except the ninth box. This is because the ninth contains two tee boxes in it.
Out & In
‘Out’ is the total yardage for the front nine and ‘In’ is the total yardage for the back nine. These are quite the same as the Front (Out), and the Back(In). These out and in are a hold-over from the first-half nine holes went out from the clubhouse and the second-half round came back to the clubhouse. The Gross/Total is the total yardage for that certain course.
PAR
This column is quite important. The numbers in the column of the boxes of this line show the average number of shots that may need to put the Golf ball in a hole. If someone takes more shots than PAR number to put the golf ball, the extra taken shots are counted as ‘over’. If someone takes less than par-number, the remain shots are counted as ‘under’. PAR numbers also help to calculate the handicap score of a player.
How to Read a Golf Scorecard – 6 Easy Step
It may seem like an encrypted code when you look at the scorecard. But relax! reading a scorecard is quite easy and effortless. Follow the guideline to read the scorecard correctly.
Step 1: Find The ‘Hole’ Line
At the very first, Locate the numbers that identify each hole. These numbers should be at the top of each column and should be numbered from 1 to 18.
Step 2: Identify The Split
A full-size scorecard should have 18 score boxes. You have to divide it into two hole-sections having 9 holes on each side. The first 9 are known as the front 9 and the rest 9 are known as the back 9. You will find the ‘Out’ and ‘In’ on this very same column of the scorecard.
Step 3: The PAR Column
Now find the PAR column of the scorecard and locate PAR for each hole. These should be listed on the side or below the hole number. As I mentioned, PAR is the expected shot number that a golfer should take to drive a golf ball into a hole.
Step 4: Birdie & Eagle
The number of the shot for putting a ball in the hole determines as Birdie and Eagle. If one can put the ball in a hole keeping one stroke remain from the PAR is called ‘Birdie’ and having two shots remaining on PAR is called ‘Eagle’. On the other hand, taking one extra shot that the PAR number is called ‘ Bogey’, taking two extra shots is a “double bogey’ and it goes on the same sequence.
Step 5: Locate The PAR for The Course
The PAR number for the course should be listed in one column before the 18th hole’s column. It is the sum of PAR of all 18 holes. But if you only play nine-hole game, then you should consider the PAR of the course according to the nine-hole. The PAR of the course is often written in parentheses.
Step 6: Total
Now, you have to total all the final scores of each golfer for the final reading. When calculating, also keep in mind the over remains or extra shots compared to the par. These are often found in the card as plus (over) and minus(under) numbers. Afterward, find who has the least score. In golf, the scoring is quite in reverse and the player with the least score on the scorecard wins the game. So the player with the least score is the winner.
Final Verdicts
Golf is one of the most popular games in the world. If you love golfing, then whether you are a player or not, you should have a proper idea of how to read the scorecard in golf. If you are a newcomer, then know to read a golf scorecard is mandatory for you. It will help you upgrade your golf skills and show you where you need to improve.
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References
https://www.wikihow.com/Read-a-Golf-Scorecard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EK6yuNd2oI&feature=emb_logo
https://howtheyplay.com/individual-sports/How-to-Read-a-Golf-Scorecard
https://www.golflink.com/how_1303_read-golf-score-card.html
https://www.reachpar.com/golf-scorecard-guide/
https://realgolfforrealpeople.com/how-to-keep-score-in-golf/
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