How do you keep score when you play golf?

[RockyMtNole]

(In a non-tournament)

Do you stick to the rules, count every stroke? Or give yourself all kinds of breaks then mark a bogey?

Or in the middle somewhere?


I’m in the middle - I count almost everything.

If I hit a drive that is somewhere in the fairway or just off and there are leaves or something and I could find it if I spent 5 minutes looking, I’ll just drop and move on.

If I am just off the fairway on the hardpan and will probably break my club or wrist, I’m moving back to any kind of grass.

Otherwise, I’ll play it as it lies.

How about you?

 

[cheeselog8]

I count all strokes but I do fluff the ball up almost every shot. I golf a lot but treat it as more of a social/relaxation activity rather than a competition.

I also play in a regular group on Wednesday nights and we play all OB as lateral. Again it's not real competitive (no $$, just bragging rights) and it does help pace of play.

 

[Hydro2.0]

I rarely keep score cause I’m not making the tour and I’m out to have a good time

 

[WDDT]

Count all strokes but if I can find my ball Im playing it. Also dumb stuff like if I land in a divot in the middle of the fairway I'm dropping it on a decent square of grass. (assuming I'm just playing and no competition)

 

[JWolf74]

I'll take a breakfast ball off the tee if needed. Fluff the ball if needed. I'm not breaking a club on a tree or root so I'll move it away from those. We play OOB as a lateral hazard and the free gallery drop if we can't find the ball and we know it's in play. We just play for fun and to get outside. None of us keep an official handicap.

 

[RockyMtNole]

Count all strokes but if I can find my ball Im playing it. Also dumb stuff like if I land in a divot in the middle of the fairway I'm dropping it on a decent square of grass. (assuming I'm just playing and no competition)

I think pros should be able to do this.

 

[Rifler]

Winter rules,.. Roll your ball in the fairway, down in the rough, putt it out, count every stroke...

 

[fatpiggy]

If i play to keep score, I try to keep the correct score. I do limit myself to triple bogey, which is what is the handicap rules say.

Usually play it as it lies unless it's in a divot or something.

 

[52317Hawk]

(In a non-tournament)

Do you stick to the rules, count every stroke? Or give yourself all kinds of breaks then mark a bogey?

Or in the middle somewhere?


I’m in the middle - I count almost everything.

If I hit a drive that is somewhere in the fairway or just off and there are leaves or something and I could find it if I spent 5 minutes looking, I’ll just drop and move on.

If I am just off the fairway on the hardpan and will probably break my club or wrist, I’m moving back to any kind of grass.

Otherwise, I’ll play it as it lies.

How about you?

With a pencil that has an eraser. Best implement in my bag.

Seriously, play the ball down. If OB on a drive, I take line of flight and move it to the nearest line of relief and hit 4. Count every stroke no matter how painful.

 

[WDDT]

I'll take a breakfast ball off the tee if needed. Fluff the ball if needed. I'm not breaking a club on a tree or root so I'll move it away from those. We play OOB as a lateral hazard. We play the free gallery drop if we can't find the ball and we know it's in play. We just play for fun and to get outside. None of us keep an official handicap.

+1 for a breakfast ball especially if the round is actually early and the course doesnt allow for driving on the warm up range.

 

[NDallasRuss]

I'm not very good, and I REALLY don't want to be the reason everyone is backing up waiting. I try to keep score somewhat accurately, but if it becomes apparent that a hole has gone completely awry I'll pick my ball up and start over on the next hole. So by the end my scorecard has scores for the holes where it was practical to keep count and finish out, and gaps in the scoring for the holes I didn't finish.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Bad golfer who mostly plays mediocre courses checking in. I keep as accurate a score as possible. One thing I will do to keep pace of play up (and assuming my friends agree and I’m not counting the round towards anything meaningful like handicap or competition or something): if I can’t quickly find a ball that I know for certain is in play I will drop one approximately where I think mine should be without taking a penalty.

Usually happens in the fall with tons of leaves in the rough. I know it’s around, but I won’t search for more than a minute if I’m going to hold up groups behind.

 

[Scott559]

Playing with normal friends

Ball in fairway in divot, free drop
Ball out of bounds played as lateral hazard
Ball amongst tree roots, Move ball but no improvement in line of sight etc for next shot. When I was young I hit a root and ended up with a knot the size of a ping pong ball on the back of my right hand.
Hit into sand trap and previous ******* didn’t rake, Move ball to clean lie.
Gimmes usually within 2-3 feet

 

[BrianNole777]

I usually just write down 7 or 8 every hole.

I'll keep track if I get a par which is every 9 holes.

 

[fatpiggy]

I'm not very good, and I REALLY don't want to be the reason everyone is backing up waiting. I try to keep score somewhat accurately, but if it becomes apparent that a hole has gone completely awry I'll pick my ball up and start over on the next hole. So by the end my scorecard has scores for the holes where it was practical to keep count and finish out, and gaps in the scoring for the holes I didn't finish.

You are a good man Russ. No one cares if you suck, everyone cares if you play slow.

 

[NDallasRuss]

You are a good man Russ. No one cares if you suck, everyone cares if you play slow.

That's the biggest thing for me. I want it to be fun for me, and for everyone else around me. If I'm holding up others because I suck, then that's not fun for me, or for them, or for the other people I'm playing with - who are most likely better than me. I'm out there for fun, so I try to keep that as the top priority. Whether I shot a 109 or a 108 isn't really important to anyone.

 

[BrianNole777]

That's the biggest thing for me. I want it to be fun for me, and for everyone else around me. If I'm holding up others because I suck, then that's not fun for me, or for them, or for the other people I'm playing with - who are most likely better than me. I'm out there for fun, so I try to keep that as the top priority. Whether I shot a 109 or a 108 isn't really important to anyone.

Precisely.

If you stink, just pick your ball up and drop it on the fairway.

We ain't trying to be Tiger Woods, brah.

 

[PalmettoTiger1]

(In a non-tournament)

Do you stick to the rules, count every stroke? Or give yourself all kinds of breaks then mark a bogey?

Or in the middle somewhere?


I’m in the middle - I count almost everything.

If I hit a drive that is somewhere in the fairway or just off and there are leaves or something and I could find it if I spent 5 minutes looking, I’ll just drop and move on.

If I am just off the fairway on the hardpan and will probably break my club or wrist, I’m moving back to any kind of grass.

Otherwise, I’ll play it as it lies.

How about you?

Like to play as close to rules as possible but yes will do some grey stuff to save time and not do the poison ivy or snake adventures

sometimes grass so worn will improve lie

in general I like to know how well I do with playing it as it lies

One thing I say is the courses the pros play on are in fantastic shape and my cheap bass courses are cattle grazing property

 

[WDDT]

You are a good man Russ. No one cares if you suck, everyone cares if you play slow.

I was playing in a charity event over in Omaha and the starter said "there are a million reasons to play terrible there are zero to play slow".


I laughed.

 

[tarheelbybirth1]

 

[tarheelbybirth1]

Jusy out of curiosity, my wife tutors an 11-year-old who plays. He's dropped soccer so he can play. His folks bought a membership at the CC so he could play. He has a golf baby-sitter so he can play.

Anyway... he plays off the lady's tee and shoots par... even under par occasionally. He just got his first hole-in-one last week. So, is that good for his age, or just meh?

 

[AFM22]

I guess I'm the only one in this thread that takes this sacred game seriously.

 

[JohnBeckwith]

Count all strokes. I will give myself a better lie within a foot or so off the green, though.

 

[fskillet]

I am the king of foot wedges and they never count bc of reasons

 

[NDallasRuss]

I guess I'm the only one in this thread that takes this sacred game seriously.

 

[JWolf74]

Jusy out of curiosity, my wife tutors an 11-year-old who plays. He's dropped soccer so he can play. His folks bought a membership at the CC so he could play. He has a golf baby-sitter so he can play.

Anyway... he plays off the lady's tee and shoots par... even under par occasionally. He just got his first hole-in-one last week. So, is that good for his age, or just meh?

He'd be the best person I've played with.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

Unless it’s a tournament and really means something - playing with friends, bump the ball if it’s some ridiculous public course lie. Otherwise, close to the rules. We usually allow hit until you’re happy off the first and last tee.

Tournaments - just claim any lost ball was lost in a TIO and throw the ball out to the fairway.

 

[Moogy]

A buncha Donnie Trumps in this thread.

This is why we can't have nice things.

If I'm keeping score, I'm playing by the rules. Otherwise, there's no reason to keep score. If I'm working on stuff, or just having a super casual round, and doing dumb stuff, I'm not bothering to keep score at all.

 

[BrianNole777]

Jusy out of curiosity, my wife tutors an 11-year-old who plays. He's dropped soccer so he can play. His folks bought a membership at the CC so he could play. He has a golf baby-sitter so he can play.

Anyway... he plays off the lady's tee and shoots par... even under par occasionally. He just got his first hole-in-one last week. So, is that good for his age, or just meh?

Uh, yeah, that's really good, IMO.

 

[JWolf74]

Hit into sand trap and previous ******* didn’t rake, Move ball to clean lie.

This sh*t blows my mind how often it happens. What kind of azz.hole does one have to be to not rake the bunker? It's worse than the jackwads who don't repair an obvious pitch mark.

Other pet peeve-people who don't fill their divots with the provided sand.
Related pet peeve -courses that don't put sand containers on the carts.

 

[JWolf74]

A buncha Donnie Trumps in this thread.

This is why we can't have nice things.

If I'm keeping score, I'm playing by the rules. Otherwise, there's no reason to keep score. If I'm working on stuff, or just having a super casual round, and doing dumb stuff, I'm not bothering to keep score at all.

Lighten up, Francis

Most of us are just going out to shoot the **** and have a few beers with buds. None of us are getting our tour cards after the round. If everyone in the group plays by the same rules, it's all good.

 

[tarheelbybirth1]

He'd be the best person I've played with.

Uh, yeah, that's really good, IMO.

I wasn't sure but I thought it was pretty good. His folks - super nice people - are talking about "home schooling" him so he can play more and get instruction. The reason for the "" is that they'll hire my wife for four days a week to tutor him so . They'll be pulling him out of a $25K/year private school.

 

[Moogy]

Lighten up, Francis

Most of us are just going out to shoot the **** and have a few beers with buds. None of us are getting our tour cards after the round. If everyone in the group plays by the same rules, it's all good.

Sounds good, Donnie.

 

[RockyMtNole]

A buncha Donnie Trumps in this thread.

This is why we can't have nice things.

If I'm keeping score, I'm playing by the rules. Otherwise, there's no reason to keep score. If I'm working on stuff, or just having a super casual round, and doing dumb stuff, I'm not bothering to keep score at all.

I think it’s fine to keep score loosely, because if you play the same way each time it still is a measuring stick. However, I don’t think people should actually claim a score unless they play strictly by the rules.

 

[JWolf74]

Sounds good, Donnie.

I bet you play a lot of golf by yourself.

 

[Moogy]

I bet you play a lot of golf by yourself.

Why, Donnie?

 

[52317Hawk]

Jusy out of curiosity, my wife tutors an 11-year-old who plays. He's dropped soccer so he can play. His folks bought a membership at the CC so he could play. He has a golf baby-sitter so he can play.

Anyway... he plays off the lady's tee and shoots par... even under par occasionally. He just got his first hole-in-one last week. So, is that good for his age, or just meh?

That's extremely good. Good enough to get a real teacher. Also, time to move him back a set of tee's.

 

[JWolf74]

Why, Donnie?

Because you have the personality of a pet rock.

 

[Moogy]

I wasn't sure but I thought it was pretty good. His folks - super nice people - are talking about "home schooling" him so he can play more and get instruction. The reason for the "" is that they'll hire my wife for four days a week to tutor him so . They'll be pulling him out of a $25K/year private school.

Yikes. That poor kid.

 

[Moogy]

Because you have the personality of a pet rock.

So, moving a ball to improve your lie gives you a better personality, Donnie?