Keeping score in golf can seem a little tricky at first, with a bunch of different formats and some odd-sounding terms thrown around. This guide will walk you through the most common ways to count points, giving you the confidence to track your score in any round, from a casual weekend game to a club competition.
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The Absolute Basics: Understanding Par and Scoring Terms
Before we look at any specific format, we need to understand the language of scoring. The foundation of almost all golf scoring is the concept of "Par". Par is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to take to complete a hole. Every hole on the course has a designated par, usually a Par 3, Par 4, or Par 5. This number is based on the hole's length and difficulty.
Your score on any given hole is described by its relation to par. Here are the terms you'll hear all the time:
Double Eagle (or Albatross): 3 strokes under par (e.g., a score of 2 on a Par 5). Extremely rare and a highlight of any golfer's career!
Eagle: 2 strokes under par (e.g., a score of 3 on a Par 5).
Birdie: 1 stroke under par (e.g., a score of 3 on a Par 4).
Par: Meeting the par for the hole (e.g., a score of 4 on a Par 4). This is a solid, satisfying score on any hole.
Bogey: 1 stroke over par (e.g., a score of 5 on a Par 4).
Double Bogey: 2 strokes over par (e.g., a score of 6 on a Par 4).
Triple Bogey: 3 strokes over par (e.g., a score of 7 on a Par 4).
Knowing these terms is the first step. Now, let's see how they fit into different scoring formats.
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Stroke Play, also known as Medal Play, is the most common form of golf you'll see on TV and play with your friends. The goal is simple: complete the round in the fewest possible strokes. The person with the lowest total score at the end of 18 holes is the winner.
How to Score in Stroke Play
The process is straightforward, requiring you to count every single shot, including penalties.
Play the hole: From your first tee shot until you get the ball in the cup.
Count every swing: Every time you make contact with the intention of moving the ball, it counts as one stroke. Yes, even that frustrating little tap that only moves the ball an inch.
Add penalty strokes: If you hit your ball into a water hazard or it goes out of bounds, you'll need to add penalty strokes according to the rules of golf (usually one or two strokes).
Write down your total: At the end of the hole, sum up your swings and any penalties. This is your gross score for the hole. Write it on the scorecard.
Add it all up: At the end of your round, add the scores from all 18 holes to get your final score. A typical par for a course is 72, so if you shoot a 90, you are "18 over par."
An Important Note: Gross vs. Net Score (Handicaps)
You’ll often hear the terms "gross score" and "net score."
Your Gross Score is the actual number of strokes you took.
Your Net Score is your gross score minus your handicap strokes.
A handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's playing ability. It allows players of different skill levels to compete on an even playing field. For example, if you have a handicap of 18, you can subtract one stroke from your score on each of the 18 holes. Someone who shoots a gross score of 90 with an 18 handicap has a net score of 72 (or net par). This is the magic that lets a weekend player compete fairly against a low-handicapper.
Match Play: The Hole-by-Hole Battle
Match Play is a completely different animal. You aren't trying to get the lowest score for the whole round, you are competing against your opponent to win more individual holes than they do. A huge blow-up hole, like a 10 on a par 4, only loses you one hole - the same as losing by a single stroke. This format, famous from the Ryder Cup, encourages aggressive play and creates exciting head-to-head drama.
How Scoring Works in Match Play
Instead of numbers, the score is kept with terms like "Up," "Down," and "All Square."
If you win a hole (take fewer strokes than your opponent), you go 1 Up. If you win the next, you’re 2 Up.
If your opponent wins a hole, you go 1 Down.
If you tie on a hole (take the same number of strokes), the hole is "halved" or "pushed," and the overall score remains the same.
If the score is tied, it's called All Square.
Example of a Match Play Scorecard:
Hole 1 (Par 4): You make 4, opponent makes 5. You win the hole. You are 1 Up.
Hole 2 (Par 3): You both make 3. The hole is halved. You remain 1 Up.
Hole 3 (Par 5): You make 6, opponent makes 5. They win the hole. The match is now All Square.
Hole 4 (Par 4): You make 5, opponent makes 6. You win the hole. You are 1 Up again.
The match ends when one player is "Up" by more holes than there are left to play. For instance, if you are 4 Up with only 3 holes remaining, the match is over, and you win "4 and 3." If you are up by 2 holes with 2 holes to go, you are "Dormie" - meaning your opponent must win the remaining holes to tie.
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The Stableford System: Rewarding Risk, Forgiving Mistakes
Stableford is a fantastic format that shifts the focus from avoiding bad scores to chasing good ones. Instead of counting strokes, you earn points based on your score on each hole. The player with the most points at the end wins.
It's very popular in club events and golf trips because it also speeds up play. A terrible hole won’t ruin your card. The standard points table is as follows:
Double Bogey or worse: 0 points
Bogey: 1 point
Par: 2 points
Birdie: 3 points
Eagle: 4 points
The best part? If you're on a Par 4 and have already taken 6 strokes and a bogey is out of reach, you can simply pick up your ball! You get zero points for the hole, but you don't have to keep grinding and holding up the group behind you. This takes a lot of pressure off developing players.
Like in Stroke Play, handicaps are used to create a net competition. Your handicap will give you extra strokes on the hardest-rated holes, meaning on a tough Par 4, you might only need a net bogey (a gross score of 5) to earn 2 points.
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Many tournaments and friendly matches use team formats. They are social, low-pressure, and a great way to enjoy the game with friends of all abilities. The two most common are the Scramble and Best Ball.
Scramble (The Classic Charity Outing Format)
If you’ve played in a charity golf event, you've probably played a Scramble. It's the ultimate team game.
How it works:
Four players are on a team.
Every player hits a tee shot.
The team decides which tee shot is in the best position.
All four players then play their second shot from that exact spot.
You repeat this process for every shot - choosing the best ball and everyone playing from there - until one player gets the ball in the hole.
The team writes down one score for each hole. Since you're always playing from the best position, scores can get very low!
Best Ball (or Fourball)
Best Ball is another popular team game, but it’s quite different from a Scramble. It is a main format of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competitions.
How it works:
You play in a team of two (called Fourball) or four.
Crucially, every player plays an individual ball on every hole, just like in normal Stroke Play.
At the end of the hole, you look at all the individual scores from your team members and simply take the best score as the team's score.
So, if Player A gets a 4, Player B gets a 5, Player C gets a 6, and Player D has a bad hole and makes an 8, the team score is 4.
This format is great because it lets everyone play their own game, but you have teammates to back you up if you have a bad hole. It lessens the individual pressure while keeping the feeling of playing your own round.
Final Thoughts
Understanding these different scoring formats - from the pure challenge of Stroke Play and the strategic duel of Match Play to the point-based fun of Stableford - opens up a whole new side of the game. Once you know the rules, you can feel confident in any setting, and focus on what really matters: hitting good shots and enjoying your time on the course.
Learning how to count your score is one thing, but making the smart play on the course that leads to better scores is another. That’s why we designed Caddie AI to help with. Instead of just guessing what club to hit or how to play a tricky hole, our app can give you clever and simple strategic advice in seconds so you can make confident decisions that lower your score, no matter which format you're playing.
Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.
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