Have you been stuck on a hole, hacking away from the rough or skulling chips across the green, and wondered if there’s a point where you just have to stop? You’ve come to the right place. We’re going to clear up the confusion about the maximum number of strokes allowed per hole in golf. This guide will explain the official rules, the practical rule most golfers use for their handicap, and when it’s simply time to pick up your ball for the good of the game.
Let's get the official, traditional 'stroke play' answer out of the way first, because it surprises most people. According to the Rules of Golf that govern professional tournaments and formal stroke play competitions, there is technically no maximum number of strokes you can take on a single hole. If you and the group behind you had all day, you could theoretically take 50 strokes to get the ball from the tee into the cup, and you would have to write down "50" on your scorecard. Your goal is simply to hole out on every hole, no matter how long it takes.
Of course, this is not how the game is actually played for 99.9% of us. Playing this way would lead to outrageously long rounds and scores that don’t accurately reflect a golfer’s true ability. This is why the handicap system introduced a rule that acts as a practical, everyday maximum for golfers everywhere.
For the vast majority of golfers who maintain a handicap index, the maximum score you can take on any hole for handicap posting purposes is a Net Double Bogey. This is the mechanism put in place by the World Handicap System (WHS) to prevent one disastrous hole from wrecking your score and unfairly inflating your handicap. It keeps your handicap a more honest reflection of your demonstrated ability.
So, what exactly is a Net Double Bogey? The formula is actually quite simple:
Par of the hole + 2 (for Double Bogey) + a̳n̳y̳ ̳h̳a̳n̳d̳i̳c̳a̳p̳ ̳s̳t̳r̳o̳k̳e̳s̳ ̳y̳o̳u̳ ̳r̳e̳c̳e̳i̳v̳e̳ on that hole.
Once your score on a hole reaches this number, you're done. You can’t record anything higher on your scorecard *for handicap purposes*. Even if you took more shots, you would adjust your score down to your Net Double Bogey total before posting it. It’s a very beginner-friendly rule that takes a lot of pressure off.
Let's walk through a few practical examples to see how this works, as it changes based on a player's handicap.
Before the examples, you need to know how to figure out if you get any handicap strokes on a given hole. Look at your scorecard. You will see a row or column labeled "Handicap," "HCP," or "Stroke Index (SI)." This ranks the holes on the course from 1 (the hardest) to 18 (the easiest). If your Course Handicap is 15, you get one stroke on the holes with a Stroke Index from 1 to 15. If your Course Handicap is 22, you get one stroke on every hole, and a second stroke on holes with a Stroke Index of 1 through 4 (22 - 18 = 4).
Let’s say a scratch golfer (a player with a 0 Course Handicap) is playing a Par 4.
Max Score: 4 + 2 + 0 = 6
The maximum score a scratch golfer can post on a Par 4 is a double bogey, or a 6. If they sadly put three balls in the water and end up taking 9 shots, they would still record a 6 when they post their score.
Now, let's take a golfer with a 14 Course Handicap playing that same Par 4. Let's assume this Par 4 is the 5th hardest hole on the course (Stroke Index 5).
Max Score: 4 + 2 + 1 = 7
This player's maximum score on this particular hole is a 7, which is a triple bogey. Their single handicap stroke gives them an extra shot on top of the double bogey limit.
Finally, let's look at a newer golfer with a 30 Course Handicap playing the hardest hole on the course (Stroke Index 1).
First, figure out handicap strokes: This player gets at least one stroke on every hole. To calculate extra strokes, you subtract 18 from their handicap: 30 - 18 = 12. This means they get a second handicap stroke on the 12 hardest holes (SI 1 through 12). Since this is the hardest hole (SI 1), they get 2 strokes here.
Max Score: 4 + 2 + 2 = 8
On this Par 4, this golfer’s max score for their handicap is an 8 (a quadruple bogey). Once they’ve hit their 8th shot and the ball still isn't in the hole, they can pick it up knowing they’ve hit their max. This is one of the best rules in golf for new players, as it prevents one bad hole from turning into a nightmare.
Knowing your Net Double Bogey max is empowering. It gives you a clear finish line on a tough hole. However, there are times when it’s best for everyone if you pick up your ball even before you reach that max score. This usually comes down to two things: a specific game format or a general respect for pace of play.
One of the most popular game formats for club events and friendly rounds is Stableford. In this format, you get points based on your score relative to your personal par on each hole (which is the par of the hole plus your handicap strokes).
In Stableford, once you have taken enough strokes that you can no longer make a Net Bogey (and therefore can't score any points), you should pick up your ball immediately. For our mid-handicapper in the example above on a Par 4 where they get one stroke, their Net Bogey would be a 6. Once they hit their 6th shot and the ball isn’t in the hole, their round is 'zeroed out' on that hole. It is proper etiquette to pick up and move on. There's no sense in continuing to hit shots when you can no longer contribute to your score.
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Even in a casual round where you’re just trying to post a score for your handicap, pace of play is part of good golf etiquette. A 4-hour round is fun. A 5.5-hour round is a slog. If you are clearly having a blow-up hole and you feel the pressure of the group behind you, it’s often a courtesy to pick up once you’ve reached your max score, even if it might take only one more putt to hole out.
Think about this scenario: You're hunting for your ball in the woods, then hit your next shot into a bunker, take two to get out, and you’re now lying 8 on a Par 4. Your max score is an 8. You shouldn't spend another two minutes lining up your putt. Just pick up your ball, write down the 8, and move to the next tee. Your foursome and the group behind will thank you.
The goal of a handicap is to represent your potential, not an average of all your good and bad shots. A handicap tries to predict what a golfer could reasonably shoot on a good day. One single hole where you put three balls out of bounds and then three-putt isn’t an accurate reflection of your normal game, it’s an outlier.
The Net Double Bogey rule acts as a safety valve. It acknowledges that everyone has a disaster hole now and then, and it prevents those rare, high scores from artificially skewing your Handicap Index upward. This ensures your handicap remains a fair and accurate tool for playing against others on a level playing field.
While the official rules of stroke play don't cap your score on a hole, the most useful and widely-used rule is Net Double Bogey. Understanding this simple formula (Par + 2 + Your Handicap Strokes) empowers you to play with less stress, speed up play on tough holes, and maintain a more accurate handicap.
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