Decoding Golf: How Golf Scoring Works?

Understanding how golf scoring works is essential for players and fans, as it adds an exciting layer to the game. In this blog post, we will unravel the mysteries of golf scoring, from the basics of par to the exhilaration of birdies and beyond.

How Golf Scores Work

Every time you hit the ball on the course that counts as a stroke, and the overall name of the game is to get the lowest score. This means that throughout an 18-hole golf match, you can make or beat par on various difficulties of holes. Par serves as the benchmark score for each hole on a golf course. It represents the number of strokes in which an expert player should complete the hole. Generally, par is set based on the length and difficulty of the hole, with par 3 for shorter holes, par 4 for medium-length holes, and par 5 for longer holes. As a result, players strive to match or better par on every hole to maintain a good score.

The player calculates the overall score in golf by summing up the scores of all the holes played during a round. Therefore, the player with the lowest score at the end of the round is the winner. It’s important to note that in professional golf tournaments, players often compete over multiple games, and the cumulative score determines the ultimate victor. Combining all the pars throughout the golf course, this would be considered the course’s par. Most standard courses are around the 72 mark (Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – 71, Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course – 72, Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course – 71). 

Golf Shot Terminology

The different terms used to describe your golf game shots are below:

• Albatross: 3 under par
• Eagle: 2 under par
• Birdie: 1 under par
• Par: even par
• Bogey: 1 over par
• Double Bogey: 2 over par 
• Triple Bogey: 3 over par 

Ways to Play Golf

Two common ways to play golf: Stroke Play and Match Play. 

Stroke Play: 

‘Stroke Play’ is the most common scoring system in golf matches. This is used in most professional golf tournaments across the PGA Tour. The scoring is where each stroke a golfer makes is counted and then totalled up at the end of the round (You can compare your golf score to the course’s par to how many strokes over or under your game of golf).

Match Play:

You and another golfer will compete to win each hole. Therefore, the winner of the most holes wins the round instead of totalling the total score at the end of the round.  

Introduction to Penalty Strokes

When playing golf, the players will be challenged by the course, mentally and physically. Thus, course designers intentionally craft challenges. If you run into them on the course, there are different ways to approach the scoring. A few of the penalty strokes are listed below: 

• Out of bounds: The player is to shoot an additional shot, thus adding a stroke to your score. 
• Water hazard: The player is to shoot an additional shot, thus adding a stroke to your score. 
• Lost ball: If you cannot find your ball in play, you should return to the previous position and re-hit, thus adding an additional stroke to your score. 
• Illegal cleaning of the ball: You are not allowed to clean your ball on the fairway, even to check for damage or see if you qualify for relief. An additional stroke will be added to your score.

A couple of the most common are listed above. The out-of-bounds shot and water hazard means the player is to shoot an additional shot, and an extra stroke is added to their score as a penalty. If you cannot find your ball in play, you should return to the previous position and re-hit, thus adding an additional stroke to your score. 

Introduction to How Golf Handicaps Work

We are only going to touch on this high level. We could create a whole separate blog on what a golf handicap is. 

Golf handicaps are used so that golfers of all abilities can play together and compete against each other. To calculate your handicap, you would use the average score over par. In this case, it means that on an 18-hole golf course, like Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, each hole will have a rating between 1-18, 18 being the hardest and 1 being the easiest hole (please see the HANDICAP line in gray on the scorecard below).

Handicap Example

Let’s say player two has golfed Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge 5 times and shot a 79, 82, 78, 76, 80 = 395/5 = 79-71 (Golf Course Par for Jasper) = 8.
That means player two’s handicap would be 8. See below for how this would play out on the course against player one.

Continuing the example, player one has a zero handicap, while player two has an 8 handicap. That means the player with the zero handicap would have to give 8 shots to the higher handicap. However, the handicap rating from 1-18 dictates the holes for taking shots on the course, allocating them to the most challenging eight holes. As you can see above (scorecard), player two would “get” a shot (minus a stroke) on 15, 7, 12, 9, 11, 4, 14, and 6. Therefore, if player two (8 handicap) shot 6 on hole 15, they would get to mark down a 5. 

In conclusion, how golf scoring works can be challenging. From par to achieving birdies, each swing tells a story of skill and strategy. Whether in Stroke Play or Match Play (or for fun), golfers navigate challenges like out-of-bounds shots and water hazards, adding complexity to the game. While handicaps ensure players of varying abilities compete on an even ground. Overall, golf is a complicated game, but it only needs to be taken as seriously as you want to, so go out and have fun on the greens!

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