How Do You Add Up Your Score?

[jamo]

Slightly inspired by this thread, but mostly by what I see at the end of men’s league matches: how do you add up your score?

I see three main options:

• Just add the raw numbers. 3+4+5...
• Add up each hole’s score to par hole-by-hole and then add that to the course’s par at the end.  1+2-1+...+71
• Add up each hole’s score to 4 then add that to 72 (or 36). 0+1-1+2+72

I used to do the first (and everyone I see at the end of matches either that or the second one), but my high school golf coach taught us the third method, and that has really stuck. It’s by far the quickest and easiest and involves the least mental math. It tends to be weird to try to explain it to people though. 

[billchao]

I write the score for the hole on the card and then for each separate 9, I pair up scores that combine to 10 and then add the rest. So for example, the front 9 of my last round went 6 6 4 5 5 6 4 7 5 for 48. I scan that line and see the 2nd and 3rd holes make 10, 4th and 5th, 6th and 7th, so that's 30. Plus 7 and 5 is 42, then I add the first hole that I skipped. It's not the simplest method but it's the way I've always done it.

Once in a while I'll remember that I can input my score into my GPS which is actually easier but I'm already writing on my scorecard anyway and I don't like messing with two different things between holes. My scorecard has four lines of information on it because I keep track of score, putts/length of first putt, fairway, and GIR. I use the last two boxes for more than just Y/N.

[Patch]

I use simple arithmetic to add up my score. Every hole gets a numerical score usually between 3&5. I tally up those scores every 3 or 6 holes. Then add all those 3 or 6 separate holes all together. 

If the score card ranks each hole by handicap, then I apply my handicap on those holes. If the score card does not rank each hole by handicap, then I apply it to my over all final score. 

[Golfingdad]

15 minutes ago, billchao said:

I write the score for the hole on the card and then for each separate 9, I pair up scores that combine to 10 and then add the rest. So for example, the front 9 of my last round went 6 6 4 5 5 6 4 7 5 for 48. I scan that line and see the 2nd and 3rd holes make 10, 4th and 5th, 6th and 7th, so that's 30. Plus 7 and 5 is 42, then I add the first hole that I skipped. It's not the simplest method but it's the way I've always done it.

That is awesome because I had no idea anybody out there did it EXACTLY the same way I did. :)

[jamo]

1 hour ago, jamo said:

Slightly inspired by this thread, but mostly by what I see at the end of men’s league matches: how do you add up your score?

I see three main options:

• Just add the raw numbers. 3+4+5...
• Add up each hole’s score to par hole-by-hole and then add that to the course’s par at the end.  1+2-1+...+71
• Add up each hole’s score to 4 then add that to 72 (or 36). 0+1-1+2+72

I used to do the first (and everyone I see at the end of matches either that or the second one), but my high school golf coach taught us the third method, and that has really stuck. It’s by far the quickest and easiest and involves the least mental math. It tends to be weird to try to explain it to people though. 

I should clarify a bit: I do write the actual score, I’m just talking about how I add them up at the end of a round. I find it much faster to mentally add how many strokes above/below 4 my score on each hole is, then add that to 36 or 72 instead of summing the raw numbers. 

[billchao]

5 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

That is awesome because I had no idea anybody out there did it EXACTLY the same way I did. 🙂

You probably need more than two holes together to make a 10, though 

But yea I find it easier and faster than just straight arithmetic. It's a heuristic shortcut, probably more difficult to describe than actually do.

[David in FL]

I circle birdies, box bogies, and double-box doubles.  The rare triple gets a triangle.

Then just count strokes relative to par.  Takes no more than 5 seconds to add up the 18 holes...

[jamo]

Just now, David in FL said:

I circle birdies, box bogies, and double-box doubles.  The rare triple gets a triangle.

Then just count strokes relative to par.  Takes no more than 5 seconds to add up the 18 holes...

That’s a good fourth option. The circles and squares make it faster since you don’t have to compare each hole’s score to par, which can take time if you don’t have the course memorized. 

[HJJ003]

I keep score by writing down the number of strokes each hole and tallying each nine. I usually keep my score in relation to bogey golf (+or-) in my head at all times. 

[Hardspoon]

I feel so simple...I’ve never done anything other than write numbers down and then add them up at the end.

Although, now I just use an app. I haven’t used a physical scorecard in a while.

[DaveP043]

I write the real scores down. Then I mentally add one pair (4 + 5 = 9) to the next (6 + 5 = 11, so the sum is 20) and so on thru each 9. Like @billchao I'll also look for pairs that equal 10. Its simple arithmetic.

[Missouri Swede]

I enter the score for the hole into an app as I walk to the next tee.  End of the round, it tells me what my score is.

[iacas]

Level 4s. Very fast. Especially for better players.

When I'm scoring for college events, some of the players I do level 5s.

[jimnm]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

You probably need more than two holes together to make a 10, though 

But yea I find it easier and faster than just straight arithmetic. It's a heuristic shortcut, probably more difficult to describe than actually do.

I add the 10s first as well. It's fast. I will tend to do math this way at work too. I was never taught to do so. Being an engineer and working with numbers it just made it easier for me to use, in my mind, "shortcuts" like this. It's also less prone to errors for me. Along the way I've found a lot of engineers who use non traditional methods of math. 

I also keep track of other notes. Number of putts. For fairway's hit and GIR I'll mark with a check mark or 'X'. Make a note for ob or hazard.

I now have game golf but still write my score this way on a score card. Actually since game golf my scorecard has become more cluttered with notes. Since my tagging skills are not super reliable yet. If I miss a tag or tag if I have walked 30 yards then remembered to tag, I'll write a note so I can accurately update game golf.

[billchao]

24 minutes ago, jimnm said:

I add the 10s first as well. It's fast. I will tend to do math this way at work too. I was never taught to do so. Being an engineer and working with numbers it just made it easier for me to use, in my mind, "shortcuts" like this. It's also less prone to errors for me.

I just tried counting my score on the back 9 of that round I mentioned earlier both my way and by adding hole by hole. My way was no only faster, but when I did it hole by hole, I accidentally added an extra stroke. Guess there's a reason I've always counted my scores like this.

[Yukari]

I just keep track of my score relative to the par for that hole.  So if I par a hole, I would write 0, if I bogey, I write 1 and if I birdie, I write -1.

This way, it is a lot easier to add up at the end.

[DeadMan]

I keep my scores on my GPS, so I know what I'm shooting instantly. But when I have to add up scores (e.g., helping with it at a tournament), I use the method that @billchao and @Golfingdad use. 

[iacas]

44 minutes ago, billchao said:

I just tried counting my score on the back 9 of that round I mentioned earlier both my way and by adding hole by hole. My way was no only faster, but when I did it hole by hole, I accidentally added an extra stroke. Guess there's a reason I've always counted my scores like this.

Try the level 4s (or 5s) method.

Give it a little effort and practice. It's pretty fast itself, especially if you get a lot of 4s.

Par is irrelevant. 9 "4"s is 36. Done.

So… this is also easy:

4 4 5 4 4 3 4 5 3

(BTW I also cancel out 5s if they're beside a 3, because that's the same as 4/4). So in reading that one I'd go +1… E…done.