# How to Keep Score in Golf: A Beginner's Guide

By Fayrway Pros · Published 25 September 2026

**The short version**

To keep score in golf, count every shot you take on each hole, including penalties, and write the total in the box for that hole. Add the holes up for your gross score, then subtract your handicap for your net score.

- Count every stroke and penalty on each hole
- Gross score is your total strokes
- Net score is gross minus your handicap

Keeping score sounds daunting, but it is just careful counting. **Count every shot you play on a hole, including any penalty strokes, and write the total in that hole's box.** Add the holes together at the end and you have your score.

### Counting your strokes

Every time you swing at the ball and mean to hit it, that is a stroke, whether you strike it well, top it or miss it entirely. Add any penalty strokes (for example one shot for a lost ball or water). The running total for the hole goes in the scorecard box.

### Gross score vs net score

- **Gross score:** the total number of strokes you actually took across all 18 holes.
- **Net score:** your gross score minus your [handicap](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/what-is-a-golf-handicap-and-how-to-get-one). Net scoring is what lets players of different standards compete fairly.

### Reading the scorecard

The card lists each hole with its par and its length, and a stroke index that tells you which holes you receive handicap shots on. As a beginner, just focus on writing down your strokes per hole accurately. The rest becomes clear with a few rounds.

### Scoring against par

You will hear scores described relative to par: a birdie is one under par on a hole, a bogey one over, a double bogey two over. Your total is often given as a number over or under par for the round. New to the terms? Our [golf glossary](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/golf-terms-for-beginners-a-glossary) explains them all.

### Do not obsess over the number early on

When you start, scores will be high, and that is completely normal. Count honestly, enjoy the round, and the number comes down as you play more. To get going, a forgiving [beginner set](https://fayrway.co.uk/blogs/journal/best-beginner-golf-set-under-300) makes those early scores friendlier.

Browse [package sets](https://fayrway.co.uk/collections/clubs-package-sets) to start.

### Frequently asked questions

#### How do you keep score in golf?

Count every stroke you take on each hole, including penalty strokes, and write the total in that hole's box on the card. Add all 18 holes for your gross score, then subtract your handicap for your net score.

#### What is the difference between gross and net score?

Gross score is the total number of strokes you actually took. Net score is your gross score minus your handicap, which lets golfers of different abilities compete fairly.

#### Do you count a swing and a miss as a stroke?

Yes. Any time you swing intending to hit the ball, it counts as a stroke, even if you miss it completely. Penalty strokes, such as for a lost ball, are added too.

#### What is a good score for 18 holes?

Par for most courses is around 72. Good club golfers score in the 80s, and breaking 100 is a common milestone for improving beginners. Early on, expect higher and do not worry about it.

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