Holes 1 to 9: strokesOne numbered row for each hole of the first nine and one box for each player. Type the strokes taken on the hole, penalty strokes included.
Holes 10 to 18: strokesTyped the same way as the front nine, penalty strokes included.
In: the second nine addedHoles 10 to 18 added for each player.
Out: the first nine addedHoles 1 to 9 added for each player as you type.
Strokes for nine holesThe nine holes added: the score of a nine-hole round.
Strokes for the full roundOut and In added: the player's score for the round. The lowest total is marked as leading.
Counting strokes 8
A hole in one is typed as 1On a par 3 it is also an eagle.
Every stroke countsStroke play adds up the strokes of every hole played.
The fewest strokes winsThe lowest total over the round is the winner.
The general penalty is two strokesMost breaches add one or two strokes.
Lost ball or out of boundsOne penalty stroke, and play again from the spot of the last shot.
Moving your own ballOne penalty stroke in most cases.
Penalty strokes count as strokesAdd them to the hole's score as if they were extra swings.
Relief from a penalty area or an unplayable lieOne penalty stroke.
Show all 27 lines (13 more)
Par and its names 8
A typical 18-hole course is about par 72A course of nine par-3 holes is par 27.
Albatross: three under par2 strokes on a par 5. Also called a double eagle.
Birdie: a stroke fewer than par4 strokes on a par 5, or 2 on a par 3.
Bogey: a stroke more than par4 strokes on a par 3. Two over is a double bogey.
Eagle: two strokes fewer than par3 strokes on a par 5, or 2 on a par 4.
Holes are par 3, 4 or 5Set mainly by the tee-to-green length.
Par is what a scratch golfer should needFor one hole, or for a round as the sum of its holes.
Score against par: over, under or evenYour total set against the par printed on the course's own card.
Reading the card 5
A course has 9 or 18 holesA nine-hole round has one total and no Out or In.
The lowest total is marked as leadingOnce the players have filled in the same number of holes.
More than one roundStroke play can run over several rounds: print a sheet for each.
Out is holes 1 to 9, In is holes 10 to 18Total adds the two. All three add themselves.
Tied when the round endsA playoff over extra holes, or a count back over the scorecard.
How this list was compiled: The layout is our own work: a numbered row for each hole, a column for each player, and Out, In and Total rows that add themselves. Checked on 2026-10-05 against three English Wikipedia articles. Stroke play (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke_play): the total number of strokes over one or more 18-hole rounds, the fewest strokes winning, and ties settled by a playoff or a scorecard count back. Golf (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf): a course of 9 or 18 holes; penalty strokes counted toward the score as if they were extra swings; one or two strokes added for most breaches, the general penalty being two strokes; a lost ball or a ball out of bounds, one stroke and distance; one stroke for moving one's own ball in most cases and for relief from a penalty area or an unplayable lie. Par (score) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Par_(score)): par as the strokes a scratch golfer should need for a hole or a round; holes of par three to five; a typical 18-hole course of about par 72 and a nine-hole par-3 course of par 27; birdie, eagle, albatross or double eagle, bogey and double bogey, with their examples. The rule book itself was not read on that day, so no rule number is given. No course, club, maker, tour or player is named, and the sheet holds no par of any course. Licence: own work
How it works
This online golf score keeper is a scorecard in your browser: a numbered row for each hole, a column for each player, and Out, In and Total rows that add themselves as you type. The lowest total leads.
Read the full guide
Keep score hole by hole
Type your name under Player 1, then your strokes on Hole 1, penalty strokes included. Out adds holes 1 to 9, In adds 10 to 18 and Total adds the two. The + after the last column adds a player, up to four side by side, and the sheet marks the lowest total once everyone has the same holes filled in.
Nine holes, or on paper
9 holes is a card with nine rows and one total, and the names for scores against par are listed under it. Print blank sheet prints the open card empty for a pencil.
The card holds no course's par: read the par from the course's own scorecard.
A hole in one is typed as 1.
Questions and answers
How do you keep score in golf?
In stroke play you count every stroke on every hole, penalty strokes included, and add them up. The player with the fewest strokes over the round wins. This card does the adding as you type.
What do Out and In mean on a golf scorecard?
On this card Out is the total of holes 1 to 9 and In is the total of holes 10 to 18. Total adds the two and is your score for the round.
Is this a golf score keeper app?
It is a web page, so there is nothing to install or sign in to. Open it in the browser of your phone on the first tee and type as you play, or print the card blank.
What are birdie, bogey and eagle?
Names for a hole's score against its par. A birdie is one stroke under par, an eagle two under and an albatross three under. A bogey is one over par and a double bogey two over.
How are penalty strokes scored?
They count toward the hole's score as if they were extra swings. A lost ball or a ball out of bounds costs one stroke and the shot is replayed from the same spot.