Keeping Score

[Cheezfry]

For years my friends and I have all kept score using every hole as a par 3 regardless of course par. We picked it up from some other local players, and it seems to be a local trend, and I guess I always assumed that everyone did that, but as I start to watch tourney footage and look at forum posts I have started to second guess this method.

Is it more common to count every hole as par 3, or to use course par?

Are we crazy for doing that?

 

[Zeeck]

I always just understood that counting every hole as a par 3 was just a simple method of keeping track of your score without the need for a score card. You just track your +/- per hole based on a part 3.

In the end, it's total throws that counts anyway, regardless of which method you use.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

not crazy at all. Bottom line is your total score is what REALLY matters. Par can be different for the same tee given different designed skillsets. If you are having fun and using 3s makes life simple no reason to stop doing it.

 

[JC17393]

For years my friends and I have all kept score using every hole as a par 3 regardless of course par. We picked it up from some other local players, and it seems to be a local trend, and I guess I always assumed that everyone did that, but as I start to watch tourney footage and look at forum posts I have started to second guess this method.

Is it more common to count every hole as par 3, or to use course par?

Are we crazy for doing that?

You're not crazy.

Counting everything relative to 3 is not really par so much as it's just a math trick. The "tradition" of counting that way probably originated in the fact that a lot of courses don't have posted "course pars", so people counted everything as a three for simplicity.

 

[krupicka]

You're not crazy.

Counting everything relative to 3 is not really par so much as it's just a math trick. The "tradition" of counting that way probably originated in the fact that a lot of courses don't have posted "course pars", so people counted everything as a three for simplicity.

Add to that there a lot of courses with inflated pars posted on the course such that using the posted values seems ridiculous.

 

[Smigles]

To keep score, add the number of throws you threw.

What does par have to do with your score?

 

[ihatepickles]

Par is dumb. It's stroke play. /thread

 

[Steve West]

...Is it more common to count every hole as par 3, or to use course par?

Are we crazy for doing that?

For adding up your score, nothing beats using all par 3.

For other purposes, course par usually is so poorly set as to give the whole concept of par a bad reputation.

However, properly set par has many uses; as covered in other threads.

 

[knettles]

Just don't try and compare your score to other people's. Simply for gauging your own progress, it works fine though.

 

[tom12003]

Using par 3 as an "anchor" in verifying tournament scores makes the math super easy. A +/- to 3 is easier than adding numbers; e.g., a +4 on any score card ends up as a 58 whether or not if par is 50 for 70. I can verify 4+ the number of scorecards versus someone who actually tries to add all the numbers in the same time.

 

[sisyphus]

If you search 'par' on these threads, Google yields 52,000 results. It's obviously a hot topic. I concur with the simple notion that you keep score by counting your strokes, and how many it took to complete the course. If you want to use the stated par or tournament par for each hole, or use 3 (or 17, for that matter) for each hole, all that means is you're using a mathematical shorthand that (hopefully) helps you sum up your score and make a personal comparison of how you might be improving on that hole or on the course (as a whole). Hopefully, you're having fun!

 

[Jay Dub]

Everything being par 3 is convenient but came from the old days when everything really was a par 3.
Old habits and all...

 

[Timeetyo]

I totally get using that as a quick tally on scorecards....although I don't bother as I always have my score on my phone with no math required (thanks DGCR app).

The one thing I will say is it convenient and makes sense if the SSE is close to 54. When playing a course with a much higher par....it starts to get silly. For example my home course (shore winds blue) from the blues has a SSE of 64.5 (par set at a slightly friendly 71). I'd be thrilled to shoot a 65 and certainly wouldn't think of it as a +11 round.

 

[TAFL]

Everything being par 3 is convenient but came from the old days when everything really was a par 3.
Old habits and all...

This.

 

[ejvogie]

Using par 3 as an "anchor" in verifying tournament scores makes the math super easy. A +/- to 3 is easier than adding numbers; e.g., a +4 on any score card ends up as a 58 whether or not if par is 50 for 70. I can verify 4+ the number of scorecards versus someone who actually tries to add all the numbers in the same time.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we supposed to write down the actual number of strokes in a sanctioned tournament?

In league or casual play, however, have at your + - scores.

 

[blaw]

My home course is idlewild and playing everything at par 3 just made you feel bad, so we started playing that course as all par 4 and worked out right on. Whatever works. Shooting plus 20 sucked.

 

[RobA]

I always just understood that counting every hole as a par 3 was just a simple method of keeping track of your score without the need for a score card. You just track your +/- per hole based on a part 3.

In the end, it's total throws that counts anyway, regardless of which method you use.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[scarpfish]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we supposed to write down the actual number of strokes in a sanctioned tournament?

Yes.

The all par 3 method is for adding in your head as you go and easy verification of scorecards at the end of a round. On most layouts, you'll see more 3's carded than any other number, so a 3 essentially means 'zero' and can basically be ignored. 4 means +1, 5 means +2, 2 means -1. etc.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

Par is dumb. It's stroke play. /thread

This

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

In league or casual play, however, have at your + - scores.

If someone hands me a card marked up like this, i'd hand it back and tell them to do it over the right way.

A scorecard SHOULD have numeric scores on it, not mathmatic symbols. :wall: