Score Tallying

[mark996]

So, I was gonna post this in the Q&A section but guess I can't, probably the forum telling me I should know this already but I'm an idiot. I apologize.

Keeping score, I recently just started going all 3's. (Let's not start the arguments of course par vs all 3's). When tallying score at the end of a round, how does that work?

I see some folks just adding up 1's, or 2's in some cases, are you simply adding 1 for a bogey, 2 for a double bogey? Then going back for 2's, or in some cases...1 for an ace, and subtracting that from that total, then adding/subtracting from 54 on an 18 hole course?

 

[allinpflop]

Using all par 3s.....I start at hole 1 and say what my relation to par is when I get a different score than three
example
333432243
I would say starting with the 4 I was +1 then even (to reflect the birdie) then -1 then even....whatever my total is after adding my scores I would either add it if positive or subtract if negative from 54 (assuming I play 18 holes)
Further example
After running thru my scores I end up with -5
I take 54 and subtract 5 to get my total score as 49

 

[kevdiv48]

Using all par 3s.....I start at hole 1 and say what my relation to par is when I get a different score than three
example
333432243
I would say starting with the 4 I was +1 then even (to reflect the birdie) then -1 then even....whatever my total is after adding my scores I would either add it if positive or subtract if negative from 54 (assuming I play 18 holes)
Further example
After running thru my scores I end up with -5
I take 54 and subtract 5 to get my total score as 49

Had to read it a couple of times to get what you're saying, but I do the same.

 

[sisyphus]

I often help check scorecards at our local tourneys, and have found it relatively quick to scan across from hole 1 to 18 (or whatever), knowing I can ignore the threes. I count 'under' first, because it's usually just tallying up the number of twos (there is an occasional ace, which you just count as 2 under, instead). Say I'm looking at an Advanced card, and that player has eight deuces, so we're at -8.

Then I count up all the 'over's: fours are easy, and bigger numbers I just count up from three. Again, let's say it's an Advanced player's score on a course with good variety, so he actually had three 'bogie' fours and blew up with one six. That's +6, for a combined score of -2.

Finally, your base score depends on the number of holes played. Let's say this case was for a 24 hole course, so, from 3x24=72, that player's score should read 70.

Note I personally tend to make the fewest mistakes when adding up 100 players' lines if I go all the unders, then the overs, rather than up and down as I go, but some folks find it accurate either way.

It really does go quickly. I'm pretty sure folks using 'birdie beads' or keeping total scores in their heads essentially do this as they go: slide one way for 'over three' and the other way for 'under three', then come up with the same result in the end.

 

[DavidSauls]

Using all par 3s.....I start at hole 1 and say what my relation to par is when I get a different score than three
example
333432243
I would say starting with the 4 I was +1 then even (to reflect the birdie) then -1 then even....whatever my total is after adding my scores I would either add it if positive or subtract if negative from 54 (assuming I play 18 holes)
Further example
After running thru my scores I end up with -5
I take 54 and subtract 5 to get my total score as 49

Me too.

Except when checking cards at a tournament, either in my group or as TD. Then, I actually add all the numbers. My idea is that by using a different method, I'm unlikely to make the same mistake someone else did.

But, yeah, keeping a running track of "over/under 3" is simplest for me, at least on most courses. It becomes second nature to keep a running score, which doesn't change on holes I get a "3".

 

[JC17393]

This is an extremely common math trick, and the root cause of all the "everything's a par three" malarkey. People have long conflated a counting method with the concept of par.

 

[Cgkdisc]

On legit Gold courses, it can sometimes be easier to do the same process using +/- in relation to 4 versus 3.

 

[runningDoc]

if the course has 18 holes then count it as a 54 total.

count each hole as a 3 (even if its a par 4 or 5 ect) and add the sum (or subtract the sum if you had a bunch of 2's) to the 54 and that is your final score. it adds up to the same number either way (even if there are par 4 and 5 holes on the course).

I personally just add the sum using the base 3 method to the front and back 9 (which would be 27) then add the front and back 9 for my final score.

it gets a little tricky (not really but not as quick) if the course has more or less than 18 holes. still the same thing though just get the total number of holes (for instance if the course has 27 holes) and multiply it by three. (so a 27 hole course is 27 x 3 = 81) add the number to that instead.

like I played in the Greater Hartford Disc Golf Open this year and they have 4 extra holes, so I just penciled in the total at the end so 54 + 12 = 66 and got my final score using 66 as the total to subtract or add strokes to.

 

[ru4por]

Using all par 3s.....I start at hole 1 and say what my relation to par is when I get a different score than three
example
333432243
I would say starting with the 4 I was +1 then even (to reflect the birdie) then -1 then even....whatever my total is after adding my scores I would either add it if positive or subtract if negative from 54 (assuming I play 18 holes)
Further example
After running thru my scores I end up with -5
I take 54 and subtract 5 to get my total score as 49

Me too.

Except when checking cards at a tournament, either in my group or as TD. Then, I actually add all the numbers. My idea is that by using a different method, I'm unlikely to make the same mistake someone else did.

But, yeah, keeping a running track of "over/under 3" is simplest for me, at least on most courses. It becomes second nature to keep a running score, which doesn't change on holes I get a "3".

Yup, tournament scoring dictates you count up the score, casual rounds usually end in a +/- result.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Using all par 3s.....I start at hole 1 and say what my relation to par is when I get a different score than three
example
333432243
I would say starting with the 4 I was +1 then even (to reflect the birdie) then -1 then even....whatever my total is after adding my scores I would either add it if positive or subtract if negative from 54 (assuming I play 18 holes)
Further example
After running thru my scores I end up with -5
I take 54 and subtract 5 to get my total score as 49

Pretty much the same as allinpflop above. During leagues I just use a / or - to denote any "3"'s on the card as I essentially only care about all the non-3's. Then just make my way from Hole #1 to #18 going +/- "par 3" for each hole.

Then as a double check I add up all the 2's and 4's, plus anything unfortunate to be above 4. Adding it up two different ways allows me to catch any mistake I may have made the first time through.

Note, for official PDGA events I make sure to actually write the "3"s on the card per rules. But for leagues and casual play I prefer the / or - instead.

 

[scarpfish]

I do know one thing about this counting method. Pretty much once anyone gets this down, they never go back to the way they used to do it.

I even know some people who just start at 54 (or 27 for each nine), then just go down the scorecard going 55, 56, 55, 54, 53... and do it even more efficiently.

 

[runningDoc]

I even know some people who just start at 54 (or 27 for each nine), then just go down the scorecard going 55, 56, 55, 54, 53... and do it even more efficiently.

^that method is what we'll use if there's any confusion and someone on the card wants to double check final scores before handing in the card.

I know a lot of people say: "JUST USE A SCORING APP on YOUR PHONE" but the thing with the scoring apps is that they don't make mistakes on final tallies, but the person inputing the scores can definitely make a mistake putting a score.

there's been times during bigger tourneys where it seems like everyone is personally taking their scores down + someone takes the official score, and a guy with a smartphone app. that way you can do a little conference before handing in the card.

at my local B-Tier the am2 2nd place finisher should've actually won, but their card made a mistake on his scoring (he was given a higher/worse score than he actually shot!), was penalized 2 strokes and lost by 2 strokes :doh: always always double check your scores.

 

[scarpfish]

I know a lot of people say: "JUST USE A SCORING APP on YOUR PHONE" but the thing with the scoring apps is that they don't make mistakes on final tallies, but the person inputing the scores can definitely make a mistake putting a score.

^This. I mistap numbers on mine all the time, and may not realize it until later.

 

[DavidSauls]

On legit Gold courses, it can sometimes be easier to do the same process using +/- in relation to 4 versus 3.

It doesn't take a gold course to put me in this category.

I've done it, but find it difficult. The over/under-3 is so ingrained that I can't make the adjustment. I'm just so used to getting a 3 and just carrying my score forward, or getting a 4 and adding 1 to it, or getting an 8 and stopping to do the math, that I get tripped up.

 

[ToddL]

For a scorecard that looks like:
2 2 3 4 2 3 2 4 2

What I normally say is:
"one down, two down, cancel, cancel, three down: 24."

2 2 5 3 3 4 2 3 5 = cancel, cancel, two up: 29

2 2 4 4 3 3 1 5 3 = one down, two wait start over, cancel, cancel, cancel: 27

It's probably a more little error prone, but I think it's fun. You can get in trouble if you start pairing numbers that are a couple of holes away from each other, but if a 2 is right next to a 4, there's no reason to count them individually.

 

[mark996]

Awesome, great conversation guys. I really appreciate it. I've been using paper score cards to try to get in the habit of scoring this way for tournament play. This is all awesomely helpful. Now I gotta get better about tee orders.

 

[filobedo]

For a scorecard that looks like:
2 2 3 4 2 3 2 4 2

What I normally say is:
"one down, two down, cancel, cancel, three down: 24."

2 2 5 3 3 4 2 3 5 = cancel, cancel, two up: 29

2 2 4 4 3 3 1 5 3 = one down, two wait start over, cancel, cancel, cancel: 27

It's probably a more little error prone, but I think it's fun. You can get in trouble if you start pairing numbers that are a couple of holes away from each other, but if a 2 is right next to a 4, there's no reason to count them individually.

^^^This or start with 54 and anytime you have a # other than 3 add or subtract appropriately such as -1 for a 2, + 1 for 4, etc.

E.g.,

3,3,4,2,5,2,3,4,3

54,54,55,54,56,55,55,56,56

 

[DavidSauls]

Footnote: One hazard in most of these tallying methods comes when the number of holes is other than 18. It's amazing how often people make this mistake in tournaments.

 

[Bunsel]

For a guy with a few years to his age, birdie beads works wonders, don't have to worry about keeping scores in his head. Just need to remember which bead to slide!

 

[TimSyl]

19 posts discussing how to add twos, threes, fours, and fives????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????