Free tool
Printable golf scorecard
A printable golf scorecard with handicaps shows a dot on every hole where a golfer receives a stroke, so nobody has to work out their strokes on the course. Type the names and handicaps, enter the stroke index from your course card, and print a 9 or 18 hole card on US Letter or A4.
Golfers
Type each golfer’s handicap. It is converted with the slope rating and course rating above. Type +2 for a plus handicap. Leave the handicap blank to print the name with no strokes.
| Name | Handicap | Strokes on the card |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 0 | ||
| 14 |
Par, stroke index and yards by hole
Copy these rows from the course scorecard. The defaults are a plain template. 1 is the hardest hole.
| Hole | Par | Stroke index | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 8 | |||
| 9 |
Your scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Stroke index | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 8 | |
| Pat4 strokes | • | • | • | • | ||||||
| Lee10 strokes | • | •• | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Sam0 strokes | ||||||||||
| Alex14 strokes | •• | •• | • | •• | • | •• | • | •• | • |
Each dot marks a hole where the golfer takes a stroke off the score. A minus sign marks a hole where a plus handicap golfer gives one back.
How it works
A stroke dot marks a hole where a golfer takes a stroke off their score. The number of strokes a golfer receives is their playing handicap: the handicap, converted for the course tees, for the holes being played. The strokes are given out in order of stroke index, which is printed on every scorecard and ranks the holes from 1, the hardest, to 18, the easiest. A golfer with a playing handicap of 4 gets a dot on the four hardest holes.
A golfer whose playing handicap is more than the number of holes gets a second dot on the hardest holes first. A nine-hole card ranks that nine's holes by their stroke index, so the hardest hole of the nine gets the first dot, whichever nine you play.
- Playing handicap = handicap x slope / 113 + (course rating - par), rounded once. For nine holes, halve the handicap and use the nine's own rating, slope and par. If your handicap is already in strokes, skip this step.
- Rank the holes in play by stroke index, 1 hardest.
- Give one dot to each of the hardest holes, as many as the playing handicap.
- If the playing handicap is larger than the number of holes, give a second dot to the hardest holes again.
- Net score on a hole = gross score minus the dots on the hole.
Fill in the par and the stroke index of each hole from the course scorecard, and the yardage if you want it on the card. The defaults are a plain template. Choose your paper size before printing: the page is set to landscape, which fits eighteen holes on one line. Names and handicaps stay in your browser and are not sent anywhere.
Worked example: four golfers, nine holes
Four golfers play the front nine, par 36, from tees with a nine-hole rating of 35.6 and a slope of 126. Their handicaps are Pat 8.4, Lee 17.9, Sam 0, Alex 26.2. The stroke index of holes 1 to 9 is 5, 1, 7, 3, 9, 2, 6, 4, 8, so hole 2 is the hardest on the nine.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Stroke index | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 8 | |
| Pat4 strokes | • | • | • | • | ||||||
| Lee10 strokes | • | •• | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Sam0 strokes | ||||||||||
| Alex14 strokes | •• | •• | • | •• | • | •• | • | •• | • |
The playing handicaps for the nine are Pat 4, Lee 10, Sam 0 and Alex 14. Pat gets a dot on the four hardest holes: holes 2, 4, 6, 8. Lee has 10 strokes on nine holes, so every hole gets a dot and the hardest hole gets a second. Sam plays scratch and gets none. Alex gets 14: a second dot on the five hardest holes.
When to use it
- Before league night, to hand each group a card with the strokes already marked.
- For an outing or a member-guest, where golfers should not have to count strokes against the stroke index.
- When the pro shop is out of cards, or the card does not have room for handicaps.
- To check a golfer’s strokes after a dispute. Print the card and point at the dots.
Questions
How do you mark handicap strokes on a scorecard?
Find the stroke index of each hole on the course scorecard. A golfer with a playing handicap of 6 gets a dot on the holes ranked 1 to 6 by stroke index. A handicap above 18 gives a second dot on the hardest holes first.
What is the stroke index on a golf scorecard?
The stroke index, also called hole handicap, ranks the holes from 1, the hardest, to 18, the easiest. It decides which holes golfers receive strokes on. It is printed on the scorecard, usually on the line under the par.
How do I print a 9-hole scorecard?
Choose 9 holes, type the names and handicaps, and print. For nine holes, enter the nine’s own rating, slope and par if you convert a handicap. The strokes are placed by ranking the nine holes by their stroke index.
Does it work for plus handicaps?
Yes. Type the handicap with a plus sign, for example +2. A plus handicap golfer gives strokes back, so the card shows a minus mark on the easiest holes instead of a dot.
Which paper size should I pick?
Pick US Letter in the United States and Canada, and A4 almost everywhere else. The card prints in landscape on either, with a 12 millimeter margin.
Are names and handicaps saved or sent anywhere?
No. The card is built in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Close the page and the names are gone, so print before you leave.
More free tools
- Golf league schedule generatorRound robin schedules for 4 to 32 teams or golfers, with nines, tee time slots and position rounds.
- Skins calculatorGross or net skins with carryover, hole by hole winners and a payout that adds back to the pot to the penny.
- League handicap calculatorWork out a league handicap from recent rounds with a differential average or an average over par, for 9 or 18 holes.
- Course handicap calculatorTurn a handicap into strokes for a set of tees, with a format allowance and a strokes per hole table.
- Scramble handicap calculatorA team handicap for two, three or four golfers with the common 35/15 and 25/20/15/10 allowances or your own percentages.
- Stableford and quota calculatorStableford and quota (Chicago) points hole by hole, net or gross, with the plus or minus against quota.
- Golf payout calculatorSplit a prize fund by place, pay a skins pot by skins won and share closest to the pin prizes, with ties and exact cents.
Keep this running all season
Gimme prints a card for every group each week, with names, league handicaps and stroke dots already filled in, and golfers can score on their phones instead. Your first 3 league rounds are free, no card. After that it is $199 per season for the whole league, with unlimited golfers.