Play 9 / Post 9

Players who are really crunched for time will be glad to know that nine-hole scores can be posted for handicap purposes after playing as few as seven holes. If a player needs to leave after seven or eight holes the “par-plus” method can be used to compute a nine-hole score. This is done by taking par for the hole(s) not played and adding a stroke(s) if the player is entitled to them according to their nine-hole Course Handicap. Using a player’s nine-hole Course Handicap as 8 from the example, and only playing eight holes, that player would determine a hole score of bogey on the ninth hole if it were one of the first eight handicap-stroke holes on that nine. (Note: Handicap-stroke holes may need to be re-allocated 1-9.) A score of par would be recorded if it were the ninth handicap-stroke hole.

The policies and procedures for posting a nine-hole score can be found in Section 5-2 & 10-5 of the USGA Handicap System. In addition, the answers to many of the most common inquiries regarding the USGA Handicap System™ can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the USGA’s Handicapping page.