Do you carry a scorecard each time you play a round of golf? If so, what do you record on it? You might be thinking, “What do you mean – what do I record on it? My score, of course!”
If used creatively, a scorecard can give you a lot more information and feedback than just what you scored. You may have made 5 on a par-4, but how did you do it? There are all kinds of ways to make a 5. A few scenarios:
- Good tee shot; poor second and third shots; close chip and one putt.
- Tee shot OB; penalty stroke; great tee shot; awesome iron to green; one putt.
- Good tee shot; second shot in greenside bunker; two shots out; one putt.
- Two shots to get on the green; 3 putts.
- Two shots to get near the green; 2 chips and one putt.
I’m sure you get the drift.
Wouldn’t it be nice to take a second look at your scorecard and know how you arrived at your score? Here are some ways to do that:
- Keeping track of putts is easy. Instead of just writing “5.” you write “5/2.” A putt is considered any shot that originates on the green.
- Create a few small symbols which have meaning for you: and use them to indicate when you hit your tee shot in the fairway;, when you get on the green in regulation, bunker shots or penalty shots, etc.
- Circle your pars/birdies. Perhaps put a square around bogeys.
After the round, you can look back at your scorecard and analyze your strengths and weaknesses on that day. Over time, you’ll begin to notice trends which may assist you in setting goals for yourself and using your practice time more effectively.