Who is allowed to mark your scorecard during a round?
Are there strict rules on who can certify your hole scores – or can you rope anyone in to do it? Our Rules of Golf expert Steve Carroll delves into the book
Is it always a playing partner who needs to mark your scorecard, or can anyone do the job? Could you rope in someone who isn’t even teeing it up?
You might have always just divvied out responsibilities among your group but, while this might not be the kind of thing that comes to the attention of a golf club every day, there is an answer in the Rules of Golf.
So what do they say about who can sort out your scores? Let’s take a look…
Golf scorecard marker rules
Rule 3.3b says a player’s score is kept on their scorecard by the marker, who is “either identified by the committee or chosen by the player in a way approved by the committee”. So if you’ve consulted the committee about a marker choice and they’ve given you the thumbs up, you’re set.
But do make sure you do consult with that committee first. This is given a bit more detail in the Committee Procedures found in the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf.
Section 5G (3) covers markers and says the committee can specify or restrict who can act as the marker for each player by “specifying that the marker must be a player in the same competition and group, a player with a handicap, or in some other way.”
They really are the arbiters, so if you’re contemplating anything unusual when it comes to who marks and signs your scorecard, take advice first.
What the strangest golf scorecard marker you’ve had? Let me know your experiences with a tweet.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
