How long should your golf club keep your scorecards?
Bin it the moment the results appear in the computer, or keep it in a locked safe forever? We look at the guidance for retaining scorecards
A humble pencil and a piece of card – for many of us it’s still the go-to way to record our adventures on the course.
There may be a digital push these days, but whether it’s putting in a general play score, or fashioning 18-holes of competition play, there are plenty of clubs that opt for a traditional method when it comes to recording our numbers.
If your club avoid using apps, or they just want physical evidence of the digits you’ve punched into the computer after your rounds, then you’re literally going to be signing your name.
Depending on how many people play in competitions, and how busy the season is, clubs can quickly rack up enough bits of paper to warrant a sizeable trip to the recycling centre before too long.
How long should your club keep your golf scorecards?
So how long should they keep hold of your golf scorecards? Do they need to stay tucked away in drawers for years, or can they be disposed of as soon as the competition committee is happy a result is final?
There is surprisingly no mention in the Rules of Handicapping as to how long scorecards should be retained.
But, in their latest guidance document on the rules and the World Handicap System, CONGU, who administer handicapping in the UK and Ireland offered clubs some definitive guidance.
They advise that “where physical scorecards are used, they need to be retained for a maximum of one year (effectively until the current year Annual Review has been completed)”.
Does your club have golf scorecards dating back to the dawn of time, or do they get rid too quickly? Is keeping them for a year sensible? Let me know with a tweet.
- NOW READ: What do I need to put on my scorecard?
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.
