Rules of Handicapping FAQs

Handicap Committee

Q. What is a Penalty Score? How and when is it applied?

A. A penalty score is a score posted at the discretion of the Handicap Committee for a player who does not post their score in a timely manner. To ensure that their score is included in the daily playing conditions calculation and that their Handicap Index® is up-to-date, players are expected to post their scores on the same day of play.

The Handicap Committee can decide the appropriate penalty score based on the intent of the player and can select a high or low penalty score equal to the highest or lowest Score Differential™ in the player’s scoring record. If discoverable, the Handicap Committee can also post the actual score.

The Handicap Committee does not need to provide the player with notice before posting a penalty score.

All penalty scores are designated with a “P.” (Rule 7.1b, Rules of Handicapping)