Most golfers fill in the score column and ignore everything else. The other columns are the difference between playing the course and being played by it.
Par
Par is the expected score for an expert golfer. It assumes two putts on the green plus the number of strokes needed to reach the green. A par-3 expects 1 shot to the green, par-4 two shots, par-5 three shots. An 18-hole course is usually par 70-72.
Yardage
Yardage is measured from the centre of the tee to the centre of the green for that day's pin. Most cards show three tees: forward (red), middle (white), back (blue or black). Pick the set of tees where the total yardage matches your average driving distance times 35 — that is the rough rule for matching course difficulty to skill.
Stroke index (handicap)
The stroke index — sometimes called the handicap column — ranks the 18 holes from hardest (1) to easiest (18). For matchplay and net competitions, this column decides which holes you receive handicap shots on. If you have a course handicap of 10, you get a shot on the 10 holes with the lowest stroke index numbers.
Course rating and slope
Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer on that tee. Slope rating is how much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer versus a scratch golfer; 113 is average, higher numbers mean a steeper difficulty curve.
You use these two numbers in the handicap differential formula: (Score - Course Rating) × 113 ÷ Slope.
Related reading
Stableford scoring explained
Stableford is the most common modified-points scoring format in amateur golf. Here is the table, the history, and when to use it.
Greens in regulation (GIR) — what it is and why it matters
Greens in regulation is the single best statistical predictor of scoring in golf. Here is the definition, the math, and how to improve yours.
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