Golf Handicap FAQ: What if I Don't Finish a Hole?

Well, for one thing, if your partner concedes a putt, that doesn't mean you have to accept it. I mean, you could still putt out and record your correct score, right?

But that risks the possibility of missing the putt. And we can't have that. So pick up and move on.

As for what you put on your scorecard to be posted for handicap purposes: If you fail to complete a hole, for any reason, you should write down a number that represents your most likely score. That means counting the strokes already taken, then estimating the number of strokes it would have taken to finish the hole.

Such holes are denoted with an "X" (e.g. X-5) on the scorecard.

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