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Scorecards - Are they needed?

JB

JB

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A question that I get emailed quite a bit and have my own feelings on, I want to ask the people here as well. Why do you think the guys on tour have to turn in a scorecard?

Do you think its necessary? If so why? If not why?
 
JB said:
A question that I get emailed quite a bit and have my own feelings on, I want to ask the people here as well. Why do you think the guys on tour have to turn in a scorecard?

Do you think its necessary? If so why? If not why?
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I think they are needed. I think there has to be some type of official record of what took place on the course. I also think for the score on the card to stand, there still needs to be another signature, along with the players sig. Just as important today as it was fifty years ago.
 
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HoosierGolfer said:
I think they are needed. I think there has to be some type of official record of what took place on the course. I also think for the score on the card to stand, there still needs to be another signature, along with the players sig. Just as important today as it was fifty years ago.
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Honest question. Why? And why does it need to be done by the players? The scores are recorded elsewhere obviously for the scoreboard.
 
I would think it's because it makes it "official" for the pro. Something to do with being held to higher standards or something in that regard. Necessary? Not really in the grand scheme of things but golf is a sport steeped in tradition, so I think that changing that would be frowned upon. Just my opinion though.
 
I guess I would ask this question first. What happens to the cards they turn in at the end of the tournament? Do they get them back?
 
The PGA could have a score keeper keep the score electronically per hole and have the data get sent to a server. But why would the PGA want to update how they operate. Pencils and paper of worked for 100+ years. Why change now. :sarcastic:
 
blugold said:
The PGA could have a score keeper keep the score electronically per hole and have the data get sent to a server. But why would the PGA want to update how they operate. Pencils and paper of worked for 100+ years. Why change now. :sarcastic:
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They basically do this anyways... the pencil and paper isn't the only place that score is being kept.
 
I don't think they are needed but there is an element of integrity built in to their use.
 
Yes. You mark a fellow competitor's score, they mark yours. Tradition. I like tradition. If you sign the wrong scorecard, you should be disqualified.

Kevin
 
Well if they didn't keep a paper scorecard, they would not be DQ'd for not signing. :D
 
gbigoose1 said:
They basically do this anyways... the pencil and paper isn't the only place that score is being kept.
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You're right, but the player's scored card is the only official score. Just ask Roberto De Vicenzo.
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Because it is the players responsibility especially if their tournament depends on it. What if you electronic scorer makes a mistake? I don't want someone else being responsable for my golf game.
 
I think the score cards hold each player accountable for their scores despite them being kept elsewhere. Personal responsibility. Can you imagine the uproar if another party responsible for keeping the players scores made a mistake. I doubt the players would accept a DQ at the hands of a third party.
 
Stevens24 said:
Because it is the players responsibility especially if their tournament depends on it. What if you electronic scorer makes a mistake? I don't want someone else being responsable for my golf game.
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SeeMoreGuy said:
I think the score cards hold each player accountable for their scores despite them being kept elsewhere. Personal responsibility. Can you imagine the uproar if another party responsible for keeping the players scores made a mistake. I doubt the players would accept a DQ at the hands of a third party.
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Agreed...+1
 
I think its needed , plus its tradition ( mentioned ) and when each twosome goes into the scoring tent they can go over each hole to make sure scores on both cards are right ! So there is no signing of the wrong score on your card .

Heck when some one else keeps my score and he forgets , then asks me what I had 6 or 7 holes back I sometimes don't remember as I am enjoying playing . So I think its in a players best interest to keep his score in a tournament when BIG money is on the line .
 
Esox said:
Yes. You mark a fellow competitor's score, they mark yours. Tradition. I like tradition. If you sign the wrong scorecard, you should be disqualified.

Kevin
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Just hope you're not playing with Boo Weekley because he can't add too well...
 
I like the idea of using scorecards by the players; I like that the pros do the same thing I do when I play. It's one of the main reasons I like golf so much. I think the PGA keeps all the scorecards, too.
 
I believe it is necessary. Maybe on the the big tourneys and majors they are able to track every player at every hole. But I can't imagine the smaller tourneys and tours have the ability to watch all the players at all times. I also feel it adds some integrity to the game by making the player responsible for the accurate scorekeeping of his round. Don't they have to sign as a witness on the other guys card as well or can a caddy do this? Btw I have heard guys quote scores in a fun round I'd never sign as a witness to. I see it as just part of the game.
 
No, but tradition holds firm in golf. It wont change for a long time.
 
I have mixed feeling on this.

Sure it's tradition. I'm one to question the status quo and you know I like "modern" per my post about white drivers being good for the game. I don't think things should always go unquestioned simply because well, "that's how we've always done it!" However, I get tradition and sometimes tradition is cool. Golf is very steeped in tradition and that's just fine. So sure, let players keep their score.

However, seems like some people have thrown out the term "official." Is the player's scorecard really "official" if it gets trumped by the guys in the scoring tent or trailer who probably use technology and see replays? Seems to me it's not all that official.

And for third parties making mistakes, these scorekeepers aren't the guys at your local flag football league running the scoreboard. I imagine they keep an accurate score 99.9% of the time just like CBS and the Golf Channel do when they broadcast an event. But, if aint broke, don't fix it I guess. Perhaps the player keeping score plus the "technology" keeping score provides checks and balances.

At these big PGA events, if every shot caught on camera or just what we see?
 
Yes, so you can get a copy of it for the course record + have it on the wall in the clubhouse.
 
I like that the player has to keep track of their game. I mean what else do they have to do? The caddy carries the clubs and gives them nearly perfect yardages. Given all of the recent violations, they don't even really know the rules.

At some point or another they will change it. But I like that they are held accountable for their scorecard.
 
They are not needed anymore, but I guess it doesn't hurt anything. There is someone that is walking with each group with an electronic device that keeps track of every stroke, and most of the stats you see through the round. At the end of the round this person is even in the scorers tent with them to verify the round (I would assume, never been in there). I would think that as long as the players agree with what the scorer has, that should be enough. Although I guess it's possible that a scorer could be 'on the take' with a player and that could cause some issues. I'm sure that would be very rare thing to happen though, but possible.

At the end of the day, the player will still want to verify the score they had, so they will probably write it down somewhere (although I'm sure most guys know exactly where they are without writing). You still have to go into the tent and verify so not having them, really wouldn't save much.
 
you know, i'm on the fence about this one. on the one hand, i don't think that scorecards are needed in order to effectively lodge how many strokes a player has made in a round. however, i believe that the scorecard is just as much of the part of the game as just about anything else. i know that personally, i like them. using one makes me feel like i'm part of the full golfing experience. i guess that they aren't really needed but it's such an integral part of what is golf. funny how something that simple is rich in history.
 
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