2004 #6 Should you post a score?

The Scene:
You are playing in the 3 day Member / Member. The first day is Alternate shots and the second day is a Scramble. You know you can’t post either of those scores because they weren’t played according to the principals of the Rules of Golf. But today was Best Ball of the Twosome and you played very well. Someone teased you and said if you didn’t post your score she’d call you a sandbagger. But how can you post it? You picked up on 6 holes when you were ‘out of the hole’.

What would you do?
A. Ignore the teaser. Your score is not acceptable. You don’t have to post it.
B. Post a 9-hole score?
C. Post an 18-hole score?

C is correct.

If you begin a hole but don’t complete it you should record a score (for handicap purposes) that is the score you most likely would have made. And place an X next to that score.

For example, if on hole #2, you and your partner are both lying 2. Her ball is 4 feet from the hole and yours is 2 feet. She sinks her putt for a 3. You pick your ball up. Your most likely score for the hole would be a 3. So record X3 on your scorecard.

A harder example: On hole #17 your partner’s ball sails onto the green and stops near the hole. Your tee shot dives into the water. Of course you pick up. But you can still estimate your most likely score for the hole. Think of it as the number of strokes it would take you to complete the hole from that position more than half the time. And you are the best judge of that so do your own estimating. Just don’t exceed your maximum.

In the Member/Member above, if you estimated properly you would have 6 scores with X’s but you still would have an 18-hole score to post.

REMEMBER: Estimate your most likely scores. There is no limit to the number of unfinished holes a player may have in a round and still post her score.