Gross Score in Golf: What It Means, How It’s Calculated, and Why It Matters

TL;DR – Gross Score in One Line

A gross score is the total number of strokes a golfer takes during a round, before any handicap adjustments.

Key Takeaways

• Gross score = total strokes before any handicap adjustments
• Includes all penalty strokes during the round
• Reflects raw skill level, not adjusted performance
• Used in scratch tournaments and official competitions
• Forms the basis for calculating net score
• Important for tracking improvement and handicap updates

What Is Gross Score in Golf?

A gross score in golf is the total number of strokes a player takes during a round, including all penalty strokes, and without applying any handicap adjustments.

This is the pure, unmodified score that reflects a golfer’s actual performance from the first tee to the final putt. Gross score is simply the sum of every shot you hit, good or bad, on each hole.

Example: If you shoot a 90 on an 18-hole course, your gross score is 90, even if your handicap is 15.

Gross Score vs. Net Score: What’s the Difference?

The difference between gross score and net score comes down to one thing: handicap.

• A gross score is your total number of strokes, including penalties, with no handicap adjustment.
• A net score is your gross score minus your handicap, giving a result that reflects your performance relative to your skill level.

This distinction is important in competitive and casual play, especially when golfers of different abilities compete against each other.

Note: In formal competition scoring, a net score is calculated using your course handicap (not your handicap index), meaning:

Net Score = Gross Score – Course Handicap

This ensures adjustments are based on the difficulty of the specific course being played.

Example: If you shoot a gross score of 92 and your handicap is 18, your net score would be 74 (92 – 18).

How to Calculate Gross Score

To calculate your gross score, simply add up all the strokes you take on each hole, including any penalty strokes, across the entire round. It’s a straightforward total of your actual play, no handicap adjustments involved.

Step-by-Step Example: How to Calculate Gross Score

• Play each hole as usual, counting every stroke from tee to hole.
• Add any penalty strokes (e.g., for out of bounds, lost ball, or water hazard).
• Record your total strokes for that hole, including penalties.
• Repeat the process for all 18 holes (or 9 holes, if it’s a shorter round).
• Add up all strokes across the round to get your final gross score.

Sample Scorecard:

Here’s a sample 18-hole scorecard showing how gross score is calculated. Simply add up the strokes on each hole to get your front 9 (OUT), back 9 (IN), and final gross score.

Gross Score = 43 (Front 9) + 45 (Back 9) = 88

Important: Don’t subtract your handicap when calculating your gross score. That’s only done later to get your net score.

Why Gross Score Matters

Gross score matters because it measures actual performance, is used in official competitions, serves as the basis for net scoring, helps track personal progress, and supports handicap calculations.

Measures actual performance: It reflects how well you played without any adjustments, showing your real skill level.

Used in official competitions: Gross scores are the standard in scratch tournaments, club championships, and pro-level events.

Forms the basis for net scoring: You can’t calculate your net score without knowing your gross score first.

Essential for tracking progress: Watching your gross score improve over time is a clear sign of your development as a golfer.

Important for handicap calculations: Your gross scores feed into the handicap system to maintain fair play across all skill levels.

In short, gross score is the foundation of golf scoring. It reflects your true performance, impacts competition results, and plays a key role in tracking progress and calculating handicaps.

When Gross Score Is Used in Tournaments

Gross score is used in scratch play events, club championships, professional tournaments, gross-only divisions, and match-play formats where scoring is based purely on gross strokes with no handicap adjustments.

• Scratch tournaments: Players compete without handicap; gross score determines the winner.
• Club championships: Most clubs award the main title based on gross score for the lowest total round(s).
• Professional golf events: All major tours like the PGA, LPGA, and European Tour use gross scoring.
• Gross-only divisions: Some amateur events feature both net and gross leaderboards, the gross side rewards raw performance.
• Match play formats: Each hole is still won or lost on gross strokes for that hole, so gross score decides every hole even though totals aren’t tallied.

These formats reward consistency, accuracy, and pure ball-striking ability, making gross score the go-to metric in high-level and no-handicap play.

FAQs About Gross Score

Does gross score include penalty strokes?

Yes. Every penalty stroke, such as for out-of-bounds, lost ball, or water hazard, is included in your gross score.

Is gross score better than net score?

Not better, just different. Gross score reflects raw performance, while net score accounts for handicap to level the playing field.

Who uses gross score, amateurs or pros?

Both. Professionals always use gross score, and amateur golfers use it in scratch play or to track their unadjusted performance.

Can my gross score be the same as my net score?

Yes, but only if your handicap is zero. In all other cases, your net score will be lower than your gross score.

Is gross score used for handicap calculation?

Indirectly, yes. Your gross scores are submitted, and the system uses them, along with course difficulty, to compute your handicap index. (Specifically, it uses what’s called an Adjusted Gross Score (AGS), which applies certain limits to hole scores for fairness)