Please click the score card picture to enlarge.

01. Stroke Play
The simplest way to mark the scorecard is very simple indeed: When playing stroke play, count the number of strokes you've taken on the hole just completed, and write that number down in the box corresponding to that hole on the scorecard. At the end of each nine holes, tally up the strokes for your front nine and back nine totals, respectively, then add up those two numbers for your 18-hole score.

(For space reasons, we'll just be showing one nine in this and the other examples to follow.)

02. Stroke Play, Denoting Birdies and Bogeys (Circles and Squares)
Some golfers notice that on PGA Tour broadcasts, and on some websites where the scorecards of PGA Tour players are recreated, those cards include some holes where the stroke total has been circled or squared. The circles represent below-par holes and the squares above-par holes. A score that is neither circled nor squared is a par.

1. Equipment
Taking the right equipment to the course involves both rules and etiquette. The rules place a limit of 14 clubs in each golfer's bag. There is no minimum number of clubs you must have, but borrowing clubs from your partners is not a good idea. Borrowing clubs during a round is permissable under certain circumstances, but it is against the rules in most. So it's best for a beginner to simply make sure he or she has all the clubs they need, up to the maximum of 14.

Even if you're not playing strictly by the rules your first time out, you won't want to be badgering your playing partners to borrow equipment.

Make sure you have in your golf bag plenty of tees and, most importantly, plenty of golf balls. After all, if it's your first time out, you'll probably be losing a lot of balls! And take a ballmark repair tool with you (more on course care below). These are small tools that can be found for a couple bucks at most pro shops. You will need one to repair ballmarks on the greens.