Marker
The marker is the fellow player who records and confirms your strokes on the scorecard in a competition.
The marker is an official role in tournament golf. You keep a fellow player's card, enter his stroke counts and sign the card at the end as confirmation. At the same time, another player keeps your card. The marker must hold the course certificate, in other words be entitled to play himself. Together with the player's signature, the marker's signature makes the scorecard valid. Without both signatures the score cannot be returned.
In practice the job is simple but binding. An example: you are playing stroke play and you are keeping the card of your flight partner. After every hole he asks you for your score, you tell him his, and you both write them down. On the 18th green you compare the numbers, clear up any discrepancies and sign for each other. Important: the marker only records the stroke count, not putts or penalty strokes — those emerge from the count. In Stableford the raw stroke count is also enough; the points are calculated later by the committee or by software.
A typical mistake is signing without checking. Anyone who signs a card with too low a stroke count on a hole risks the player's disqualification — the count is partly your responsibility. Numbers that are too high, by contrast, stand. Take two minutes after the round in the clubhouse, go through it hole by hole and only then sign.
FAQ
What exactly do I have to do as a marker in a tournament?
You keep a fellow player's scorecard: after every hole he tells you his stroke count, you enter it, and at the end you sign as confirmation. You only record the raw stroke count — breaking down putts or penalty strokes separately is not your job. In Stableford the stroke count is also enough; the points are calculated later by the committee.
What happens if I sign an incorrect card as a marker?
If you sign a stroke count that is too low on a hole, the player risks disqualification — the check is partly your responsibility. Numbers that are too high simply stand and only hurt the score. So after the round, take two minutes to go through the card hole by hole before you sign.
Is anyone allowed to keep the scorecard as a marker?
No, the marker must hold the course certificate himself, in other words be entitled to play. Usually two players in the flight keep each other's cards: you count for your partner, he for you. Only both signatures together — yours and the player's — make the score valid.