A golf scorecard is a small piece of paper that holds a lot of information. It shows the number of every hole, the par for each hole, the distance of each hole, and spaces to write your score.

When you look at a scorecard for the first time, it can seem like a puzzle. But once you know what each column means, it is actually very simple — and very useful.

The hole number tells you which hole you are on (1 through 18). The par tells you the expected score. The yardage tells you how far away the hole is. And your score goes in the space next to each hole.

At the bottom, there is usually a row where you add everything up. The total par for 18 holes at most golf courses is 72. If your total score is 72, you played at exactly par. If it is 80, you were 8 over par.