I have received a couple of inquiries about Tournament Scores. The following is an excerpt directly from the USGA Handicap Manual. All players should be familiar with this definition.

A tournament score is a score made in a competition organized and conducted by a Committee in charge of the competition. The competition must identify a winner(s) based on a stipulated round(s), and must be played under the principles of the Rules of Golf.

The Committee (preferably the Handicap Committee, in consultation with the Committee in charge of the competition) must determine in advance if these conditions are met, and announce in advance whether the score must be identified by the letter "T" when posted. Routine events such as regular play days normally are not to be designated as T-scores because they are not significant in the traditions, schedules, formats, and membership of the club.

Definition:

A "tournament score" is a score made in a competition organized and conducted by the Committee in charge of the competition. The competition must identify a winner(s) based on a stipulated round(s), and must be played under the principles of the Rules of Golf.

Using the above definition as a guideline, the Committee (preferably the Handicap Committee in consultation with the Committee in charge of the competition) must determine in advance if these conditions are met and announce in advance whether the score must be identified by the letter "T" when posted.

Routine events, such as regular play days, normally are not to be designated as T-scores because they are not significant in the traditions, schedules, formats, and membership of the club. (See eligible tournament score.)

Examples of inter-club competition scores that may be posted as tournament scores when they meet the above conditions are: competitions restricted by age, member-guest competitions, team matches, qualifying rounds for city, state, and national competitions, and competitions conducted by golf associations.

Examples of intra-club competition scores that may be posted as tournament scores when they meet the above conditions are low gross-low net competitions, four-ball match or stroke-play competitions, Stableford competitions, and club championships which are stroke or match play, scratch, or with handicap.

Note: A scramble format does not qualify as an individual tournament score for handicap purposes.