How do I submit a general play score?

A general play score is any acceptable round outside an organised competition: a round with friends, a society day or a roll-up.

1. Pre-register before you tee off. In GB&I it's compulsory to pre-register every round you want to count, on the day, before play starts. Do it in the My England Golf app, through your club's software or by telling the pro shop or club office. Entering a competition or booking a tee time isn't pre-registration on its own.

2. Play with a marker. At least one other person must play with you and act as your marker, and the round must match what you registered (course, tees, 9 or 18 holes).

3. Play under the Rules of Golf. Hole scores are capped at net double bogey for handicap.

4. Submit and get it attested. Enter your hole-by-hole scores and have your marker attest them, as soon as possible after the round and before midnight that day. Your Handicap Index updates overnight and your score is included in that day's playing conditions calculation.

Things to avoid:

• Registering and not returning a score: if you start a registered round and don't submit it without a good reason, a penalty score can be entered on your record.
• Playing general play before a competition on the same course and tees that day: that breaches Rule 5.2 of the Rules of Golf (practising on the course before a round). Playing it after the competition round is fine.
• If your club is using Model Local Rule E-5 (the alternative to stroke and distance), general play scores aren't acceptable for handicap.