The gross score is the total number of shots that a golfer has actually taken plus, if applicable, any penalty shots incurred. Thus this is the score before any adjustments have been made for handicap or, in a Stableford competition, before each hole score has been converted into Stableford points.
Most club competitions are played as handicap competitions so as to give members, at least in theory, an equal chance of winning and to encourage as many of the membership to take part as possible. The monthly medal, for example, will be played using handicaps and so the gross score will be adjusted by the players handicap allowance and the result then becomes player's nett score. Thus if a player goes round in 85 shots and has a course handicap of 12, then the net score is 85-12=73. The player with the lowest nett score wins the monthly medal. If there is a tie for first place, then it will normally go to a tiebreaker based upon countback.
