Golf has many different rules and a long list of terms, of which stroke index is just one. If you’re new to the game, this is an important one to familiarise yourself with, as it’s key to working out scoring in various competitions. You don’t want to be one of those saying, ‘How many points did I score there?’ on every hole.
The Rules of Golf states that “The Committee is responsible for publishing on the scorecard or somewhere else that is visible (for example, near the 1st tee) the order of holes at which handicap strokes are to be given or received.” This Rule - 5I (4) - requires that a club decides upon and allocates “Stroke Index.”
