SELECT ContestID, count(*) AS MissingHoles
FROM (SELECT DISTINCT ContestId, Hole FROM tblContestDetails WHERE CourseId=[CourseId] and Score is null) AS qry
GROUP BY ContestID;

You can close, save, and execute this query just fine. However, when you go back in to edit the query, it now looks like this:

SELECT ContestID, count(*) AS MissingHoles 
FROM [SELECT DISTINCT ContestId, Hole FROM tblContestDetails WHERE CourseId=[CourseId] and Score is null]. AS qry
GROUP BY ContestID;

Note that the subquery is now enclosed in square brackets instead of parenthesis. The only problem is that if you make a change to this new query (e.g. add a space somewhere) and try to save it, you will be presented with an error:

"Invalid bracketing of name 'SELECT DISTINCT ContestId, Hole FROM tblContestDetails WHERE CourseId=[CourseId'."

The solution is to put the parenthesis back around the subquery every time you want to save. :-(