That is likely cucumber beetle damage they seem to preferentially disfigure my hard-shelled gourds and leave my ornamental ones alone. It does damage the rind of the gourd once dried but i think experienced crafters can fill those little marks in with something. Also as the gourd matures it will be a dry brown patch on an otherwise all green gourd. The gourds can still be pollinated and grow normally.

That shoul heal if not deep. I would disinfect them to prevent expanding and/or rotting.

I have a question: Do you hand pollinate them, or you have night-flying insects to do the job?
I do hand pollinate mine.

Thank you for the responses. What would I do to disinfect them?
I have been reading about hand pollination and will give it a try, especially if "disinfecting" will eliminate pollination by night-flying insects.