Popular golf competition formats
Golf is a sport with a wide variety of competition formats. Players need to understand the meaning and how to play each format.
Golf tournaments worldwide feature a wide variety of competition formats. The following 6 formats are commonly used and will help golfers grasp the different scoring systems.
Stroke Play
Stroke play, also known as match play, is the simplest and most common format of competition. In stroke play, each golfer (or team) plays all 18 holes and counts the total number of strokes. The score is calculated as the total number of strokes a golfer takes on each hole in a round or the entire tournament. The golfer with the lowest total score wins.
In professional tournaments, if there is a tie for the lead after all holes have been played, the tied golfers will play a playoff to determine the winner.
This format of play is applied in the majority of both professional and amateur competitions.
Match Play
In Match Play, each hole is an individual match. Between two golfers or two teams, whoever has the lower score wins the hole.
If both golfers or teams have the same score on a hole, the hole is considered a tie. The final winner is determined by the golfer or team with the most holes won.
This is also a widely adopted format in both domestic and international golf tournaments, including prestigious events like the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, and Solheim Cup.
Foursomes
In Foursomes, each team consists of two players who alternate shots. One player tees off on odd-numbered holes, and the other on even-numbered holes, regardless of who hit the previous shot.
Players alternate shots until the ball is holed or conceded. Penalty strokes do not affect the order of play. Foursomes can be played as a stroke-play or match-play competition.
For example, in Team 1 with golfers A and B, on the 1st hole, golfer A tees off, golfer B hits the second shot, then A hits the third shot, and finally, B putts to sink the ball. On the 2nd hole, golfer B tees off, A hits the second shot, and so on. They continue to alternate shots until the ball is holed.
Other variations of Foursomes include Greensome, Mixed Foursomes, and Canadian Foursomes, where teams are divided by gender and alternate shots. In Canadian Foursomes, also known as Scramble, each golfer tees off with their own ball, and the team then selects the best-placed ball to play, discarding the others.
Fourball
Similar to Foursomes, but in Fourball, each golfer plays their own ball. It's a team format where the best individual score counts. Fourball can be played as both a stroke-play or match-play competition.
In match play, the team with the lower score on a hole is awarded a point. The team with the highest point total at the end of the round is declared the winner.
In stroke play, a team's score for a hole is determined by the lowest score of its members. The team with the fewest strokes at the completion of the round is declared the winner.
For example, after the first par-4 hole, golfer A from Team 1 scores 3 strokes and golfer B scores 6 strokes. Golfer C from Team 2 scores 4 strokes, and golfer D scores 5 strokes. Therefore, golfer A wins the hole for Team 1 and earns one point.
Best Ball
Best ball is a format where teams of 2, 3, or even 4 golfers can compete in either stroke play or match play. Similar to Fourball, each player hits their own ball throughout the round. At the completion of each hole, the lowest score among the team members becomes the team's score.
For example, on a par-4 hole, golfer A from Team 1 scores 6 strokes while golfer B scores 4. Golfer C from Team 2 scores 5 strokes, and golfer D scores 6. Team 1 will use golfer B's score, which is 4, as their team score for that hole, and Team 2 will use golfer C's score, which is 5. After 18 holes, the team with the lowest total score wins.
Stableford
Stableford is a format for individual or team play. Team Stableford is similar to stroke play, but with a different scoring system. The objective is to achieve the highest possible score.
The scoring for each team or individual is determined hole by hole using the following criteria:
- Double bogey or worse: 0 points;
- Bogey: 1 point; Par: 2 points;
- Birdie: 3 points;
- Eagle: 4 points;
- Double eagle: 5 points.
After 18 holes, the team or individual with the highest score wins.
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