The two basic forms of competition and scoring are Match Play and Stroke Play.
The Match Play competition is played hole by hole. The side (player or team) with the fewest number of strokes (net or gross) wins the hole. The match is won by the side that wins the most number of holes.
In Stroke Play the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. The side (player or team) with the lowest total score (net or gross) wins.
Stableford, Par and Bogey competitions are forms of Stroke Play in which golfers play against a fixed score at each hole (par). Par and Bogey competitions incorporate the main attribute of Match Play (winning or losing of holes) into a Stroke Play competition.
Go to Stroke Play scoring description
Go to Match Play scoring description
Many formats of golf competition can be played under Match Play or Stroke Play rules. Some of them are listed in Rules of Golf and Rules of Handicapping, so they are called the “official” formats. The official tournament formats are listed in the table below.
| Official formats of golf | ||
| Format | Scoring system | |
| Matchplay | Strokeplay | |
| Best Ball | YES | YES |
| Best 2 of 4 | NO | YES |
| Four-Ball (Better Ball) | YES | YES |
| Foursomes (Alternate Shot) | YES | YES |
| Maximum Score | NO | YES |
| Par/Bogey | NO | YES |
| Three-Ball | YES | NO |
| Threesomes | YES | YES |
| Scramble (Captain's Choice) | YES | YES |
| Single | YES | YES |
| Stableford | NO | YES |
Other tournament formats that are not listed in R&A and USGA publications are “non-official”, but popular with golf societies. There are tournaments:
- Ambrose,
- Chapman (Pinehurst, American Foursome),
- Flags,
- Florida Scramble (Dropout Scramble, Step Aside, Stand Aside, Stand Out),
- Eclectic (Ringers),
- Greensomes (Canadian Foursomes),
- Gruesomes (Bloodsomes),
- No Alibis (Wipe Out, Play It Again Sam, Criers and Whiners),
- One-Person Scramble (One Man Scramble, Single Person Scramble),
- Patsomes (Patsome),
- Portuguese Caddy,
- Scotch Foursomes,
- Shamble,
- String,
- Texas Scramble.
The third group includes side bet formats:
- Nassau (Best Nines),
- Nine Points (Nines, Baseball, 5-3-1),
- Bingo Bango Bongo (Bingle Bangle Bungle),
- Skins,
- Split Sixes (English, 6-Point Game, Cricket)
and many others.
The short descriptions of the above formats are available in the glossary.
Stroke Play and Match Play score calculators are available here:
Stroke Play score calculator
Match Play score calculator
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update: October 2024