One of golf's great strengths is variety. The same 18 holes can host a tense individual competition, a relaxed team game, a hole-by-hole duel or a lively betting game among friends. Each format changes your strategy, your pressure points and the social feel of the round.
This guide explains how golf scoring works and walks you through every common format — individual and team — with tips on strategy and handicaps.
How a golf score works
In its simplest form, your score is the number of strokes you take to complete each hole, including any penalty strokes. Add up all the holes and you have your gross score.
If you have a handicap, you receive strokes on certain holes. Your net score is your gross score minus those handicap strokes.
Stroke index
Each hole on a scorecard has a stroke index from 1 to 18, ranking how difficult it is relative to par for handicap purposes. If your course handicap is 10, you receive one stroke on the holes with stroke index 1 to 10. If it is 22, you receive one stroke on every hole plus a second stroke on stroke index 1 to 4.
Use our handicap calculator to work out your course handicap, and read the World Handicap System explained for the details.
Individual formats
Stroke play (medal play)
Every stroke counts on every hole, and the lowest total score wins.
- Gross competitions rank players by actual score.
- Net competitions subtract handicaps.
Strategy: avoid big numbers. One disaster hole can ruin a stroke-play round, so conservative decisions usually pay off. Each hole must be completed — you cannot pick up.
Typical handicap allowance: 95% of course handicap in individual stroke play competitions.
Match play
You compete hole by hole against an opponent. The player with the lower score on a hole (net, if handicaps apply) wins that hole. The winner is the player who wins more holes.
- Scores are described as holes "up" or "down" — for example, "two up".
- If a player is more holes ahead than there are holes remaining, the match ends. "3 and 2" means three holes ahead with two to play.
- A hole can be conceded, and short putts can be conceded ("given") by your opponent.
Strategy: match play rewards aggression when your opponent is in trouble and caution when they are in good shape. A bad hole costs only that hole.
Handicaps: the lower handicap player typically plays off zero and the other player receives the difference in course handicaps (full difference in singles match play).
Stableford
A points-based format where you score points on each hole according to your net score relative to par:
| Net score on a hole | Points |
|---|---|
| Double bogey or worse | 0 |
| Bogey | 1 |
| Par | 2 |
| Birdie | 3 |
| Eagle | 4 |
| Albatross | 5 |
The highest total wins. A score of 36 points equals "playing to your handicap". Our free Stableford calculator works out your strokes and points hole by hole.
Why golfers love it: once you cannot score a point on a hole, you can pick up and move on. That speeds up play and takes the sting out of disaster holes.
Strategy: you can be more aggressive, because a blow-up hole costs at most two points compared with a par.
Par / bogey competitions
Similar to match play, but you play against the course. On each hole you win (+), halve (0) or lose (−) against par using your handicap strokes. The final result is your number of holes up or down.
Maximum score
A stroke-play format where each hole has a maximum score set by the committee — for example, double par or net double bogey. Once you reach the maximum, you pick up. This keeps the pace of play brisk and is popular with beginners.
Team formats
Four-ball (better ball)
Teams of two each play their own ball. On each hole, the better score of the two partners counts as the team score.
- Four-ball stroke play — team score added over 18 holes.
- Four-ball match play — two teams play head to head.
Typical handicap allowance: 85% in four-ball stroke play, 90% in four-ball match play.
Strategy: if your partner is safely on the green, you can take more risk.
Foursomes (alternate shot)
Teams of two play one ball, taking alternate shots. One partner tees off on odd-numbered holes, the other on even-numbered holes.
Strategy: play to your partner's strengths and keep the ball in play. Good communication is essential.
Typical handicap allowance: 50% of the combined course handicaps.
Greensomes
Both partners tee off, the team chooses the better drive, then the partners play alternate shots from there. It is more forgiving than foursomes and very popular in social events.
Scramble (Texas scramble)
Each player in a team (often of three or four) tees off. The team selects the best shot, and all players play their next shot from that spot. This continues until the ball is holed. Many scrambles require each player's drive to be used a minimum number of times.
Why it is popular: fast, sociable, great for mixed abilities and charity days. Team scores can be very low.
Strategy: let the most reliable player hit first to secure a safe shot, freeing others to be aggressive.
Shamble
Everyone tees off, the team picks the best drive, then each player plays their own ball into the hole from that position. A blend of scramble and stroke play.
Team Stableford
Teams combine Stableford points from their players — for example, the best two scores out of four on each hole.
Fun games and side bets
Skins
Each hole is worth a "skin" (a point or an agreed stake). The player with the outright lowest score on a hole wins the skin. If players tie, the skin carries over to the next hole, building suspense.
Strategy: the carry-over makes later holes worth much more — expect pressure!
Nassau
Three separate matches in one: the front nine, the back nine and the full 18. Popular in friendly match play.
Wolf
Played by a group of four. On each hole a rotating "Wolf" chooses a partner after watching the tee shots — or goes alone for higher stakes. A great game for strategy and banter.
Bingo Bango Bongo
Three points available on every hole: first on the green (bingo), closest to the pin once all are on (bango) and first in the hole (bongo). It rewards different skills and keeps higher handicappers in the game.
Closest to the pin and longest drive
Common on competition and charity days. Specific holes are designated, and markers record the best result.
Worked example: one round, three formats
Imagine a golfer with a course handicap of 18 (one stroke on every hole) plays these five holes:
| Hole | Par | Gross score | Net score | Stableford points | Match vs net par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | Halved |
| 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 | Lost |
| 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | Halved |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | Won |
| 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 0 | Lost |
- In stroke play, the gross total is 28 and the net total is 23 for these holes. The 6 on hole 2 and the 7 on hole 5 both count in full.
- In Stableford, the golfer has 7 points from 5 holes. The two bad holes cost "only" two points each compared with a net par, so the round is still alive.
- In a par competition (playing against net par), the golfer is one down after five holes: one win, two halves and two losses.
The same golf produces very different feelings — and strategies — depending on the format.
Tips for keeping score accurately
- Agree who is marking whose card on the first tee.
- Record scores at the next tee, not on the green, to keep play moving.
- Note handicap strokes on the card (a dot or stroke next to the relevant holes).
- Count penalty strokes as you go — they are the easiest to forget.
- Check the card hole by hole with your marker before signing.
- Use a scoring app if your club allows it; many calculate Stableford points and net scores automatically.
Choosing a format for your group
| Situation | Good formats |
|---|---|
| Serious individual competition | Stroke play, match play |
| Mixed abilities, social round | Stableford, scramble, greensomes |
| Pairs competition | Four-ball, foursomes |
| Corporate or charity day | Texas scramble, team Stableford |
| Friendly game with banter | Skins, Nassau, Wolf |
| Beginners | Maximum score, scramble |
Scorecards and etiquette
- Mark scores after each hole, ideally at the next tee to keep play moving.
- In competitions, a marker records your score and you check and sign your card at the end. Signing for a wrong (lower) score on a hole can lead to disqualification, so check carefully.
- In Stableford, you may record a line or "X" on holes where you scored no points.
- Agree the rules and stakes of any friendly game before teeing off.
Formats for practice and improvement
Formats are not only for competition — some are excellent for improving your game:
- Two-ball practice rounds: play two balls on each hole and record the worse score. It exposes weaknesses and builds resilience.
- Par-3 challenge: play only the par 3s of your course several times to practise tee shots and the short game.
- Up-and-down only: after each approach, drop the ball off the green and play an up-and-down, recording how many you convert.
- Fairway finder: count only tee shots that finish in the fairway; try to beat your record.
- Stableford against yourself: track your Stableford total over several rounds to measure progress without the pressure of a gross score.
These formats bring focus and competition to casual rounds, and they help you practise the skills that matter most. Read how to lower your golf handicap for how to use statistics alongside them.
Formats and pace of play
Different formats move at different speeds:
| Format | Typical pace |
|---|---|
| Texas scramble | Fast — one ball per team from each position |
| Stableford | Fast — players pick up when they cannot score |
| Foursomes | Fast — one ball per pair |
| Four-ball | Moderate |
| Stroke play | Slower — every putt must be holed |
Choosing a quicker format is one of the easiest ways to keep a busy course moving.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common golf format?
Stroke play and Stableford are the most common club competition formats. Match play is common for knockout competitions and team events.
Can you pick up in stroke play?
Not in a stroke-play competition — you must hole out on every hole. In Stableford and maximum score formats you may pick up once you cannot score.
What is a good Stableford score?
36 points means you played to your handicap. Scores in the high 30s or 40s usually win club competitions.
The bottom line
Stroke play tests every shot, match play rewards hole-by-hole battles, Stableford keeps the pace up and forgives disaster holes, and team formats such as scrambles and four-balls make golf sociable and inclusive. Learn the formats, understand how handicaps and allowances work, and you will always find a way to make a round competitive and fun — whoever you play with. For course behaviour that keeps every format enjoyable, read our golf etiquette guide.
For the rules, handicap strokes and tactics of head-to-head golf, read match play golf: rules, handicaps and strategy.
For format-specific tactics, read golf scramble strategy and Stableford strategy.
More formats: modified Stableford and shotgun starts.