Golf Formats Explained

Competition formats

Additional information will be available on the competition notes sent out before each Saturday competition.

• Accumulator or Alliance: a Stableford competition played in teams of 3, with one score counting on holes 1-3, two scores on holes 4-6 and all 3 scores on holes 7-9. This repeats on the back nine.
• Alternate Shots: 2-person teams alternate hitting the same ball until it is holed. Tee shots are also alternated.
• Best Ball: teams of 2, 3 or 4 players each play their own ball, with the lowest score on each hole counting as the team score.
• Better-Ball: a best ball competition for two-player teams. In match play, better-ball is another name for Four Ball Better-Ball.
• Four Ball Better-Ball: two teams of two players compete using better-ball scoring. It can be played as stroke play or match play.

Foursomes and greensomes

• Foursomes: two-player teams play one ball and alternate shots until the ball is holed. Players also alternate tee shots.
• Greensomes: both players tee off, the best tee shot is selected and the team then plays alternate-shot until holed.
• Canadian Greensomes: both players tee off, each player plays their partner's ball as the second shot, the best ball is selected and alternate-shot is played from there.

Match play, skins and stableford

• Matchplay: played in singles or team formats. The player or side with the better score wins the hole and goes one up. If level after 18 holes, the match finishes all square unless a winner is required.
• Skins: each hole has a value. If a hole is tied, its value carries over and is added to the following hole until one player or team wins a skin.
• Stableford: points are awarded against a fixed score at each hole. More than one over scores 0 points, one over scores 1, fixed score scores 2, one under scores 3, two under scores 4, three under scores 5 and four under scores 6.

Stroke play and scramble formats

• Stroke Play or Medal: the standard form of golf where every shot is counted. Gross score is total shots taken; net score deducts playing handicap.
• Scramble: teams play from the best shot position each time until the ball is holed.
• Texas Scramble: a scramble where each player must usually contribute a required number of tee shots during the round.
• Florida Scramble: a scramble variation where the player whose shot is selected sits out the next shot.
• Yellow Ball: a Stableford team format where the yellow ball holder has their points doubled. If the yellow ball is lost, double points can no longer be claimed from that hole onward.