Golf competition formats

Chicago is a quota format: each player's target is 39 minus their handicap, points are earned on every hole, and the player who beats their target by the most wins. It is the same idea as Points Quota with a higher base, so a 10 handicap chases 29 rather than 26.

Also called Chicago golf format, Chicago quota, Chicago points.

A Club Championship is a stroke play competition that decides the club's best player for the year: usually 36 holes over two rounds, with a gross division played off scratch for the champion and a net division at full handicap for the rest of the field, split into flights so that players compete against similar handicaps.

Also called Club champion, Championship stroke play, Gross and net championship.

Singles match play is one player against one opponent, hole by hole: the lower score on a hole wins it, an equal score halves it, and the player who is more holes up than there are holes left wins the match. Strokes are given on the difference between the two handicaps, placed by stroke index.

Also called Singles match play, Head-to-head match play, Matchplay.

Modified Stableford is a points format with a steeper table than standard Stableford: 8 for a net albatross, 5 for an eagle, 2 for a birdie, 0 for par, minus 1 for a bogey and minus 3 for a double bogey or worse. Par earns nothing, so the format rewards attacking play and punishes the player who protects a score.

Also called Modified Stableford points, Aggressive Stableford.

Par / Bogey is match play against the course: on every hole a net score under par wins the hole, a net par halves it and anything over par loses it. Each win is plus 1, each loss minus 1, and the player who finishes the most holes up on the course wins.

Also called Par competition, Bogey competition, Against par.

Points Quota is a Stableford format where every player has a personal target, 36 minus their handicap, and earns points on each hole: 1 for a bogey, 2 for a par, 3 for a birdie, 4 for an eagle. The biggest margin over quota wins, so a 4 handicap chasing 32 and a 22 chasing 14 compete on equal terms.

Also called Quota, Quota system, Stableford quota.

Skins is a hole-by-hole format where every hole is worth one skin and the lowest score on the hole, gross or net, wins it outright. If two or more players tie for the lowest score nobody wins and the skin carries to the next hole, so a hole can be worth several skins. The most skins at the end wins.

Also called Skins format, Skins competition, Skins game with carryovers.

Stableford is a points format: each hole earns points against your net par, with 2 for a net par, 3 for a net birdie and 0 for anything worse than a net bogey. The highest total wins, and a disaster hole costs you at most one hole's points.

Also called Stableford points, Stableford scoring.

Stroke play is the format where every stroke counts: each player holes out on every hole, the eighteen hole scores are added, and the lowest total wins. Net stroke play subtracts the player's handicap strokes from that total; gross stroke play ranks the raw score.

Also called Medal play, Net stroke play, Gross stroke play.

Chapman, also called Pinehurst®, is a two-player, one-ball format: both partners drive, each plays the other's ball for the second shot, the pair chooses one ball, and the other partner plays the third, alternating in. The pair plays off 60% of the lower Course Handicap™ plus 40% of the higher.

Also called Pinehurst®, Chapman system, Pinehurst foursomes.

A Florida scramble is a scramble in which the player whose shot was chosen sits out the next shot. The other players hit, the team chooses again, and the new chooser steps aside in turn. One ball per team, one card, and a team handicap built from each player's Course Handicap™.

Also called Step-aside scramble, Stand-aside scramble, Drop-out scramble.

Foursomes is a two-player team format played with one ball: the partners hit alternate shots, and the tee shots alternate by hole, one player driving the odd holes and the other the even. The pair keeps one card and plays off 50% of its combined Course Handicap™.

Also called Alternate shot, Foursomes golf, Scotch foursomes.

Greensomes is a two-player, one-ball format: both partners drive on every hole, the pair chooses the better drive, and the partner whose drive was not chosen plays the second shot, with alternate shots from there. The pair keeps one card and plays off 60% of the lower Course Handicap™ plus 40% of the higher.

Also called Scotch foursomes, Greensome, Select drive foursomes.

A scramble is a team format in which every player hits, the team picks the best ball, and everyone plays the next shot from that spot until the ball is holed. The team records one score per hole on one card, and net scoring uses a single team handicap built from each player's Course Handicap™.

Also called Captain's choice, Four-person scramble, Two-person scramble.

A shamble is a team format that starts as a scramble and finishes as best ball: every player drives, the team plays from the best drive, and each player then plays their own ball to the hole. Each player keeps their own strokes, and the team score on each hole is the best one or two net scores.

Also called Shamble golf, Scramble off the tee, Best drive then own ball.

A Texas scramble is a scramble with one extra rule: a minimum number of each player's drives must be used over the round, commonly 3 or 4 each in a team of four. Everything else is a standard scramble, one ball per team, one card, and a team handicap built from each player's Course Handicap™.

Also called Texas scramble golf, Scramble with minimum drives.

30/40 is a team format in which every player plays their own ball and the team score is the sum of its best 30 player-hole net scores for a team of three, or its best 40 for a team of four. Each player receives 95% of their Course Handicap™. It is not the 30/40 Balls side game.

Also called 30/40 format, Thirty forty, Best 30 of 54.

Best 1 of 4 is a team format for four players in which everyone plays their own ball and keeps their own card, and on each hole only the single lowest net score among the four counts for the team. Each player receives 85% of their Course Handicap™.

Also called Best ball of four, One best ball, 1 of 4.

Best 2 of 4 is a team format for four players in which everyone plays their own ball, and on each hole the two lowest net scores among the four are added together for the team. Each player receives 85% of their Course Handicap™. It is also how Parful scores a shamble once the cards are in.

Also called Two best balls, Best two of four, 2 of 4.

Best 3 of 4 is a team format for four players in which everyone plays their own ball and keeps their own card, and on each hole the three lowest net scores are added for the team, so only the single worst score is dropped. Each player receives 85% of their Course Handicap™.

Also called Three best balls, Best three of four, 3 of 4.

Bramble is a team format that starts each hole as a scramble and finishes it as best ball: every player tees off, the team picks the best drive and everyone plays their own ball from that spot, and the single lowest net score among the team counts for the hole. Each player receives 85% of their Course Handicap™.

Also called Bramble golf, Scramble shamble, Best drive then best ball.

Cha Cha Cha is a team format in which every player plays their own ball and the number of net scores that count for the team rotates by hole: one on the first, two on the second, three on the third, then one again all the way round. Each player receives 95% of their Course Handicap™.

Also called 1-2-3 best ball, One two three, Cha cha cha golf.

Four-ball is a team format in which every player plays their own ball and keeps their own card, and on each hole the team records only the better net score of its two players. In stroke play each player receives 85% of their Course Handicap™; in match play, 90%.

Also called Best ball, Fourball, Better ball.

Maxwell is a team format for squads of five in which every player plays their own ball and keeps their own card, and on each hole the four lowest net scores are added for the team, so the single worst score is dropped. Each player receives 85% of their Course Handicap™.

Also called Maxwell format, Best 4 of 5, Drop the worst of five.

Team Stableford is a team format in which every player plays their own ball and scores a normal Stableford card, and the team total is every member's points added together. Nothing is dropped and nothing is chosen; the highest team total wins. The usual allowance is 95% of Course Handicap™, set per competition.

Also called Team points, Aggregate Stableford (four), Stableford team event.

Chapman match play, also called Pinehurst® match play, is pair against pair: both partners drive, each plays the other's ball for the second shot, the pair chooses one ball and the other partner plays the third, alternating in. Each pair plays off 60% of the lower Course Handicap™ plus 40% of the higher, with strokes on the difference.

Also called Pinehurst® match play, Chapman system match play.

Four-ball match play is two pairs head to head, each player playing their own ball, with the better net score on each side deciding the hole. Each player receives 90% of Course Handicap™, and strokes are taken relative to the lowest of the four players, who plays off scratch.

Also called Better ball match play, Fourball match, Best ball match play.

Foursomes match play is pair against pair with one ball per side: partners hit alternate shots and alternate the tee shots by hole, and the lower net score on each hole wins it. Each pair plays off 50% of its combined Course Handicap™, and the higher pair receives the difference between the two team handicaps as strokes.

Also called Alternate shot match play, Foursomes match.

Greensomes match play is pair against pair with one ball per side: both partners tee off, the pair chooses a drive, the other partner plays the second shot and they alternate in. The lower net wins the hole. Each pair plays off 60% of the lower Course Handicap™ plus 40% of the higher, with strokes on the difference.

Also called Greensomes match, Select drive match play.

Scramble match play is team against team, hole by hole: each side of two to four players plays a scramble on one ball, and the lower net score wins the hole. Each side's team handicap comes from the scramble split of its players' Course Handicap™ figures, and the higher side receives the difference as strokes.

Also called Scramble match, Team scramble match play, Scramble knockout.

An eclectic competition is played over several rounds on the same course, and a player's score is the sum of their best score on each hole across all the rounds, gross for an eclectic and net for a ringer. On Parful they exist as season standings methods rather than as a standalone competition format.

Also called Eclectic, Ringer board, Ringer competition.

Sixes is a four-player card format in which the round is split into three six-hole matches and the partnerships rotate so each player partners each of the others once. The name 6-6-6 also means a day where the format changes every six holes. Parful scores Sixes as a side game; the mixed-format day is rules only.

Also called 6-6-6, Six six six, Round the Horn.

Vegas is a pairs game in which each side's two hole scores are joined into a two-digit number, lower digit first, and the difference between the two sides' numbers on each hole is the points won or lost. It is a bet between two pairs, not a field competition; Parful scores it as a side game only.

Also called Daytona, Las Vegas golf format, Vegas team competition.