[ This page explains the most popular formats. For a more complete list see here. And remember, most local tournaments will actually be a 'modified' version of one of these. So if you are playing in one make sure you know the exact rules you are playing under. ]
Stroke Play – Also referred to as Medal Play. Standard tournament scoring. Lowest number of strokes
taken wins.
Match Play - Original method of scoring. In its simplest form match play is a contest between Player
A and Player B. During a match each hole has 1 point. Lowest number of strokes to get
the ball in the cup wins the hole. If the number of strokes is ties neither player gets a
point. Winner is determined by who wins the most holes. Total stroke count doesn’t
matter.
Stableford - Stableford is a method of scoring that is popular in the UK. In Stableford you are
awarded points depending on the number of strokes relative to par. The number of
points awarded can differ from tournament to tournament. These are the USGA rules for
Stableford scoring:
More than one over fixed score or no score returned - 0 points
One over fixed score - 1 point
Fixed score - 2 points
One under fixed score - 3 points
Two under fixed score - 4 points
Three under fixed score - 5 points
Four under fixed score - 6 points
The "fixed score" in question is set by the tournament committee. If the fixed score is set as par, then a double bogey is worth 0 points, a bogey 1 point, a par 2 points, a birdie 3 points, and so on. The fixed score can also be set as a stroke value – say 5 strokes. Tournaments that score based on points, but award points on a different scale are called Modified Stablefords.
Stableford scoring is also popular in amateur tournaments because it speeds up the course of play. Once you are two strokes over the fixed score you just pick up your ball, since you can no longer get any points for the hole.
Scramble – Played between two or more 4-person teams. In a straight Scramble every member of the
team hits the ball off the tee. The team moves to the best ball, and picks up the other 3.
Each team member then hits a ball from the ‘best ball’ spot, and everyone moves to the
best ball from that hit, picking up the other 3 balls. And so on. When the ball is in the cup
the team score for the hole is the number of best ball hits( meaning the number of hits
from the best spots. As if it had only been one player playing and they had hit all the best
shots.) The team moves to the next hole and does it all again. There are some variations
on this. The most common one is that for each 9 holes the team has to use at least one
drive from each player. So that even if the worst player never has the best drive, a least
once in each 9 holes the team has to play from the worst players drive.
Best Ball - Most often played between two or more 2-person teams, but can be played with 4 person
teams. Each player hits their own ball through the entire hole. The score of the team
member with the best score is used as the team score for the hole. There are, of course,
variations on this. The most obvious one being that the team has to use the score of each
player a certain number of holes each 9. This is an effort to prevent an A player from
carrying the team.
Alternate Shot - Also called Scotch. Usually played between two or more 2-person teams, but can
be played with 4-person teams. The players alternate shots. One player hits. The
team walks to the ball, and the other player hits it. And so on. The total number
of hits it takes to get it in the hole is the team score for the hole. And there are
variations on this too. The most common one being each player hits off the tee,
and then the team plays alternate shot from the best tee shot. Scotch is a very
popular format for couples tournaments.
Scotch - See alternate shot.
Shot Gun Start - Everyone starts at the same time. Foursomes move around the course at the same
time, instead of one after another. Each foursome is assigned a starting hole. All
foursomes have to be at their assigned hole at the tournament start time. The
foursomes then play around the course, ending when they get back to the hole they
started on. Each individual player is assigned a starting hole, with 4 players
assigned to each hole. So even though each player is competing individually, they
play in 4-somes. Shotgun starts are a staple of most weekend golfer type
tournaments, in an effort to clear the tournament off the course as fast as possible
and get back to( the money making ) business as usual.