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Golf Scoring Formats

Golf Scoring Formats: The Ultimate List

Golf can be played with many different scoring formats including stroke play, match play, a scramble, fourball, and many more.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘A

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘A’.

Golf Scoring Format: “Alternate Shot

Definition

Alternate shot, a popular Ryder Cup golf format, is when two golfers take turns hitting the ball every other shot. For example, player 1 hits the tee shot, player 2 hits the approach shot, and player 1 hits the putt. This continues until the hole is completed.

Usage

For today's match, we will be playing the alternate shot format.

Deep Dive

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Golf Scoring Formats: Alternate Shot cover image

Alternate Shot

Golf Scoring Formats: Alternate Shot

Alternate shot, a popular Ryder Cup golf format, is when two golfers take turns hitting the ball every other shot.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘B’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘C

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘C’.

Golf Scoring Format: “Chapman System

Definition

A team format where both players tee off, then they switch balls and play each other's second shot. After that, they choose the best ball and alternate shots until the hole is completed.

Usage

Let's play a similar game to alternate shot called the Chapman system.

Deep Dive

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Golf Scoring Formats: Chapman System cover image

Chapman System

Golf Scoring Formats: Chapman System

A team format where both players tee off, then they switch balls and play each other's second shot.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘D’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘E’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘F

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘F’.

Golf Scoring Format: “Fourball

Definition

Also known as "better ball" or "best ball", each golfer on a team plays their own ball, and the lowest score among the team members is recorded for each hole.

Usage

For today's round, we will play the fourball format.

Deep Dive

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Golf Scoring Formats: Fourball cover image

Fourball

Golf Scoring Formats: Fourball

Also known as "better ball" or "best ball", each golfer on a team plays their own ball, and the lowest score among the team members is recorded for each hole.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘G’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘H’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘I’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘J’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘K’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘L’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘M

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘M’.

Golf Scoring Format: “Match Play

Definition

In this golf format, golfers compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. The golfer who wins the most holes wins the match. The most popular examples of this include the Solheim Cup (women) and Ryder Cup (men). Second to these well-known tournaments, the Presidents Cup and WGC Match Play are also popular pro tournaments that use this format.

Usage

The Ryder cup is one of the most exciting match-play tournaments in golf!

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Match Play”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Scoring Formats: Match Play cover image

Match Play

Golf Scoring Formats: Match Play

In this golf format, golfers compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. The golfer who wins the most holes wins the match.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘N’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘O’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘P

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘P’.

Golf Scoring Format: “Peoria System

Definition

A handicapping system where a golfer can allocate their handicap strokes on any hole before the round starts. The golfer can choose when to use these strokes during the round.

Usage

Let's play the Peoria system today so I can get some strokes on my least favorite hole!

Deep Dive

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Golf Scoring Formats: Peoria System cover image

Peoria System

Golf Scoring Formats: Peoria System

A handicapping system where a golfer can allocate their handicap strokes on any hole before the round starts.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘Q’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘R’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘S

Below are all the golf terms beginning with the letter ‘S’.

Golf Scoring Format: “Scramble

Definition

A team format where all players tee off, then they choose the best shot and all play their next shots from that spot. This continues until the ball is holed. A scramble is the most common format for corporate and charity golf tournaments where there are lots of players on the course of all different skill levels. This helps speed up play and make the round more fun for everyone!

Usage

Do you want to play in my company's annual golf scramble next week?

Deep Dive

Want a deep dive on the term “Scramble”? Check out my full article below!

Golf Scoring Formats: Scramble cover image

Scramble

Golf Scoring Formats: Scramble

A team format where all players tee off, then they choose the best shot and all play their next shots from that spot. This continues until the ball is holed.

Golf Scoring Format: “Shamble

Definition

Similar to a scramble, but in this golf format, after selecting the best drive, each player plays their own ball for the remainder of the hole.

Usage

A shamble is a bit harder than a scramble because a player must play their own ball for most of the round!

Deep Dive

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Golf Scoring Formats: Shamble cover image

Shamble

Golf Scoring Formats: Shamble

Similar to a scramble, but in this golf format, after selecting the best drive, each player plays their own ball for the remainder of the hole.

Golf Scoring Format: “Stableford

Definition

In this golf format, points are awarded based on the number of strokes taken on each hole. Golfers earn more points for fewer strokes, with the goal of achieving the highest point total.

Usage

Want to play stableford for our match today?

Deep Dive

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Golf Scoring Formats: Stableford cover image

Stableford

Golf Scoring Formats: Stableford

In this golf format, points are awarded based on the number of strokes taken on each hole.

Golf Scoring Format: “Stroke Play

Definition

Also called "medal play", this golf format requires each golfer to play their own ball the entire round. The total number of strokes taken is recorded, and the golfer with the lowest total wins. Most professional and competitive golf tournaments are played in this format.

Usage

We are playing stroke play format for this tournament.

Deep Dive

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Stroke Play

Golf Scoring Formats: Stroke Play

Also called "medal play", this golf format requires each golfer to play their own ball the entire round.

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘T’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘U’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘V’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘W’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘X’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘Y’:

Golf Scoring Formats Beginning With ‘Z’: