This traditional form of the game has two individuals or two sides competing against each other with the number of holes won or lost deciding the match. The match is completed when one side is ahead after the stipulated number of holes or is more holes up than the number of holes remaining to be played.

The number of strokes awarded in this competition is the difference between the players' handicaps. Where there are more than 18 strokes difference between players' handicaps, the higher handicapped players will receive 2 or 3 strokes per hole where applicable. It is usual for the Committee to prescribe sudden-death continuation if a match is all square after the required holes. In this case handicap strokes are used as in the original round.

In four-ball match play, the lowest marker reverts to scratch and gives strokes to the higher markers. For example: A is on a 4 handicap, B on 8, C on 12, and D on 27. A receives no strokes, B gets 4 strokes, C gets 8 strokes, and D gets 23 strokes ... irrespective of who is A's partner.

Official R&A Match Play Rules

In stroke play, every player competes with one another based on the total score (including strokes made, penalty strokes and handicap if applicable). The hole-by-hole gross scores are recorded on the scorecard.

Results in stoke competitions are:

• Gross score - the total number of strokes by a player.
• Net score - the players gross score minus their daily handicap.

Players with the lowest scores win.

If any holes aren't completed (for any reason) and no score recorded, the player is disqualified in stroke competitions.

Official R&A Stroke Play Rules

A form of stroke play that uses match play scoring where the players score (number of strokes) for a hole is awarded a plus (win), minus (lose) or half (square) by comparing the player's score to the Fixed Target Score as explained below.

The Fixed Target Score, or Your par as referred below, is based on your handicap against the scorecard's stroke play index. e.g.

• If your daily handicap is 15 then you get one shot over the par rating on the scorecard on holes with an index of 1 to 15.
• If your daily handicap is 18 then you get a shot on every hole. Your par is one over the par rating on the card for every hole.
• If playing off 25 then you get one shot on holes with an index of 1 to 18 and two shots over par on stroke holes indexed 1 to 7.

A player who does not hole out for any reason gets a minus. To help with the pace of play, players are encouraged to stop playing a hole when they cannot win or half a hole (i.e. their score reaches a minus).

At the end of a round, the pluses and minuses are totalled for each nine holes and for eighteen holes. An even number of pluses and minuses cancel each other out and the result is then even or '0' and referred to as "Square". The scorecard must show the player's score (the number of strokes taken) for all holes Squared (halved) or Plussed (won).

The player with the highest score is the winner.

Official R&A Par Rules

This event is an interesting variation of the individual Par competition, where players can allocate their full handicap to each hole however they want. You just need to allocate how much of your handicap you want to use on any particular hole, if any, before teeing off on the next hole.

It is necessary to mark on the card the number of handicap strokes allocated to each hole after playing the hole and before hitting off the next hole. The allocation of handicap strokes will obviously cease once the player's full handicap has been used. The game is played as an individual Par competition, and scored in the same fashion.

For example: players taking 7 strokes on a par 5 hole will have:

• + (plus) if they allocated 3 of their handicap strokes against that hole
• 0 (half) if they take two strokes
• - (minus) if they take only one or none of their handicap strokes

At the end of a round, the pluses and minuses are totalled for each nine holes and for eighteen holes. An even number of pluses and minuses cancel each other out and the result is then even or '0' and referred to as "Square". The scorecard must show the player's score (the number of strokes taken) for all holes Squared (halved) or Plussed (won).

When scoring the card, note that the stroke score must always be shown for holes where the player has taken handicap shots. The score entry function on the computer will only require the result for each nine holes (e.g. +2 on the front 9 and -1 on the back 9).

The player with the highest score is the winner.

A form of stroke play where the players score (number of strokes) for a hole is awarded Stableford Points by comparing the player's score to the Fixed Target Score as explained below:

The Fixed Target Score, or Your par as referred below, is based on your handicap against the scorecard's stroke play index. e.g.

• If your daily handicap is 15 then you get one shot over the par rating on the scorecard on holes with an index of 1 to 15.
• If your daily handicap is 18 then you get a shot on every hole. Your par is one over the par rating on the card for every hole.
• If playing off 25 then you get one shot on holes with an index of 1 to 18 and two shots over par on stroke holes indexed 1 to 7.

The goal of the Stableford points system is to gain the highest score based on the following:

The golfer or team who has the highest score after 18 holes is the winner. A Modified Stableford is where you play using a points system other than those set in the Rules of Golf. For example: a past PGA Tour event, The International, used the following scale:

• Albatross: 8 points
• Eagle: 5 points
• Birdie: 2 points
• Par: 0 points
• Bogey: -1 point
• Double Bogey or Worse: -3 points

Official R&A Stableford Rules

A Four Ball Best Ball, often referred to as 4BBB involves teams of 2, 3, or 4 golfers and can be played as match or stroke play. Each team member plays their own ball using their full individual handicap throughout the round. After each hole, record the lowest net score for that team on the hole.

For instance, on a par 4 for team 1 golfer A makes a 5 while golfer B makes a 4 and team 2 golfer C makes a 3 while golfer D makes a 6; so team 1 would use golfer B's score of 4 and team 2 would use golfer C's score of 3. The team with the lowest best ball score at the end of 18 holes wins.

With larger teams of 3 or 4 golfers you can play 2 Best Balls format, where you take the top two scores from the team members after each hole as the team score.

Official R&A 4BBB Rules

Two players play as partners each taking strokes at holes as in a Par competition. If one of the partners wins a hole and the other halves it ... only the win is counted. If one halves a hole with par and the other loses it ... only the half is counted and so on. Plus, half and minus signs are added at the end of the round and recorded as in an ordinary Par competition.

In a four-ball handicap event care must be taken to mark the scores of each player in separate columns headed by the initials of the player. If the scores are mixed and it is impossible for the Committee to check the card the players will be disqualified.

This event is played in the same manner as a Four-Ball Par, except that the better ball of the partnership will be credited with points rather than a plus, half, or minus.

As the name implies, the Stableford system is used in this event and the competition is played with a partner, as in a Four-Ball Stableford. Individual full handicaps are applied to each player and the number of points scored by each player is recorded at the end of every hole, as well as a total or aggregate for the team. The team having the highest number of points is the winner. When marking the score card, the number of strokes taken by both players must always be shown for holes where points are scored. Thus, the card records both strokes and points.

In 4 Ball Multiplication, the two partners multiply their Stableford scores on each hole and record the total. Both players strokes and points must be recorded on the card, the products of the multiplied points then added, with the pair with highest score winning.

For example: player A has 3 points and player B has 3 points their score for the hole is 3 x 3 = 9 points or player A has 4 points and player B has 0 points then their score for the hole is 4 x 0 = 0 points.

Ambrose events involve teams of 2, 3, or 4 golfers. In an Ambrose event each team member tees off on every hole, in no specified order. After the initial tee shots, the best shot is selected, the ball is marked, and each team member then places their ball within one club length (no nearer the hole and in the same part of the course) and plays their next shot - on the green all shots must be played from within one card length (20cm) of the selected ball.

The event is played as stroke play event with the following calculation used for the team handicap, based on the combined daily handicap of the team, in addition a certain number of drives must be used per player, as per the following:

• Teams of 2 - ¼ of the combined handicap - 6 Drives per person
• Teams of 3 - ⅙ of the combined handicap - 4 Drives per person
• Teams of 4 - ⅛ of the combined handicap - 3 Drives per person

For two person events, the minimum permitted combined daily handicap of 8 (e.g. lowest handicap is 3, then the partner must play off 5 or more) and there is to be no more than 20 strokes difference between the players (e.g. lowest handicap is 5, then the partner must play off no more than 25 handicap).

Foursomes is a form of stroke play involving partners where the two partners compete as a side by playing one ball in alternating order on each hole. One partner must play first from the teeing area (tee off) on all odd numbered holes, while the other partner must tee off on the even numbered holes. Both players need to agree the order of hitting off (odd or even holes) before the game.

Once a player has teed off, the partners strike the ball alternately until the hole is completed. Therefore, if it is Player A's turn to hit from the tee, Player B will hit the second shot, Player A the third and so on until holed out.

Note that if either player incurs a penalty stroke, it does not alter the order of play. For instance if Player A hits out of bounds off the tee, it is then Player B's turn (hitting 3 off the tee). This includes the playing of a provisional ball (e.g. Player B would hit the provisional ball).

Scoring is identical to the simple method used for Stroke Play and the card should show individual hole gross and the totalled gross ½ and net scores after ½ of the combined daily handicap is deducted.

If any holes aren't completed (for any reason) and no score recorded the team is disqualified as with stroke competitions. Additionally, if players hit out of turn, the error must be corrected before teeing off the next hole or if it is the last hole, must be corrected before leaving the green.

Playing out of turn not corrected as above = Disqualification.

Official Foursomes Rules

Mixed foursomes are played in the same manner as foursomes except that the Women use the Yellow and Men use the Black tees. Men play from the odd number tees and Women play from the even numbered tees.

This event is played as per a Foursomes event except that both players play tee shots at every hole and afterwards continue with whichever ball they nominate, with the partner playing the second stroke. The team handicap is ⅜ of the combined daily handicap.

Both players play tee shots at each hole, then play a second stroke with their partner's ball. One ball is then selected and play proceeds as in foursomes, so that if Player B hit the second shot with the selected ball, Player A hits the next shot and play alternates until the hole is completed. The team handicap is ⅜ of the combined daily handicap.

This event is played as per a Foursomes event except that both players play tee shots at every hole and afterwards continue with the chosen ball having alternate shots to the green. Once on the green, both players putt from that ball position (as in Ambrose) until the ball is holed. The team handicap is ⅜ of the combined daily handicap.

The Skins Game format can be played individually or as teams. For a Skins Game each hole is worth a skin. The golfer with the lowest score on a hole wins the skin. If two or more players tie then no skin is awarded, instead the skin is carried over to the next hole. The player who earns the most skins at the end is the winner.

A Flags tournament is a format in which each golfer starts the round with a designated number of strokes and plays until they run out. The 1st group starts with a Flag (1 per Grade) and when the player runs out of shots they write their name on the flag and place it in the centre of the Fairway adjacent to where their last shot finished. If the next player arrives at the flag and still has shots remaining, they take the flag and place it where they run out of shots. As above, the player writes their name on the flag, places it in the centre of the fairway. The last group returns the flags to the Clubhouse with the last name on the flag being determined as the winner.

The number of strokes a player starts with can be either:

• adding 50 to player's daily handicap. For example: a player with a handicap of 15 would receive 65 strokes (50 + 15); or
• full handicap noting that is a higher probability that many golfers will make it through all 18 holes with strokes still left. In that case, the player with the most strokes left over wins.