Playing formats

Match play :

The game is played hole by hole. A hole is won by the player (or team) who holes out in the fewest number of strokes. In a net competition the lowest net score wins the hole. The game is won by the side who wins the most number of holes.

Stroke play :

The competition is won by the player (or team) who plays the nominted amount or rounds in the lowest amount of strokes. The lowest net score (gross score minus handicap) wins.

Stableford against par :

A competition against par and Stableford are forms of Stroke Play in which you play against a fixed score for each hole, this score being the Par of the hole.

Against par : 

The score is counted as in match play :

• A hole is won if a player (or team) makes a score lower than the par
• A hole is halved if the player (or team) makes a score equal to the par
• A hole is lost if the player (or team) makes a score higher than the par

In competitions with shots received, it is the net score which is compared to the par

Stableford :

Form of stroke play where the scoring is calculated by points being awarded in relation to a fixed score at each hole (par), as follows:

The winner is the player (or team) who totals the greatest number of points. In competition with shots received, the score achieved at each hole is decreased by the number of shots received on this hole before being compared to the fixed score.

THE OFFICIAL FORMATS OF PLAY

Singles :

One player.

Foursome :

Two players from a partnership, playing one ball alternately. One players tees off on the odd numbered holes, the other on the even numered holes. The other shots are played in turn until the hole is finished. 

Threesome :

Identical to foursome but one of the two teams is comprised of only one player

Match play - three ball :

Competition in match play where 3 players play alone, each playing his own ball. Each player plays two separate matches

Match play - four ball :

The 2 players of each team each play a ball and the best score achieved on each hole is taken into account.

Match play - better ball :

Identical to the 4 ball, but one of the teams is comprised of only one player, the other can be composed of 2 or 3 players.

Sroke play - four ball :

The 2 players of each team each play a ball and the best score achieved on each hole is taken into account.

THE NON-OFFICIAL FORMATS OF PLAY

Greesome :

The 2 players of the team each play a ball from the tee, they choose the one that suits them best and finish the hole by playing alternately this ball.

Chapman :

The 2 players of the team each play a ball from the tee, then swap positions for the 2nd shot. They then choose the ball that suits them best and play this one alternately for the remanider of the hole.

Patsome :

The first 6 holes are played in Four-ball, the 6 following in Greensome, the last 6 in Foursome. The final count of strokes is done as in Foursome.

Flag competition :

Each player has a personalised flag, which will be planted in the location where their ball comes to rest after having exhausted all their strokes. The total number of strokes is calculated for each of the players by adding his playing handicap to the S.S. S. (example: player whose playing handicap is 24, S.S.S. : 71 => the player receives 95 strokes).  The player who has planted his flag the furthest from the 1st tee will be declared the winner .

String competition :

Each competitor receives a length of string to resemble their playing handicap (a general rule is 50 cm per point of the playing handicap but the Competition Committee may fix the length they like). This allows the competitor to extend the roll of their ball to hole out, or to move the ball from a difficult position when it is hardly playable. The player then cuts off the equivalent amount of string used and continues with the remaining length.

Eclectic :

Game played over several rounds on the course in retaining only the best score achieved on each of the eighteen holes. Competition with a minimum of 2 rounds and a maximum of 4 rounds played consecutively. (On several weeks or months see Ringer score)..

Ringer score :

This form of game is very similar to the Eclectic, but with a large number of score card counting, or a certain number of cards during a certain calendar period. Is often played in winter on 9 or 10 cards, to promote training during this season. Over the rounds, each player retains the best score obtained on each hole. The best card possible will be produced at the end of the duration.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON RULES FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF A SCRAMBLE :

All players of a team must play from a place as close and similar as possible to that or the lie of the ball chosen; the fact of dropping can move the ball can give a very different lie from that of the chosen ball. The players of the same team should be able to choose their order of play. The scramble is a very slow formula and play must be accelerated as much as possible. To motivate all players of a team, it would be desirable that this is not always the ball of the best player that gets used. In order to better coordinate a team, one of the players must be named "Captain" (this is most often the best player). Given the particularities of game the formula stroke play is the more suitable.