Golf Games

Stroke play — each person hits his/her own ball and counts each attempt to hit the ball as one stroke. The entire round of strokes is added and the person with the lowest score wins. Handicaps* are usually considered, except in championships or major tournament play.

Match play — each player hits his/her own ball and tries to win each hole. The player who wins the most holes wins the match. Players can play as individuals or in teams of 2 to 4.

Scramble — teams of 2 or 4 people play against each other. Each person tees off and once everyone has taken a turn, the group decides on who has the best lying ball. Each person picks up his/her ball and places it where the best lying ball is and plays the next stroke. This order of play continues until everyone holes out. The object is for your team to get the least amount of strokes.

Best Ball — teams of 2 to 4 people play against each other. Once a hole is played, the person with the lowest score is the one the team uses for that hole. Out of 4 players, the scores were 4, 5, 6, and 4. 4 is the lowest score among the group so 4 is the score for the team. Allowing for handicaps* is usually used to even out the scores for everyone.

Handicaps — players are handicapped according to how many strokes they take to play a round. On a round of golf which sets par at 72, a person who scores 83 will have a handicap of 11. This system allows players of different levels to compete on equal terms.