Golf formats explained: stroke play, match play, scramble and the rest

Individual, pairs or teams. How each format works, when it is used, how it is scored, and which one to pick for a social tournament, a group of friends or a company day.

Teeup Golf Team

September 30, 2026 / 6 min read

Golf formats explained

One course, the same 18 holes, and eight different ways to play them. Choosing the right format is what makes a day work — or leaves half the group bored by the 6th.

It comes down to one question: what do you want to happen? If you want everyone genuinely competing, one format. If you want a beginner and an 8-handicapper to enjoy the same round, a completely different one.

Individual formats

Stroke play

The classic. You count every stroke and the lowest total wins.

Gross: actual strokes, no handicap deducted.
Net: strokes minus your playing handicap.

When to use it: official competitions and when you want a clean measurement of your level. Problem: one disaster hole wrecks the whole round. For a high handicapper it can be miserable.

Stableford

The most-used format in amateur golf, and for good reason. You score per hole against your net par, and a bad hole only costs you that hole.

Result	Points
Net birdie	3
Net par	2
Net bogey	1
Net double bogey or worse	0

Most points wins. 36 points equals playing exactly to your handicap.

The operational advantage: once you can no longer score on a hole, you pick up and move on. It improves pace of play noticeably. The full calculation is in how to read a golf scorecard and calculate your Stableford points.

Match play

You do not count total strokes: you win, halve or lose each hole. Whoever wins most holes wins.

The score is expressed in holes up: "2 up" is two holes ahead. The match ends when the lead exceeds the holes remaining: "3&2" means you won by 3 holes with 2 left to play.

Why it is the most fun format to play with a friend: a 9 on a hole costs exactly the same as a 5. You lose that hole and start fresh on the next. It is the format with the most comebacks.

Bogey competition

Each hole is won, halved or lost against net par. The final result reads "+3" or "−2". It is match play against the course instead of against a person.

Pairs formats

Format	How it is played	Demand level
Fourball	Each plays their own ball; the better score of the two counts on each hole	Low. Ideal for mixed levels
Foursomes	One ball, alternate shots. One tees off on odd holes, the other on evens	High. Needs similar levels
Greensomes	Both tee off, you pick the better drive, then alternate shots	Medium. The best balance
Chapman	Both tee off, both play the other's ball, then pick one and alternate	Medium-high

Which to choose: greensomes is probably the best pairs format for a mixed group. Everyone hits their own tee shot — the fun part — and from there it is a team effort without the brutal pressure of foursomes.

Foursomes is the most emotionally demanding: if your partner leaves it in the bunker, you play it. It works beautifully between similar levels and badly between mismatched ones.

Team formats

Scramble

Every player on the team hits, the best ball is chosen, and everybody plays again from there. Repeat until holed.

It is the corporate and social tournament format because a beginner never blocks the team: if their ball goes out, you play someone else's and carry on happily. Usually played in teams of 4.

Many tournaments add a "minimum drives per player" condition (for example, at least three tee shots from each player must be used) so nobody is a spectator.

Texas scramble and variants

The same as a scramble, with extra rules set by the organiser: a minimum number of shots from each player, mandatory use of everyone's drive at least once, and so on. The purpose is always the same: everyone participates.

Am-Am

Amateur teams where a set number of the best scores count on each hole (for example, the best two of four). More competitive than a scramble but just as inclusive.

Which format for which occasion

Situation	Recommended format
Social tournament with very mixed levels	Scramble
Company or client day	Scramble or Texas scramble
Regular group of friends	Match play or individual stableford
Two evenly matched pairs	Fourball or greensomes
Serious competition	Net and gross stroke play
Ryder between two teams	A mix: fourball, greensomes and individual match play
A beginner in the group	Scramble or fourball, never foursomes

The Ryder format: why it works so well

The Ryder Cup format — two teams facing off across several sessions in different formats — is amateur golf's best invention for groups.

Why it works:

It mixes formats, so nobody plays under the same kind of pressure all day.
Scoring is by matches won, not strokes, so one individual disaster does not sink the team.
It creates belonging. People remember the Ryder from three years ago; nobody remembers last month's stableford.

A typical weekend structure:

Session	Format
Saturday morning	Greensomes
Saturday afternoon	Fourball
Sunday	Individual match play

At Teeup we organise private Ryder events by region for groups: course, format, pairings and standings all handled.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between stroke play and match play? In stroke play every stroke of the round counts. In match play what counts is who wins each hole, regardless of by how many.

What is a scramble in golf? A team format where everyone hits, the best ball is chosen, and everyone plays again from there until holed.

What is the difference between foursomes and greensomes? In foursomes you alternate shots from the tee. In greensomes both tee off, the better drive is chosen, and you alternate from there.

What is the best format for a company golf day? A scramble. A beginner never slows the team down and everyone plays on every hole.

How many Stableford points is playing to your handicap? 36.

What does "3&2" mean in match play? The match was won by 3 holes with 2 left to play.

Can you play fourball with very different handicaps? Yes — that is one of its strengths: each plays their own ball with their own strokes and the better score counts.

The format is not an organisational detail: it decides who has a great day and who is watching the clock by the 8th.

With Teeup you book the course in seconds and, if you are organising for a group, we set up the tournament or the full Ryder.

Download the Teeup app and plan your next day out.