Amateur golfers can compete against one another using a variety of scoring metrics. Common scoring methodologies include stroke play, match play, and skins play.
Stroke play, one of the most common forms of the game, is used at the majority of Professional Golfers’ Association events. It is the ideal scoring metric for large groups of individual competitors. Under the rules of stroke play, golfers simply keep track of each stroke they make and any penalty strokes incurred over the course of one or more rounds, then compare totals to determine the winner based on the fewest number of strokes.
In casual settings, groups may only track the total number of strokes, but amateur and professional events typically factor strokes under par into the equation. For example, a player who takes three strokes to reach the hole on a par 3 will finish that hole with a score of zero, compared to a score of +1 for three strokes on a par 2. Both golfers have made three strokes, but their final scores differ.
Handicaps must be considered prior to the start of stroke play. The handicapping process is somewhat complex and can only be officially implemented if players have submitted a number of scorecards to their club or another recognized authority. That said, handicaps essentially function to close the skill gap between golfers at different levels. A player with a +10 handicap can reduce their stroke count by one for each of the 10 most challenging holes on a course.
Match play differs from stroke play in several ways. In match play, a running stroke total is irrelevant, with each hole functioning as an isolated competition. Whichever player finishes the hole with the fewest strokes wins the hole. The golfer who wins the most holes is declared the winner following the predetermined number of holes or rounds.
This may seem like a minor difference, but consider this situation: Golfer A wins nine holes by one stroke each, while Golfer B wins eight holes by two strokes each. In match play, Golfer A wins 9-8, while Golfer B would win under stroke play rules, having completed the course in seven fewer strokes.
Furthermore, concessions are an official part of match play, while they form a frequently observed but technically illegal aspect of stroke play. In match play, an opponent can concede a hole, or even the match, at any point. However, when it comes to putts, golf etiquette suggests players should only offer concessions and never request them.
Similarly, stroke penalties are far less common in match play. Most rules infractions in stroke play carry a two-stroke penalty, but match play competitors are more likely to “cancel” an opponent’s shot and ask them to go again.
Finally, skins play is comparable to match play but with a key difference: skins play does not necessitate a winner for each hole. In match play, if two or more golfers finish a hole with the same number of strokes, the point is “halved” and players each receive a partial point, which cancel out. In match play with more than two players, golfers often score themselves as if they were competing in two or more separate matches, but this can quickly become complicated.
In this situation, skins may be a preferable alternative. If golfers finish a hole of skins in the same number of strokes, the point rolls over to the next hole, which is then valued at two points. Technically, golfers could tie on the first 17 holes of a skins match, making the final hole a winner-take-all situation for 18 points.
