Competition Formats
Last Updated on Monday, 25 July 2011 06:30 Written by Bryn Jones and Cameron Thomson Wednesday, 25 May 2011 21:09
In this article the main types of golf competition taking place at Beverley Golf Club are described. The rules for a particular competition may vary from the general position given here.
Competitions are of two main types: stroke-play and match-play. Stroke-play competitions will be designated as qualifying or non-qualifying for handicap purposes. Qualifying competitions are used in the calculation or re-calculation of handicaps for each individual player. For gents competitions, qualifying competitions are usually but not always played off white tees.
Handicaps are used in two modes: "actual handicap" means your current club handicap to one decimal place e.g. 25.2; "playing handicap" means your actual handicap rounded up or down to the nearest whole number e.g. 25. Competitions may place a limit on the playing handicap that may be used e.g. 24 and may only allow a part of the handicap to be used e.g. 3/4 which would mean a handicap allowance of 18. Individual competitions generally allow the full handicap to be used up to the specified limit (if any) while team competitions generally only allow a fraction of the combined or individual handicaps to be used.
Stroke-play and match-play
A Stroke-play competition consists of competitors completing each hole of a stipulated round(s) and returning a score card on which there is a gross score recorded for each hole. Each competitor is playing against every other competitor in the competition although the competitors may be grouped into divisions according to their handicap. The competitor who plays the stipulated round(s) in the fewest number of strokes is the winner, or in a handicap competition, the competitor with the lowest net score for the stipulated round(s) is the winner.
Stableford competitions are a form of stroke play where the winner of the competition is the competitor with the highest number of points.
Match-play consists of one side playing against another over a stipulated round – a side can be an individual or a pair. The game is played by holes and a hole is won by the side that holes its ball in the fewest number of strokes. In a handicap match the lower net score wins the hole. A match is won when one side leads by a number of holes greater than the number remaining to be played. Strokes and holes can be conceded at any time in order to speed up play.
Medal
Every stroke taken during the stipulated round is counted and every hole must be completed and a gross score recorded. The handicap allowance is subtracted from your total number of strokes (Gross score) to give your net score. In a handicap competition, the lowest net score wins the competition. Any 'no returns' i.e. the failure to complete a hole means you or your side are disqualified from the competition although the handicap committee may still recognise the card for the purposes of handicap review.
Stableford
Stableford is essentially a method of scoring where a number of points is awarded for each hole depending on your net score i.e. the actual or gross score less the handicap allowance for the hole. The Stableford format can be used for individual or team competitions, and can be for both qualifying and non-qualifying competitions.
The gross score for each hole must be recorded on a card. It is this that the player signs for so a mistake in the calculation of the net score or the points does not automatically lead to disqualification. In the event of a hole not being completed, a No-Return (NR) may be entered but unlike in medal competitions your card is still valid. As this is a stroke play competition, no putts may be conceded as in match play.
From the gross scores recorded for each hole, the handicap allowance is applied in accordance with the stroke index of each hole and a net score per hole calculated. From this:-
• A net bogey (1 over par) scores 1 point
• A net par scores 2 points
• A net birdie (1 under par) scores 3 points
• A net eagle (2 under par) scores 4 points
• A net albatross (3 under par) scores 5 points
Anything more than a net bogey scores ZERO points and you should pick up your ball at this point to speed up play. The player scoring the most points over the course of the competition is the winner.
Four Ball Better Ball (4BBB)
This method of play is used for pairs competitions. A team is made up of two players who play together. On each hole, both players play their own ball (as in normal play) but only the better net score of the two on each hole counts for the team score. The format may be Medal or Stableford. Scoring can be a little tricky, so to ensure that any problems in the scoring can be easily resolved, it is best to make sure that the marker of the card puts down both players gross scores in the appropriate columns as well as the better net score (and, of course, both of his own teams scores in the marker's column). In a medal competition at least one player must return a score for each hole.
Foursomes
A match-play or stroke-play game between two sides of two players each, the partners striking the ball alternately. Only one ball is used per side. The particular competition may specify rules as to who may tee-off on each hole and will determine the handicap allowance to be used.
Greeensomes
Greensomes is a variation of foursomes, where each side consists of 2 players. Both players play one tee-shot each from every tee. A choice is then made as to which is the more favourable of the 2 ball positions, the other ball being picked up. Thereafter the players play alternate shots. The particular competition may specify a minimum number of tee-shots that must count for each player and will determine the handicap allowance to be used.
American Greeensomes
American Greensomes is a variation of Greensomes where each player plays two shots with the same ball before a choice of ball is made.
Penalty strokes and order of play in Foursomes
Rule 29-1 states that penalty strokes do not affect the order of play in foursome competitions (and by implication greensomes). An easy way to think of it is - during the play of any hole, one player cannot make two consecutive counting strokes at one ball. So, if a player incurs a penalty without making a stroke (e.g. moving a ball in play), it is still their turn to make a stroke. If a player incurs a penalty by making a stroke (e.g. hits the ball OoB), it is the partner's turn to make the next stroke. If a player makes a stroke without hitting the ball (an air shot), it is the partner's turn to make the next stroke.
Similarly, if under the local rules at Beverley, you elect to re-take a shot without penalty because the ball strikes the fence surrounding the green, the next stroke is taken by the same player because the original shot is now not a counting stroke.
Please note that in the case of an American Greensomes competition where on each hole each player takes two strokes before a ball is chosen, the references to the partner's turn only apply to the second stroke and after.
AmAm
An AmAm competition may be based on the Medal or Stableford format. A team comprises three or four players and the best two, three or four net scores or points for each hole count towards the overall total for the round. The particular competition will specify the handicap allowance for each player and this is then used to determine their net score and (in Stableford) their points. For each hole, the card must record the gross score achieved by each player whose score contributes to the team's total for the hole. Errors in calculating the net score or the Stableford points are not a reason for disqualification.
Eclectic
An Eclectic competition may be based on the Medal or Stableford format. The competition is for indvidual players and comprises a number of rounds but players do not have to play in all rounds or all holes in any one round. The result is calculated by taking each player's best score on each hole across each the rounds in which the player has taken part and those scores then form the overall net score or points score depending on the format. In a medal format, a net score must be returned for each hole taking into account all the rounds played. The particular competition will specify handicap allowance that may be used.
Ambrose and Texas Scramble
In a scramble, all players tee off, the best shot is selected and all players hit again from that same spot. The best second shot is selected, and all players hit from that same spot, and so on until the ball is holed. If the scramble is called an "Ambrose," it means that handicaps are used in play, with a fraction of the total handicaps of the team members serving as one handicap for the group. The gross score for the team on each hole is recorded and totalled; the fraction of the combined handicap is then deducted from the total and the team with the lowest net total is the winner.
The rules of the particular competition may require that each player makes at least three or four tee shots that are used by the team.
A scramble or Ambrose may have a shotgun start which means each team is allocated a starting hole and they play the round from that hole, all teams starting at the same time.
Par/Bogey
A par/bogey or a bogey competition is similar in many ways to the Stableford. A player can obtain one plus point by beating net par on a hole. Net par results in a zero score whilst anything over par results in a negative one score. The player with the highest total score wins the competition.
Yellow peril
This competition is a variant of the Ambrose/Texas Scramble format and can be a Stableford or Medal competition where each competitor takes it in turn to play a hole (in a defined rotation) with a yellow ball (which may score double points) - the yellow ball + the best scores from the remaining players. Where there are three players per side, the score for the yellow ball is added to the best other score. Where there are four players in a side, the score for the player with the yellow ball is added to that of the players with the best one or two other scores.
The particular competition will determine the handicap allowance to be used. In a Medal competition, this is usually a fraction of the combined full handicap of all the players in the side which is then deducted from the total of the gross score for the round. In a Stableford competition, the handicap allowance will be used to determine the net score for each player for each hole and from this the points that goes toward the total for the round.