{"id":1332,"date":"2017-11-07T11:50:35","date_gmt":"2017-11-07T11:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/budperkinsgolf.com\/?p=1332"},"modified":"2021-04-28T10:57:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T10:57:19","slug":"stableford-scoring-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzingolf.com\/golf-for-beginners\/stableford-scoring-system\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stableford scoring system"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Stableford scoring system can make the game more forgiving for beginners and amateurs. We take a look at how this golf format works.<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a lot of tradition in the game of golf, and given the hundreds of years the sport has been around it should be no surprise that there is a lot of variety when it comes to the different types of formats that you can expect to encounter.<\/p>\n While most of the time golf will be measured in the “stroke play” format (where each stroke you take is counted into your score) sometimes it can be fun, or even necessary to play an alternative format.<\/p>\n For that reason, today we will be taking an in-depth look at the Stableford scoring system so that you can participate in it confidently with your friends during your next weekend round.<\/p>\n Ok, so how do Stableford points work then?<\/p>\n Well, you know how usually in golf the goal is to get the lowest score possible?<\/p>\n When you are playing Stableford rules the opposite is true. No, that doesn’t mean that you should start hacking the ball into the woods.<\/p>\n The objective in Stableford scoring is ultimately the same: what you want to do is get the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible.<\/p>\n It’s how those strokes factor into your score that is ultimately different. In the Stableford stroke system you count points, rather than strokes, for your aggregate score. Here’s how the scoring breaks down. Not that the numbers on the left are the Stableford points, and the numbers on the right refer to scores in relation to par.<\/p>\n\n There is also a modified Stableford scoring system that you might encounter in a more professional or competitive capacity:<\/p>\n\n Currently, Stableford scoring is not an extremely popular format for tournament play, especially at the professional level, but it is nevertheless still a great way to play a quick and enjoyable round with your friends.<\/p>\n Good question. Technically speaking you aren’t ever going to actually need the Stableford system, unless you want to utilize it.<\/p>\n So the real question then, is why should I want to use it? And the answer is that Stableford scoring makes golf a little bit quicker, and a little bit more forgiving for amateurs.<\/p>\n If you will refer back to the reference scale above, you will notice that there is little penalty for a bad hole and plenty of rewards for shooting a low score.<\/p>\n If you shoot four over with stroke play (it does happen sometimes, trust me) that will probably throw off your entire round. If you shoot four over while playing Stableford you simply won’t collect any points for that hole, and you can proceed to the next tee grateful for the chance at a fresh start.<\/p>\n What’s more, once you hit two over par, you don’t technically even need to finish the hole. You can pick the ball up and head on to the next tee. It\u2019s a great way to speed up the pace of play if that is what you are hoping to accomplish.<\/p>\n And, if you are looking for more of a challenge you can also play using the scoring system that is illustrated in the second list that is used in more competitive settings. For this scoring scale, you will be punished a little bit for bad holes, but the damage is still relatively controlled so your round still won’t be ruined by one bad hole.<\/p>\n For these reasons, it is a great way to play a competitive round against a friend even if they are a little bit better than you. The nature of the scoring scale keeps the round a little bit more competitive.<\/p>\nWhat is the Stableford scoring system?<\/h2>\n
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\n\t \nStableford points<\/th> Score in relation to par<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n\t 0<\/td> \u200b2 strokes or more over, or no score recorded<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 1<\/td> \u200b1 stroke over<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 2<\/td> Same number of strokes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 3<\/td> 1 stroke under<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 4<\/td> 2 strokes under<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 5<\/td> 3 strokes under<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 6<\/td> 4 strokes under<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n \n\n
\n\t \nStableford points<\/th> \u200bScore in relation to par<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n\t +8<\/td> Albatross (3 strokes under par)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t +5<\/td> Eagle (2 strokes under par)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t +2<\/td> \u200bBirdie (1 stroke under par)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t 0<\/td> \u200bPar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t -1<\/td> \u200bBogey (1 stroke over par)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t -3<\/td> Double bogey or worse (2 strokes or more over par)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n Why use the Stableford scoring system?<\/h2>\n
The Stableford format and handicaps<\/h2>\n