GOLF TOURNAMENT FORMATS

 

Here are some of the common tournament formats we play:

 

 

FORMATS WITH POSTABLE SCORING:

 

INDIVIDUAL MEDAL PLAY (STROKE PLAY):  A round of golf in which the score is kept by adding the cumulative total of strokes taken throughout the round.

 

BEST BALL (BETTER BALL):  Each team consists of two players.  Each player on the team plays their own ball throughout the round, and on each hole the low score of the group serves as the team score. 

 

1-2-3 BEST BALL:  4-person teams keep score using the lowest score on the first hole, then the two lowest scores on the second hole and three lowest scores on the third hole.  On the fourth hole it is back to the lowest score and so on throughout the round.

 

BEST TWO OF FOUR:  4-person teams keep score using the lowest two scores on each hole.  The total score of the team is the sum of the two low scores for each of the 18 holes.

 

FORMATS WITH NON-POSTABLE SCORING:

 

SCRAMBLE:  Usually played with 4-person teams, but 2-person scrambles are popular also.  In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole.  The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shot from that spot.  The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed.

 

ALTERNATE SHOT:  A format for 2-person teams.  The two players on a team alternate hitting shots, playing the same ball.