Stroke play
Each player counts every shot for 18 holes. Lowest gross (or net) total wins. The format you'll see at almost every member-guest, club championship, and casual round.
- Players
- Any size
- Net scoring
- Supported
How it works
The mechanics, hole by hole.
- 1Each player plays their own ball for all 18 holes.
- 2Every stroke counts — record gross score on each hole.
- 3Net option deducts USGA handicap strokes (course handicap on the harder holes first) for a handicap-adjusted total.
- 4Lowest total at the end wins. Ties broken by the event's tiebreaker rule (matching cards by default).
When to play it
Best fit.
The default for a serious round — club championships, single-day tournaments, any time you want a clean individual leaderboard. Works at any group size. A blow-up hole can sink a card, so it favors steady players over streaky ones.
Worked example
3 holes, with the math shown.
| Player | H1 (par 4) | H2 (par 5) | H3 (par 3) | 3-hole total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 (even) |
| Tom | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 (even) |
| Austin | 5 | 6 | 2 | 13 (+1) |
Mike and Tom each shoot even (12 strokes against par 12). Austin's ace on the par 3 is dramatic but a double on the par 5 puts him +1. Lowest total wins.
Other individual formats
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Run your Stroke play event with us.
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