Patrick Brennan
7 minutes
Golf is endlessly complex and deceptively simple. Or so we are told. The many different styles of play can often make other scoring methods in sport seem straightforward.
TheGrint offers a variety of formats for everyone who uses the app to track their game. Read on to explore the many ways to play this great game.
These games are available to ALL members of TheGrint, whether you’re a free user or a Pro member!
Everyone who has played the game can understand strokeplay. Add up all the strokes in a round, as well as penalty strokes, to get your total after 18 holes. Under 80? You’re a solid amateur player. Above 100? Maybe head to the practice ground.
How it works:
The purest form of the game, where it is you against the course. Add up all strokes, including penalty strokes and ‘gimmes’, and see what number you end up on. It’ll be higher than you want it to be.
Where do I find ‘Games’?
How it works:
In Stableford you receive points per hole, depending on your score. The modern format is as follows:
This means that 36 points is an average score, with 18 holes at a 2 point average. Anything more than 36 means you have played better than your handicap. Due to the fact there is no difference in penalty between a double bogey and a quadruple bogey, stableford is often associated with riskier styles of play, as you can make up ground after a really bad hole!
FYI:
For example, in three holes you could score a 10, then a birdie and a birdie. This brings the same amount of points as three pars. In Medal, three pars is much better. In stableford, the outcome is the same.
How it works:
When playing in pairs, Best Ball is a great format to provide a competitive game. The player with the lowest score on the hole takes the point, on every hole. You could play in a matchplay format, going ‘1 up’ after winning the first, and so on.
FYI:
This is a great format if you and a friend are both having a good day. Similarly, you can go for the ‘Ham & Egg’ tactic, where each player alternates his contributions.
Best Ball is the best score in the group on each hole. Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth shot -14 between them on Sunday at Augusta, carding a 65 and a 66 respectively, but a 58 using Best Ball.
How it works:
Skins brings an element of accumulation, where the winner is not necessarily the best player, but the one with the best timing.
FYI:
In a group of 4, three players could par the first, but if the final one birdies, he takes the ‘skin’. If two or more players tie the low score for the hole, the next hole is worth two. There can be a situation where a player makes a mess of 17 holes, makes birdie on the last, and wins the whole game by a landslide.
How it works:
Two-person teams compete for 2 points per hole; the low-ball and the high-ball point.A lesser-known format, so an example will help.
Team 1 win the low point with A’s score of 4, which beats Team 2’s lowest score of 5.
Team 1’s high ball score is 7, whereas Team 2 has a high ball score of 6. Therefore, team 2 win the high ball point, and the points are shared.
FYI:Another good format for a group with a large range in handicaps! At TheGrint we say ties do not accumulate, meaning each hole is equal weighting. Sometimes a good strategy is damage limitation.
How it works:
The best explanation for Niners is using three players.
Each hole is valued at 9 points, and there below you can see the various combinations of point distribution - depending on scores.
So, Sam makes birdie, Pat and Dave make a seven. 5-2-2 is the point distribution, and Sam is leading by three.
In summary, these formats all provide their own challenges and fun for a group of golfers. There are some which are best suited to better golfers, some suited to riskier players, and some are fun with a huge age or ability range. The best part? They are all available for free on TheGrint.
These six games also make life easier because TheGrint will do the math for you - no more pencils and erasers in your cart at the end of the round. Get in the clubhouse, order your beer and your phone will declare the winner automatically!
