One variation from the conventional golf game is Stableford. It is a popular game that is used in official tournaments where it is up to the ability of the golfer to win. This is because, in situations where there is a bad hole, the golfer is allowed to proceed to the next hole and disregard the current one.
How is Stableford played?
One of the good things about playing Stableford is that it is very flexible in the number of players. It can be an individual game, a team game or they can be combined. The objective of this game is to collect as many points as possible throughout the course. The number of strokes is determined through the net score of each player made after adjusting their respective handicaps.
Scoring system in Stableford
As a rule of thumb, the scoring can be based on the below which is made after handicap adjustment.
- 5 points for Albatross
- 4 points for Eagle
- 3 points for Birdie
- 2 points for Par
- 1 point for Bogey
- 0 for Double Bogey and below.
How it works here is, in a situation where a golfer plays with a 24 handicap, he will receive 24 shots for that round. This means he will play 1 shot for every hole and 4 other shots in holes with 1, 2, 3 or 4 difficulty ratings.
- Points are recorded based on the net score of each player. In addition to that, they play their one individual golf ball
- Points will demonstrate the par of each hole against the Net Score of the golfer.
- A ball can be picked up (with no penalty) and move on to the next once the player reached a predetermined number of strokes
- Difficulty ratings for each hole are clearly stated. This will help the golfer in knowing whether he will get an extra shot (which is in relation to the hole’s par).
- Awarded points are permanent and cannot be forfeited. In other words, if you played well in the first 9 and not so well in the next, you could still maintain your lead and win.
Why is Stableford so popular?
There are certain features in Stableford that make it such a preferred game among golfers. This includes:
- Allowing the golfer to move on to the next hole without imposing any penalty which is ideal in situations where you are struggling with a certain hole.
- Stableford is a good game to let you experience the golf course which is great if this is your first time.
- Being one of the fairer scoring systems. When you get good scores, you get more points which when accumulated better reflects your overall game
- When played among intermediate or higher golfers, this is a fast format game. However, it might be slower for beginners.
