Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
Free tool: Open the calculator →
When each fits
Choose dormie when you need to describe a live match-play position—such as Alex being 3 up with 3 holes left—not select a competition format. Choose skins when you want a hole-by-hole group game with agreed gross or net scoring, tie treatment and carryovers, rather than a match-play score state.
dormie in brief
A match-play score state, not a standalone golf format.
skins in brief
A hole-by-hole game where the player with the best agreed score wins that hole’s skin or carryover.
Table
| Comparison | dormie | skins |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A match-play score state, not a standalone golf format. | A hole-by-hole game where the player with the best agreed score wins that hole’s skin or carryover. |
| Players | Minimum: 2 players in one head-to-head match; ideal: 2 players or 2 sides in a match. It is not an individual-field format. | Minimum 2; ideal 3–4 players in one group. It is an individual field game, not automatically a head-to-head match. |
| Scoring unit | Match-play holes. Dormie describes a lead equal to the holes remaining, such as 3 up with 3 to play. | Holes and skins. A skin is awarded only under the group’s agreed tie and carryover rules; scores may be gross or use an agreed net method. |
| Handicap method | Dormie has no separate WHS allowance because it is a match state, not a format. Apply the underlying match allowance: Appendix C recommends 100% for individual match play and 90% for four-ball, then compare Playing Handicaps with the lowest off zero. | No WHS handicap allowance or stroke-allocation recommendation exists for net skins. For a casual game, agree in advance whether it is gross or net and document any house method; do not present individual match-play’s 100% allowance as a skins rule. |
| Money settles how | Only where house stakes for the underlying match were agreed. Settle when the match result is decided; dormie creates no automatic per-hole, per-point or payout rule. | Per hole, with the value of an outright skin and any carryover agreed before play; settle the total after the round. Money is optional and only applies where stakes are agreed. |
| Pace | Same as the underlying match play (editorial tendency). Dormie adds no holes or strokes; it only describes the lead, so pace still depends on normal match-play decisions and concessions. | Usually similar to stroke play, but it can be slower when players wait to confirm the lowest score, resolve ties or calculate net scores; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured claim. |
| Best for | Explaining a late-match scoreboard or labelling a match-play position before it is officially won. | Friends wanting a simple hole-by-hole contest with optional carryovers and a result that keeps interest alive across the round. |
| Weakness | It is often mistaken for a guaranteed win. A dormie lead equals the holes left; the match is won only when the lead exceeds the holes remaining or the opponent concedes. | Tie, carryover and handicap arrangements can become contentious because skins has no single WHS method for net play; the group must write its house rules first. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. Alex being 2 up with 2 holes left is a dormie state, not a separate game. If Ben wins both holes and an extra-hole extension is required, Alex could still lose the extended match. Under a chosen pooled skins rule, four players each contribute $2 to a hole. Alex's outright low 4 against 5, 5 and 6 wins the $8 pool: net +$6 for Alex and −$2 for each other player.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.2a (when a match is won); skins has no format-specific WHS allowance or Rules of Golf definition
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do dormie and skins score differently?
For dormie: Match-play holes. Dormie describes a lead equal to the holes remaining, such as 3 up with 3 to play. For skins: Holes and skins. A skin is awarded only under the group’s agreed tie and carryover rules; scores may be gross or use an agreed net method.
How do handicaps apply in dormie vs skins?
dormie: Dormie has no separate WHS allowance because it is a match state, not a format. Apply the underlying match allowance: Appendix C recommends 100% for individual match play and 90% for four-ball, then compare Playing Handicaps with the lowest off zero. skins: No WHS handicap allowance or stroke-allocation recommendation exists for net skins. For a casual game, agree in advance whether it is gross or net and document any house method; do not present individual match-play’s 100% allowance as a skins rule.
When should I choose dormie instead of skins?
Choose dormie when you need to describe a live match-play position—such as Alex being 3 up with 3 holes left—not select a competition format. Choose skins when you want a hole-by-hole group game with agreed gross or net scoring, tie treatment and carryovers, rather than a match-play score state.