Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose dormie when you need to describe a match-play lead equal to holes remaining; it is a score state, not a standalone format. Choose stroke play when players should complete the round and rank total gross or net strokes across the field.
dormie in brief
A match-play score state, not a standalone golf format.
stroke play in brief
Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes.
Table
| Comparison | dormie | stroke play |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A match-play score state, not a standalone golf format. | Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes. |
| 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 competitors; ideal for an individual field of 4 or more; two players can compare totals, but it is not head-to-head match play. |
| Scoring unit | Match-play holes. Dormie describes a lead equal to the holes remaining, such as 3 up with 3 to play. | Strokes: add each player's hole scores, including penalty strokes, for the round or rounds; use gross scores without handicap strokes or net scores after handicap strokes. |
| 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. | For an individual stroke-play net competition, the WHS recommended allowance is 95%. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then use that Playing Handicap for the competition. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, and field size or composition can justify an adjustment. |
| 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. | Stroke play has no built-in money settlement. If a group agrees stakes, settle at the end of the round or event from the final agreed gross or net ranking; write the pot, ties and payment rules before play. |
| 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. | Same as the stroke-play baseline: every player completes the round and records a total, so there is no inherent hole-by-hole concession to shorten play. Actual pace depends on field size, grouping and course conditions, not the format label alone. |
| Best for | Explaining a late-match scoreboard or labelling a match-play position before it is officially won. | An individual competition that should reward the lowest total over the whole round, with gross or handicap-adjusted net results that can rank the whole field. |
| 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. | One poor hole remains in the total unless the Terms of the Competition use a different authorised form such as maximum score; a large field can also make the round feel less direct than match play. |
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. Across three illustrative holes, Alex records 4, 5 and 3 for 12; Ben records 5, 4 and 4 for 13. Alex has the lower aggregate by 1 stroke.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.2a (when a match is won) and Rule 3.1a(1) and Rule 3.3a (regular stroke play); WHS Appendix C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do dormie and stroke play 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 stroke play: Strokes: add each player's hole scores, including penalty strokes, for the round or rounds; use gross scores without handicap strokes or net scores after handicap strokes.
How do handicaps apply in dormie vs stroke play?
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. stroke play: For an individual stroke-play net competition, the WHS recommended allowance is 95%. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then use that Playing Handicap for the competition. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, and field size or composition can justify an adjustment.
When should I choose dormie instead of stroke play?
Choose dormie when you need to describe a match-play lead equal to holes remaining; it is a score state, not a standalone format. Choose stroke play when players should complete the round and rank total gross or net strokes across the field.