Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose greensomes when two-player teams want both partners teeing off, a joint tee-shot choice and alternate-shot play in a match or pairs event with written terms. Choose Stableford when an individual field wants points against a Committee-set target, can stop a zero-point hole, and prefers a forgiving total over hole-by-hole team decisions.
greensomes in brief
A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots.
Stableford in brief
Individual stroke play scored by points awarded against a fixed target on each hole.
Table
| Comparison | greensomes | Stableford |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots. | Individual stroke play scored by points awarded against a fixed target on each hole. |
| Players | Minimum 2 players as one pair; ideal 4 players as two pairs in head-to-head match play or a two-pair stroke-play field. Larger fields can run multiple pairs under the Committee's terms. | Minimum 1; ideal for an individual field of 3 or more competitors. A committee can also run Stableford for a side, but this record describes individual Stableford. |
| Scoring unit | Strokes per hole, normally totalled as gross or net stroke play; the same pair-versus-pair structure can be used for match play if the competition terms say so. | Points per hole, totalled for the round. Under Rule 21.1, the target is normally par unless the Committee sets another fixed target. |
| Handicap method | For a team handicap, apply the recommended WHS allowance of 60% of the lower player's unrounded Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher player's unrounded Course Handicap, then follow the applicable Playing Handicap and competition terms. In match play, the lowest team Playing Handicap generally plays off zero and the other team receives the difference, but the Committee sets the allowance and terms. | For individual Stableford, the recommended WHS allowance is 95%. Apply it to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap; then use the full Playing Handicap and allocate strokes by the hole stroke index. The Committee or national association may set a different allowance in the Terms of Competition. |
| Money settles how | Only by prior agreement: settle a match stake at the end of the match, or settle a stroke-play pool after the final net scores. Greensomes itself does not prescribe money, stakes, or a payout method. | There is no inherent money settlement. If players agree a side stake, settle at the end of the round by the agreed total-points result or an agreed value per point; write the amount and ties rule before play. |
| Pace | Usually slower than ordinary four-ball stroke play because each hole starts with two tee shots and the chosen ball is then played alternately; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured timing claim. | Often faster than ordinary stroke play, because Rule 21.1 allows a player to stop a hole when the score will produce zero points; this is a qualified tendency, not a measured time claim. |
| Best for | Pairs who want shared decisions and alternate-shot pressure while keeping both players involved from every tee. It suits a four-player head-to-head match or a small pairs competition with clear Committee terms. | Groups wanting a forgiving points competition where one poor hole need not determine the result, and fields that prefer comparing totals rather than settling hole-by-hole. |
| Weakness | A poor tee-shot choice can leave the partner an awkward second shot, and alternate play means one mistake can affect the whole pair. Minimum tee-shot quotas, tie procedures, and whether the event is stroke play or match play must be settled in advance. | The points total can hide the underlying stroke difference, and the result depends on the Committee clearly setting the fixed target, handicap allowance and any tie or stake terms. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. Alex and Ben both tee off, select Alex's drive, and Ben plays the second shot before alternate play finishes in 4. Chris and Dana finish in 5, so the first side wins this defined scratch hole. With par 4 as the target on three holes, scores 4, 5 and 3 give Alex 6 ordinary Stableford points; scores 5, 4 and 4 give Ben 5.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 21.1 (Stableford); WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org , englandigolf.co.uk , www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do greensomes and Stableford score differently?
For greensomes: Strokes per hole, normally totalled as gross or net stroke play; the same pair-versus-pair structure can be used for match play if the competition terms say so. For Stableford: Points per hole, totalled for the round. Under Rule 21.1, the target is normally par unless the Committee sets another fixed target.
How do handicaps apply in greensomes vs Stableford?
greensomes: For a team handicap, apply the recommended WHS allowance of 60% of the lower player's unrounded Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher player's unrounded Course Handicap, then follow the applicable Playing Handicap and competition terms. In match play, the lowest team Playing Handicap generally plays off zero and the other team receives the difference, but the Committee sets the allowance and terms. Stableford: For individual Stableford, the recommended WHS allowance is 95%. Apply it to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap; then use the full Playing Handicap and allocate strokes by the hole stroke index. The Committee or national association may set a different allowance in the Terms of Competition.
When should I choose greensomes instead of Stableford?
Choose greensomes when two-player teams want both partners teeing off, a joint tee-shot choice and alternate-shot play in a match or pairs event with written terms. Choose Stableford when an individual field wants points against a Committee-set target, can stop a zero-point hole, and prefers a forgiving total over hole-by-hole team decisions.