Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose Hammer when two golfers want head-to-head hole play with a modest stake and will agree doubling, acceptance and carryover rules before teeing off. Choose stroke play when an individual field should be ranked by total gross or net strokes across the round.
Hammer in brief
A match-play side game where players can call a hammer to double the current hole’s agreed stake.
stroke play in brief
Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes.
Table
| Comparison | Hammer | stroke play |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A match-play side game where players can call a hammer to double the current hole’s agreed stake. | Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes. |
| Players | Minimum 2; ideal 2 head-to-head or 4 as two sides. A three-player version is a house arrangement, not covered here. | 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 | The hole, with a dollar stake attached; the hole winner receives the agreed current stake. A halved hole and carryover treatment must be agreed before 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 | Hammer has no separate WHS allowance. If the underlying game is individual match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of each player’s unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap; the lowest Playing Handicap normally plays off zero and others receive the difference. For four-ball match play, Appendix C recommends 90%. Confirm the Committee or group’s Terms because Hammer is an informal overlay. | 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 | Set a base stake before teeing off, such as $1 per hole. A valid hammer doubles the current stake; agree whether it is automatic or may be declined, whether halved-hole stakes carry forward, and whether the stake resets after a won hole. Settle net amounts at the end, not by treating a casual side game as an official Rules competition. | 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 | Usually the same as match play or slower than ordinary stroke play, as each hole still uses match-play scoring but calling, accepting and recording doubles adds decisions. This is an editorial tendency, not a measured timing claim. | 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 | Two golfers who want head-to-head match play with a negotiated money side game, or four golfers already comfortable with two-sided match play and clear pre-round limits. It suits players who enjoy risk decisions and can keep the stake modest. | 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 | The stake can escalate quickly, and unclear choices about acceptance, carryovers, timing, concessions or four-ball sides can create arguments. The group must agree a cap or stop rule if players do not want an unexpected liability. | 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. For an accepted single hammer on an agreed $2 hole stake, the stake becomes $4. If Alex wins the hole, Ben pays Alex $4 under that expressly chosen house rule. 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 3.1a(1) and Rule 3.3a for regular stroke play; WHS Appendix C for recommended allowances. Hammer is an informal side game with no separate Rules of Golf rule.
Sources: www.golfdigest.com , www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do Hammer and stroke play score differently?
For Hammer: The hole, with a dollar stake attached; the hole winner receives the agreed current stake. A halved hole and carryover treatment must be agreed before 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 Hammer vs stroke play?
Hammer: Hammer has no separate WHS allowance. If the underlying game is individual match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of each player’s unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap; the lowest Playing Handicap normally plays off zero and others receive the difference. For four-ball match play, Appendix C recommends 90%. Confirm the Committee or group’s Terms because Hammer is an informal overlay. 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 Hammer instead of stroke play?
Choose Hammer when two golfers want head-to-head hole play with a modest stake and will agree doubling, acceptance and carryover rules before teeing off. Choose stroke play when an individual field should be ranked by total gross or net strokes across the round.