Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose modified Stableford when you want a hole-by-hole points competition that rewards aggressive scoring and compares players over the round. Choose Snake when your group wants an informal putting side bet driven by three-putt transfers, with stakes and house conventions agreed before play.
modified Stableford in brief
A points contest that rewards strong holes and penalises poor ones more sharply than ordinary Stableford.
Snake in brief
A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot.
Table
| Comparison | modified Stableford | Snake |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A points contest that rewards strong holes and penalises poor ones more sharply than ordinary Stableford. | A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot. |
| Players | Minimum 2 for an individual field; ideal for 3+ players in a field. It can also be run head-to-head, but it is not intrinsically a match-play format. | Minimum 2 players; ideal 3-4 players in an individual field. It can run alongside a head-to-head match, but Snake itself is not a match-play competition. |
| Scoring unit | Points awarded on each hole, then totalled for the round; the highest total wins. | Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser. |
| Handicap method | There is no single universal WHS allowance specifically named for modified Stableford. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of Competition. If the event is administered as an individual Stableford handicap competition, WHS Appendix C recommends 95% of each player's unrounded Course Handicap as the Playing Handicap; confirm that treatment with the relevant national association because modified Stableford is an adapted form with committee-set scoring. Apply strokes by the published stroke index and do not present 95% as automatic for every modified Stableford event. | No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage. |
| Money settles how | Only if players agree stakes: settle after the round on the final points totals, or use a separately agreed per-point amount. The format itself creates no required betting or payout method. | Agree a fixed dollar amount per three-putt before play. Add that amount to the pot each time, then have the final snake holder pay the pot to the other players; agree in advance whether the amount doubles, how unfinished rounds are handled and how any tie is resolved. |
| Pace | Often faster than ordinary stroke play when the Terms of Competition allow a player to stop once no points can be scored on a hole; otherwise pace is broadly similar. This is a practical tendency, not a measured rule or guarantee. | Usually the same as ordinary stroke play when everyone holes out in turn, but it can be slower if players debate whether a putt counts or add a separate token-and-settlement routine. |
| Best for | Groups wanting an individual points game with a clear risk-and-reward emphasis, especially a competition that wants birdies and eagles to matter more than in ordinary Stableford. | Three or four players who want a simple putting-focused side bet alongside their normal round or another agreed game, with clear stakes and no gimmes unless the group agrees otherwise. |
| Weakness | The points table is not universal, so players can dispute results unless the Committee publishes the target score, points for each result, handicap treatment, tie-break and pick-up procedure beforehand. | The final loss can depend on one late three-putt rather than overall scoring, and informal conventions differ on putts from the fringe, conceded putts, doubling and the payout. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. Under an explicitly selected modified points table of par 0, bogey −1 and birdie +2, Alex's 4, 5 and 3 on par-4 holes total 1 point; Ben's 5, 4 and 4 total -1. The Committee must specify the actual table. Under a chosen last-three-putt Snake rule, Alex holds the Snake at the end and pays $2 to each of Ben, Chris and Dana: net −$6 for Alex and +$2 for each other player. Agree the trigger before play.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 21.1; Official Guide to the Rules of Golf, Committee Procedures Section 9A; WHS Appendix C; Rules of Golf Rule 3
Sources: www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.pgatour.com , www.golfdigest.com , www.usga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
How do modified Stableford and Snake score differently?
For modified Stableford: Points awarded on each hole, then totalled for the round; the highest total wins. For Snake: Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser.
How do handicaps apply in modified Stableford vs Snake?
modified Stableford: There is no single universal WHS allowance specifically named for modified Stableford. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of Competition. If the event is administered as an individual Stableford handicap competition, WHS Appendix C recommends 95% of each player's unrounded Course Handicap as the Playing Handicap; confirm that treatment with the relevant national association because modified Stableford is an adapted form with committee-set scoring. Apply strokes by the published stroke index and do not present 95% as automatic for every modified Stableford event. Snake: No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage.
When should I choose modified Stableford instead of Snake?
Choose modified Stableford when you want a hole-by-hole points competition that rewards aggressive scoring and compares players over the round. Choose Snake when your group wants an informal putting side bet driven by three-putt transfers, with stakes and house conventions agreed before play.