Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose round robin when a small field should meet several opponents in scheduled match-play contests and finish with a competition table. Choose skins when two to four players want one shared round, optional carryovers, and a simple hole-by-hole contest.
round robin in brief
A schedule where each player or side meets the others in separate head-to-head matches.
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 | round robin | skins |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A schedule where each player or side meets the others in separate head-to-head matches. | A hole-by-hole game where the player with the best agreed score wins that hole’s skin or carryover. |
| Players | Minimum 3 competitors or sides for a meaningful schedule; ideal 4-8, with each participant playing the others in turn. This is an individual field or a field of sides, not one group playing every hole together. | Minimum 2; ideal 3–4 players in one group. It is an individual field game, not automatically a head-to-head match. |
| Scoring unit | Each match is scored hole by hole as match play; the overall table uses agreed match points, wins, halves or another competition countback. | 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 | For individual handicap match play, use the competition's stated allowance; WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of the unrounded Course Handicap for individual match play. After Playing Handicaps are calculated, the lowest plays off zero and each opponent receives the difference. A round robin involving teams or another form must not automatically inherit this allowance: the Committee should state the allowance and stroke-index method in the Terms of Competition. | 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 if stakes are agreed: settle after the round-robin table, using the announced value for each match point, win or final placing. The Rules of Golf do not set a round-robin payout or betting convention. | 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 | Slower overall than one stroke-play round for the same field is the usual tendency, because a round robin requires multiple head-to-head matches and scheduling; this is an editorial planning judgement, not a measured statistic. | 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 | Club leagues, social groups and small competitions that want everyone to meet several opponents rather than be eliminated after one loss. | Friends wanting a simple hole-by-hole contest with optional carryovers and a result that keeps interest alive across the round. |
| Weakness | It needs more match slots than a knockout and can create tie-break disputes or uneven schedules when players withdraw, so the Committee must publish the draw, points and tie procedure. | 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. Four entrants Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana in an all-play-all schedule need 6 pairings. That schedule is different from the rotating six-hole partner game sometimes given the same name. 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 2023, Rule 3.2; WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C
Sources: www.golf.org.au , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do round robin and skins score differently?
For round robin: Each match is scored hole by hole as match play; the overall table uses agreed match points, wins, halves or another competition countback. 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 round robin vs skins?
round robin: For individual handicap match play, use the competition's stated allowance; WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of the unrounded Course Handicap for individual match play. After Playing Handicaps are calculated, the lowest plays off zero and each opponent receives the difference. A round robin involving teams or another form must not automatically inherit this allowance: the Committee should state the allowance and stroke-index method in the Terms of Competition. 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 round robin instead of skins?
Choose round robin when a small field should meet several opponents in scheduled match-play contests and finish with a competition table. Choose skins when two to four players want one shared round, optional carryovers, and a simple hole-by-hole contest.