Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose shamble when a team wants one selected drive followed by each player's own ball and a lowest-score team result. Choose Stableford when an individual field wants points against a Committee-set target, so one disastrous hole need not decide the total.
shamble in brief
Teams select the best tee shot, then play individual balls and count the lowest score.
Stableford in brief
Individual stroke play scored by points awarded against a fixed target on each hole.
Table
| Comparison | shamble | Stableford |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Teams select the best tee shot, then play individual balls and count the lowest score. | Individual stroke play scored by points awarded against a fixed target on each hole. |
| Players | Minimum: 2 players forming one team; ideal: 4 players for one team, or 8+ players for head-to-head teams or a field. | 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: after the selected drive, each player completes the hole with their own ball; the lowest team score is the hole's team score. | 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 | Use the Competition Committee's Terms of Competition. The USGA shamble guidance suggests 75% of each player's Course Handicap for a two-person team and 65% of each player's Course Handicap for a four-person team; apply the percentage to the unrounded Course Handicap, then calculate Playing Handicap. These are shamble guidance figures, not a universal WHS allowance, and other team sizes or formats need a stated house method. | 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 | Shamble has no inherent money settlement. If stakes are agreed, settle on the final team totals or on separately agreed per-hole or match bets; write the payment and tie rules before play. | 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 stroke play for one group because everyone tees off and then plays an individual ball, although it can be quicker than a scramble after the drive because players do not repeatedly choose and replay one team ball. | 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 | Groups that want the teamwork of a selected-drive game while keeping every player's approach shots and putting in play; it suits a four-person team event or a small head-to-head competition with clear Committee conditions. | 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 | The format is not fully standardised: drive-selection limits, team size, scoring, handicap treatment and tie procedures can vary, so an event without written conditions can produce disputes. | 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 select a preferred drive then play separate balls, scoring 4 and 5. If the event counts one best score, their side records 4; another counting rule would require a different result. 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: R&A Rule 3.1 (stroke-play and side framework; shamble is not a named standalone form); R&A Rule 21.1 (Stableford); WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do shamble and Stableford score differently?
For shamble: Strokes: after the selected drive, each player completes the hole with their own ball; the lowest team score is the hole's team score. 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 shamble vs Stableford?
shamble: Use the Competition Committee's Terms of Competition. The USGA shamble guidance suggests 75% of each player's Course Handicap for a two-person team and 65% of each player's Course Handicap for a four-person team; apply the percentage to the unrounded Course Handicap, then calculate Playing Handicap. These are shamble guidance figures, not a universal WHS allowance, and other team sizes or formats need a stated house method. 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 shamble instead of Stableford?
Choose shamble when a team wants one selected drive followed by each player's own ball and a lowest-score team result. Choose Stableford when an individual field wants points against a Committee-set target, so one disastrous hole need not decide the total.