Page type: Regional rules guide
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Regional conventions and their limits
In UK club and competition language, individual stroke play is often called medal or medal play, while the Rules of Golf use the category stroke play. England Golf describes Medal as a format in which each shot is counted and added at the end, and its mixed-tee guidance refers to medal Strokeplay. Under Rule 3.3, the player with the fewest total strokes wins; in a handicap event, the lowest total net strokes wins. The marker records each hole's gross score, the player and marker certify the card, and the player must hole out on every hole. For a net competition, the committee's Terms of the Competition should state the handicap allowance and tie procedure. R&A Appendix C recommends 95% for individual stroke-play net events in a medium-sized field of 30 to 100 players, but says 100% could be considered for fewer than 30 players and that allowances may be adjusted for field size or composition. England Golf explains that Course Handicap is multiplied by the applicable allowance to produce Playing Handicap for competition purposes. These are competition provisions, not a universal rule that every UK club must use the same allowance; check the event terms.
Table
| Item | Regional reference |
|---|---|
| Format | stroke play |
| Region | UK |
| Local name | Medal (or medal play) is a common UK label for individual stroke play; it is also called stroke play elsewhere. |
| Rules context | Rules of Golf Rule 3.3; WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C (including C/1 and C/2) |
Worked example
Illustrative only: Alex has a Course Handicap of 18 in a 30-player individual net medal. With the recommended 95% allowance, 18 × 0.95 = 17.1, which is applied through the competition's Playing Handicap calculation (normally 17 after rounding). If Alex returns 94 gross strokes, the worked net score is 94 − 17 = 77. Ben's Course Handicap and the event's published Terms determine his own Playing Handicap; they are not inferred from Alex's score.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.3; WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C (including C/1 and C/2)
Sources: www.englandgolf.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.englandgolf.org
Common questions
Is medal the same as stroke play in the UK?
Usually, yes: medal or medal play is common UK competition wording for individual stroke play. The governing Rules describe the format as stroke play, so use the event's Terms of Competition for the precise scoring and handicap conditions.
Is 95% always used in a UK individual medal?
No. R&A Appendix C recommends 95% for medium-sized individual stroke-play net fields of 30 to 100 players. It says a committee could consider 100% for a field under 30, and the Terms of Competition should state the allowance actually used.
What happens if a player does not hole out in stroke play?
A player must hole out at every hole under Rule 3.3c. If the mistake is not corrected within the Rule's stated time, the player is disqualified; a casual agreement to skip a hole is not a substitute for the stroke-play procedure.
Does a UK medal use gross or net scores?
It can be either. Scratch stroke play uses gross scores; a handicap competition uses net scores after the published handicap allowance and Playing Handicap are applied.