Page type: Regional rules guide
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Regional conventions and their limits
In the United States, stroke play means each player competes against the field by comparing total strokes over one or more rounds. In regular individual stroke play, every hole is holed out and the hole scores are added to produce the total; the player with the fewest total strokes wins. A Committee may instead run another form of stroke play, such as maximum score, under its specific Rules of Golf provisions. In a net handicap competition, the USGA’s Appendix C recommends 95% for an individual stroke-play event, but that is a recommendation for a medium-sized field rather than an automatic national mandate. The National Association, regional association or club can establish the allowance, and the Committee should state it in the Terms of the Competition. The allowance is applied to the unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap. Local conditions, preferred lies, maximum-score limits and tie procedures therefore come from the Committee’s Terms of Competition or Local Rules, not from a universal US stroke-play convention. A gross event applies no handicap strokes.
Table
| Item | Regional reference |
|---|---|
| Format | stroke play |
| Region | USA |
| Local name | Stroke play; USGA historical material notes that medal play is an older term commonly called stroke play today, not a separate current format |
| Rules context | Rules of Golf Rule 3.3; Rule 21 (other forms of stroke play); WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C |
Worked example
In a US individual net stroke-play event, Alex has an unrounded Course Handicap of 12.4. If the Committee adopts the Appendix C recommended 95% allowance, 12.4 × 0.95 = 11.78, which is rounded according to the applicable Playing Handicap calculation to 12 strokes. Alex shoots 86, so the illustrative net score is 74. The Committee must set the allowance in the Terms of the Competition; this example is not a claim about a particular club event.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.3; Rule 21 (other forms of stroke play); WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
Is stroke play called medal play in the US?
Stroke play is the current Rules of Golf term. USGA historical material says medal play was an older term commonly called stroke play today, so treat medal play as a qualified synonym rather than a different rules format.
What handicap allowance is recommended for US individual stroke play?
USGA WHS Appendix C recommends 95% for individual stroke-play net events in a medium-sized field. It is a recommendation, and the Committee’s Terms of the Competition should specify the allowance; it is applied to the unrounded Course Handicap.
Does every US stroke-play event use 95%?
No. The National Association, regional association or club can establish or delegate the allowance, and field size or composition may justify an adjustment. A gross event does not apply handicap strokes.