Page type: Glossary / definition
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Meaning
Individual Stroke Play is a competition in which each golfer plays as an individual and is ranked by the total strokes taken over the round or rounds. The lowest gross total wins a scratch event; the lowest net total wins when handicap strokes are applied.
How it matters in match play
Individual Stroke Play is not Match Play. In stroke play, each competitor is compared with the whole field and the winner has the fewest total strokes, including penalty strokes, or the fewest total net strokes in a handicap event. A hole-by-hole lead therefore does not settle the result; the completed scorecard and the Terms of the Competition do.
Table
| Quick reference | Detail |
|---|---|
| Term | Individual Stroke Play |
| Category | general |
| Applicable rule | Rules of Golf Rule 3.1a(1), Rule 3.3a and Rule 3.3b; World Handicap System Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C |
| Related concepts | Stroke Play, Gross Score, Net Score, Round Score, Scorecard |
Worked example
In an illustrative 18-hole scratch event, Alex takes 86 strokes and Ben takes 89, so Alex wins by 3 strokes; in a handicap event, compare each player's applicable net total instead.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.1a(1), Rule 3.3a and Rule 3.3b; World Handicap System Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C
Sources: www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.golf.org.au
Common questions
How does Individual Stroke Play differ from Match Play?
Individual Stroke Play compares every golfer's total score with the field. Match Play compares two players or sides hole by hole, so the result is recorded as holes up, down or tied rather than as a total-stroke ranking.
What score wins Individual Stroke Play?
The lowest total gross score wins a scratch competition. In a handicap competition, the Committee's stated handicap method is used and the lowest total net score wins. The Terms of the Competition should explain how ties are decided.
Is Individual Stroke Play always played over 18 holes?
No. A competition may use a different number of holes or multiple rounds. The result is based on the total strokes for the rounds covered by the competition, subject to its Terms of the Competition.