We play a number of events at Trentham. Do you wonder what Stableford, Par or American Foursomes are? This guide will show you how to play events in our program, and explain how each one is scored. Read them in conjunction with the Rules of Golf.
Stroke
Your score at each hole is entered on the score card, totalled and your full handicap deducted. The winner is the player who completes the round in the lowest number of strokes.
Par
On the scorecard, holes are indexed from 1 to 18 (by difficulty). Your par for each hole is determined by your handicap and the hole index.
For example, if your handicap is 12, you receive a stroke on each of the 12 hardest holes. If your handicap is 22, you receive two strokes on the four hardest holes, and one stroke on the rest. So if you receive a stroke on a Par 4, then your par for that hole is 5. If you have 2 strokes on a Par 5, then your par for that hole is 7, etc.
In a Par competition, if you better your par, you score a win (+). If your par is equalled you score a half (o), and if your par is exceeded, you score a loss (–).
At the end the round, the halves count as zero and the losses are subtracted from the wins, giving your overall score. For example, if you had 6 wins, 3 losses and 9 halves, your score would be +3. You can score zero or a negative amount e.g. –3. The winner is the player with the highest total Par score.
Stableford
Your par for each hole is determined in the same way. However, rather than a win or loss, Stableford gives points at each hole, depending on your score in relation to your par.
- For 2 or more over your par, score 0 points.
- For 1 over your par, score 1 point.
- For equalling your par, score 2 points.
- For 1 under your par, score 3 points.
- For 2 under your par, score 4 points.
- For 3 under your par, score 5 points, etc.
The winner is the player with the highest number of points for the whole round, for example 40 points.
4BBB (Four Ball Better Ball)
You play as the partner of another player. On each hole, the better score of you or your partner is counted. If the scores are equal, the score of the first to hole out is taken.
4BBB can be played as a Par, Stableford or Stroke event. The ‘Four-Ball’ comes from the group of four (two teams of two players) that plays together. Scores should be recorded in a column for each player (see p. 53), so that the card can be checked at the end of the round.
Foursomes
You play as the partner of another player, but only use one ball. Partners strike off alternately from each tee, and during the play of each hole. Scoring is done as per a Stroke round. Half the aggregate handicap of you and your partner is subtracted from the total score.
Mixed Foursomes
Played the same as foursomes, except women members use their own tees.
Canadian Foursomes
As per foursomes, except each team member hits their own ball from the tee. They then continue with whichever ball they nominate. Handicap is 3/8 of the combined total.
American Foursomes
Both players play their tee shot, then play a second stroke with their partner’s ball. One ball is then selected, the owner of that ball plays the third stroke, then players alternate until the ball is holed out. Handicap is 3/8 of the combined total.
Aggregate Stableford
Players play as a team of two or more, each playing a Stableford round. The competition result is the total points scored by all players. Note that players are not ‘partners’ for the purposes of the Rules of Golf.
Ambrose
Teams may be 2, 3 or 4 players. Each plays their own ball from the tee, and the best positioned ball is taken. Other players pick up their ball and play their next shot from the same position, continuing this procedure until holing out.
Handicaps are calculated as
- 1/8 of the aggregate for a 4-person team,
- 1/6 of the aggregate for a 3-person team
- 1/4 of the aggregate for a 2-person team.
Eclectic
Competitors play in a number of prescribed rounds, and the eclectic score is the lowest score obtained at each hole in these rounds. The eclectic might run for the whole year, for example.