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Stableford scoring explained
In a Stableford competition you score points on each hole for how you did against your net par, and the highest total wins. One bad hole costs you nothing more than zero points, which is why so many club competitions use it.
In short: net par scores 2 points, net bogey 1, net birdie 3 and net eagle 4. Net double bogey or worse scores 0, so you can pick up. 36 points means you averaged net par.
The points table
Rule 21.1 of the Rules of Golf sets the points against a fixed score for each hole, which is par unless the committee sets another:
| Score on the hole | Points |
|---|---|
| More than one over the fixed score, or no score returned | 0 |
| One over | 1 |
| The fixed score | 2 |
| One under | 3 |
| Two under | 4 |
| Three under | 5 |
| Four under | 6 |
Points never go below zero for a hole.
A worked example
The Rules of Golf's own example card: a par-70 course and a gross score of 76. Without handicap strokes it scores 30 points. The last column shows the same card for a golfer with a playing handicap of 18, who gets one stroke on every hole: 48 points.
| Hole | Par | Score | Points, no strokes | Points, handicap 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 17 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 70 | 76 | 30 | 48 |
Handicaps in Stableford
- Your playing handicap for an individual Stableford is normally 95% of your course handicap (85% in four-ball Stableford). The course handicap calculator works it out.
- Strokes go on the holes with the lowest stroke index first. A playing handicap over 18 gets a second stroke on the hardest holes.
- 36 points means 2 a hole: you played to your handicap on the day.
Tactics
Because a disaster hole only costs you its points, Stableford rewards aggressive play on holes where you get a stroke, and picking up once you can't score saves time. What still matters on every hole is the next shot's distance: count your points here, and print a Stableford scorecard for the round.