Game Formats - Preferences

[haplesshacker]

With my new found freedom and "free" golf, I played one of my former directors last Monday. He suggested that we play matchplay. This is a format that I've never played before, so I recorded all the scores, gross, stableford and match play. However it was the match play that we focussed on.

To my surprise I really liked this style of play. It helped my concentration massively. As you know the 100 gross is something that I've only beaten once; until last Monday when I grossed a 98, 72 net, 2 over par, and 35 putts with 7 singles! A record for me.

I might try and encourage my Saturday comp mates to have a match play game and see where that leaves us on stableford at the end of the game. You never know their scores might improve as much. Bearing in mind that's 11 shots I shaved off my average game!

Now back to the title.

What's your favoured format, and which gets you the best results?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The thing with matchplay is that you can have a mare on one hole and only lose the one hole and not ruin a whole round. Its great if you can get a 4 ball match going with perhaps a £1 on the front 9, a £1 on the back 9 and a £1 for the overall result. It normally gets a bit of banter going and even if you are winning at half time it gives the others something to try and play for,

 

[GB72]

Best rounds for me are when we have a large group of a dozen of us. We have an overall stableford on the go together with a 4 ball better ball going in the individual 4 balls. Gives an overall target to aim for on your own together with a bit of teamwork and competition in the individual groups.

 

[USER1999]

Whilst I love match play, the real game for me is medal. The truest test of golf.

 

[Imurg]

I like Matchplay. Especially Doubles (better-ball). The guy I normally play with in our Doubles Knockout is fairly steady so it means I can go for some shots I wouldn't normally go for knowing that he's going to do his bit if I don't make it. I've eagled 3 short par 4's going for the green when he's in the middle of the fairway.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to say we normally play a matchplay game in our Saturday bounce game but also have a friendly stableford for £1 a head plus £1 for bidies and sand saves going on at the same time

 

[SammmeBee]

Whilst I love match play, the real game for me is medal. The truest test of golf.

But even truer if you call it proper like....Stroke Play....

 

[Cernunnos]

Whilst I love match play, the real game for me is medal. The truest test of golf.

Actually the original format & probably therefore could be argued the truest form is actually Match Play.

Having said this, strokeplay is what I inevitably judge my game by & for quite some time is something I would have said is my preference, without reservation. But there are so many formats that I think in their own way are each great.

Recently though, in games with some of my mates I've been predominantly interested in who won the hole, rather than the score itself, perhaps because its been winter & the bad weather has meant parr for a hole becomes meaningless.

 

[viscount17]

not sure that I have a favourite, bogey - you against the course - is maybe the toughest.
I think you have to be on your game, or at least aware of it, to do justice to matchplay.

 

[Smiffy]

Matchplay for me...preferably betterball with 3 good mates to get the banter going.
Medal is second favourite.
Mostly play Stableford which I get a bit bored with to be honest.

 

[HarryMonk]

We always play Stableford, there is usally a group of about 12 going in 3 four balls everyone puts in £1 winner takes pot. H/C's get adjusted acordingly, eg winner loses 2 strokes from their H/C second 1 sroke, and last place gets 1 back.

I do like matchplay though as I feel it does really get you focused.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I rarely play Stableford, usually only at outings with more than one group.
I always play matchplay(better ball)for a couple of £ when in a group of 4.
Strokeplay is what it's all about for me though. Being able to hold it together for a full round is very satisfying.

 

[Cernunnos]

Harry if you are having a bit of a flutter, you may as well play skins. Its fun & gives everyone a chance, even higher handicap players, with or without handicap being taken into account.

There are many different points or betting games including Bingo, Bango, Bongo, but skins is aditctive & rarely ends in anyone being seriously out of pocket, infact most times it evens up by the end of the round.

 

[pigmeister]

If there is 4 of us playing we will always play better ball matchplay for a £5. It`s quick, if your out of the hole you can pick up. If there is a big group of us we will usually put £2 each in the pot and play a better ball stapleford, 4`s permiting. If there are group`s of 3`s we play best 2 scores on each hole all three to count on par 3`s. This can be very interresting if you use a card from a different course and play to their pars and stroke indexes. We played Torrie Pines north course last friday.

 

[ricardodaintino]

I play a lot of rounds by myself so find strokeplay the easiest way to monitor my progress.

 

[jonesuk]

I play a lot of rounds by myself so find strokeplay the easiest way to monitor my progress.

I am similar and much prefer strokeplay to matchplay. Don't have much experience of stableford.

 

[need_my_wedge]

I play a lot of rounds by myself so find strokeplay the easiest way to monitor my progress.

ooerr missus. Sorry, couldn't resist, but I can't be th e only one to see the humour in that......

 

[Leftie]

Happy birthday mate.

Favourite is Match Play (and it's derivatives for social friendlies). It is, I think, the only format where you are playing an opponent rather than the course.

Next up is the Bogey format where you play Match Play against the course. If I'm on my own I'll play this as it really concentrates the mind.

Medal is medal - true test of golf and your skills both physical and mental.

Stableford is the best format when there is more than one group playing e.g. a swindle or society etc.

 

[KeefG]

I love competetive matchplay, having only had the opportunity to play it 3 times in my old golf society.

The extra bit of "something" that playing in a competition brings is fanstastic!!

 

[theeaglehunter]

I certainly do like matchplay but prefer it much more when playing a player off of a similar handicap so it is basically a gross scoring affair. When you play match play with someone getting 12 shots or something it just seems to take away a certain element of the format where you often 'have' to match a shot of an opponent to have a look in on a hole. For example if I'm playing against someone off the same handicap and on one hole I hit a wedge in to 2 ft they would be under immense pressure which is what this format is about. If I was giving someone a shot on this hole I could stick my wedge to 2 ft and they could simply wedge on safely and 2 putt.

This must be even more frustrating for low handicappers! The format itself though is great.

I'm not adverse to the odd texas scramble either