Match play vs stroke play

[HPIMG]

What do you play and what’s the reason for picking one over the other ?

I have been playing with a guy for a few months now I’m off 9 he’s off 19 so I give him 10 shots plus it’s match play and I feel as if that way really sticks it to the better player. I was +1 today after 10 holes but I was getting beat by 2 points and if we had added up the score I would of probably been 15 shots ahead at least. I still managed to pull it back at the end but just feel as if that way of playing really suits the bad player. Thoughts ?

 

[rulefan]

Thoughts ?

Something wrong with one or other of your handicaps?

 

[HPIMG]

Something wrong with one or other of your handicaps?

I would say yes there pretty accurate. I think both of us can definitely play better than our handicap but by no means bandits.

 

[jim8flog]

I prefer stableford when it comes to matches against another player because in most games it goes to the last couple of holes whereas in match play in can be over by the13th hole.

My other dislike about match play is the method of giving shots. I have always thought that shots should be given on the holes where the the differnce in handicaps stars based upon stroke indexes. I.e. if an 18 handicap player plays against a 10 handicap he would receive strokes on SI holes 11 to 18.
This would do away with the very artificial system of setting SIs we currently have.

Throughout most years I have played match play I have been the low handicap, with the current system it works out that I am suddenly expected to play the low stroke indexes in par and these are holes I would receive a stroke in Stableford and play on an even basis against a higher handicap in the same way.

 

[HampshireHog]

Match play format outside of comps, no need to carry a card.

 

[Pants]

My other dislike about match play is the method of giving shots. I have always thought that shots should be given on the holes where the the differnce in handicaps stars based upon stroke indexes. I.e. if an 18 handicap player plays against a 10 handicap he would receive strokes on SI holes 11 to 18.
This would do away with the very artificial system of setting SIs we currently have.

Throughout most years I have played match play I have been the low handicap, with the current system it works out that I am suddenly expected to play the low stroke indexes in par and these are holes I would receive a stroke in Stableford and play on an even basis against a higher handicap in the same way.

Totally agree. A society I'm in has a matchplay KO through the year. It is played however by holes being won/lost on the S/ford points gained per hole, so for instance on index 1, both players would get a shot on the hole. Much better format imo.

 

[jim8flog]

Totally agree. A society I'm in has a matchplay KO through the year. It is played however by holes being won/lost on the S/ford points gained per hole, so for instance on index 1, both players would get a shot on the hole. Much better format imo.

We use total points hence it can go all the way to the last hole.

We have a club summer knockout based upon it and it is the most highly supported of all of our knockouts. Last year one of of our summer knockouts based upon match play had just 8 entrants. Although our winter open pairs had 36 pairs but that is well down on years ago when we used to close the entry at 128 pairs.

 

[wjemather]

I prefer stableford when it comes to matches against another player because in most games it goes to the last couple of holes whereas in match play in can be over by the13th hole.

My other dislike about match play is the method of giving shots. I have always thought that shots should be given on the holes where the the differnce in handicaps stars based upon stroke indexes. I.e. if an 18 handicap player plays against a 10 handicap he would receive strokes on SI holes 11 to 18.
This would do away with the very artificial system of setting SIs we currently have.

Throughout most years I have played match play I have been the low handicap, with the current system it works out that I am suddenly expected to play the low stroke indexes in par and these are holes I would receive a stroke in Stableford and play on an even basis against a higher handicap in the same way.

Sounds like what you really want is Stroke Indexes allocated specifically for match play, which is how it used to be done many years ago. With the Stableford adjustments becoming part of the handicap system, and Stableford replacing medal and match play as the preferred format for most golf, things changed, and now SIs are allocated for Stableford purposes. There is nothing to prevent clubs from having different sets of SIs for stroke play and match play though.

 

[Orikoru]

I rarely ever play match play. Firstly I just like to record my score and see what score I got at the end, how it compares to previous scores etc. Secondly, my usual group has three of us so match play would be awkward to make work anyway. We just play Stableford. On the rare occasions where it's just two of us we have sometimes done a match, but I still add up the totals and points as well.

 

[simo71]

I rarely ever play match play. Firstly I just like to record my score and see what score I got at the end, how it compares to previous scores etc. Secondly, my usual group has three of us so match play would be awkward to make work anyway. We just play Stableford. On the rare occasions where it's just two of us we have sometimes done a match, but I still add up the totals and points as well.

Consider Matchplay "points". We often play in a 3 and it's great. 6 points per hole. Winner gets 4, second gets 2, third gets 0. If there's a tie it can be 3/3 or 4/1/1 or even 2/2/2.

A really fun format when there's three of you

 

[Orikoru]

Consider Matchplay "points". We often play in a 3 and it's great. 6 points per hole. Winner gets 4, second gets 2, third gets 0. If there's a tie it can be 3/3 or 4/1/1 or even 2/2/2.

A really fun format when there's three of you

We once did a match play thing where you have to beat both other players to win the hole. But I really don't think even of them were bothered with it - I suggested it, I did the scorecard, and they didn't really care. I really think they're just happy playing Stableford every week, which is fine by me as well.

 

[backwoodsman]

I like stroke play and I like matchplay. Two different formats equally enjoyable. Beating an individual usually requires a different strategy than does beating the field.

As regards stroke indexes in matchplay, here's a thought. Why not have the format whereby the player receiving shots gets to choose on which holes they use them? Has to announce on the tee whether or not they are using a shot? I for one would certainly choose to use a shot on SI 17 instead of say, SI 4, 5 or 6. My oppo' might pleased that I did - or not. Who knows?

 

[Bdill93]

Nice to hear you're no longer a bandit mate!

Coming down to 9 in a year is some going!

 

[Deleted member 23344]

I play in interclub matches for my club’s seniors and these are 4BBB matchplay and so, given that we play (I think) 22 matches a year, I play a fair bit of matchplay. I don’t enter medals, but play the occasional stableford comp. Any social rounds are done on a stableford basis. I enjoy both formats - stableford and matchplay - as they require different tactics and provide differing tests.

 

[RichA]

I rarely play in formal matchplay comps but have lately found that I score better in any format against better players (which is most rounds for me) if I imagine it's matchplay.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Little bit confused by format described in OP…playing matchplay but after 10 he’s 2 points behind?

 

[Imurg]

I've never been a great lover of playing Matchplay, watching it - yes but playing it..not for me.
Can't really put my finger on why though..
It could be that, in 99%of cases since I started playing, I've been giving shots all the time and, effectively, playing off scratch.
That, maybe gets into my head...
Giving those shots on, mostly, the harder holes on the course as , I think, the majority of courses apply SI to difficulty ...take SI 7 on my course.
430 odd yards..downhill, uphill, downhill and uphill again.
Its a fairly straightforward bogey hole if you keep it in play
Its a massively difficult hole to par (it is our most difficult hole)
I need a shot on it, as does my opponent
But if I'm giving him 7 shots he gets one and I don't and I've never thought that fair.
The killer , though, was early on in my golfing life, about 1996/97.
Giving a shot a hole to a genuine 28er he had the honour on a par 3 of 150 yards.
He stiffed it to 6 inches - there for none.
I needed a hole in one for a half...went off Matchplay there and then.

 

[Slab]

Play both but not so much comp matchplay

Often in a strokeplay comp we’ll have a pairs matchplay running on the side for kicks and it’ll often become the more important result to focus on as the round progresses

 

[Orikoru]

I've never been a great lover of playing Matchplay, watching it - yes but playing it..not for me.
Can't really put my finger on why though..
It could be that, in 99%of cases since I started playing, I've been giving shots all the time and, effectively, playing off scratch.
That, maybe gets into my head...
Giving those shots on, mostly, the harder holes on the course as , I think, the majority of courses apply SI to difficulty ...take SI 7 on my course.
430 odd yards..downhill, uphill, downhill and uphill again.
Its a fairly straightforward bogey hole if you keep it in play
Its a massively difficult hole to par (it is our most difficult hole)
I need a shot on it, as does my opponent
But if I'm giving him 7 shots he gets one and I don't and I've never thought that fair.
The killer , though, was early on in my golfing life, about 1996/97.
Giving a shot a hole to a genuine 28er he had the honour on a par 3 of 150 yards.
He stiffed it to 6 inches - there for none.
I needed a hole in one for a half...went off Matchplay there and then.

I've always found it strange that shots are given on the hardest holes. I always thought that if you have say, a 5 handicapper against a 10 handicapper, he should get his five shots on SI 6 to 10. So the shot difference is on the same holes that it would be in a stroke play scenario. That sounds fairer to me. So as you say, you're not giving someone a shot on a hole where you need a shot yourself.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

Giving a shot a hole to a genuine 28er he had the honour on a par 3 of 150 yards.
He stiffed it to 6 inches - there for none.
I needed a hole in one for a half...went off Matchplay there and then.

My friend says this. He plays of 17 and his wife plays off 34 … she does that to him (not necessarily 6 inches, but puttable range) from time to time on a short par 3 at their club.