On a Day by Day basis which would you rather play?

Stableford or Medal

  • Stableford

  • Medal


Results are only viewable after voting.
It's nice that you can see who's voted for which option, because it largely proves I was correct here. 40% of people have voted medal, and if you look through the last of names they're mostly single figure players or near to it (as far as my knowledge of the members here goes) with only a couple of exceptions. More of the mids and highs have voted Stableford. (y)
I voted medal. I think it's fairer, especially since the new handicap system came in.
 
The sport needs bifurcation:

- Golf1, what we have now

- Golf2, for better players who want the best gross score to win

But I think there would soon be fractions in golf2 as the "not quite so good better players" realise that they're still not winning anything and so ask for divisions or a basic handicap system to give themselves a chance.
 
On a more serious note, why is it not possible to preview the results of the poll without having to vote?

I'd like to see the results but have no firm preference in the choices, if I vote purely to see the result I'll be skewing the percentages.

(I'm voting for the first option purely to see the result)
 
Yeah, seen too many instances that would argue against that.

Being able to take a 10 on a par 4 (no shot) and treat it the same as a 6 on the same hole for the same "score" of zero points means you aren't really impacted by those 4 extra shots. Go on to get a couple of net birdies and you're right back in it. Net birdies do little for you in medal play, you need the real deal to reduce that deficit.
Fair enough...maybe its the scarcity of 40+ point scores at my club that is skewing my perception and i'm just not talking to enough people who score 40+ points!!!
 
Fair enough...maybe its the scarcity of 40+ point scores at my club that is skewing my perception and i'm just not talking to enough people who score 40+ points!!!
Possibly, I don't know.

But even being able to say I shot 36 points with xx number of blobs but the blobs hide numbers that belie "playing to handicap" (outside of 'for hanidcapping purposes, of course).

Maybe my view is skewed by the fact that it's predominantly medal play in Scotland and so I just view the stableford concept differently because of that.
 
Possibly, I don't know.

But even being able to say I shot 36 points with xx number of blobs but the blobs hide numbers that belie "playing to handicap" (outside of 'for hanidcapping purposes, of course).

Maybe my view is skewed by the fact that it's predominantly medal play in Scotland and so I just view the stableford concept differently because of that.
Yeah, it's what you get used to playing I guess. Ever since we've had handicaps my friends and I have played Stableford for every social/friendly round. If there's just two of us we may do a match but we'll still total up the Stableford points as well. The idea of us deciding to use medal scoring is just completely alien. We've never even considered it. I can't even imagine watching one of my mates try to recover on a bad hole and hole out for 9 or 10 when it's not a competition - we'd just be telling him to stop dicking around and pick the ball up. The idea of playing medal over Stableford when it doesn't count for anything is baffling to me. 😄 There's simply nothing to be gained and it'll probably just take longer.
 
Yeah, it's what you get used to playing I guess. Ever since we've had handicaps my friends and I have played Stableford for every social/friendly round. If there's just two of us we may do a match but we'll still total up the Stableford points as well. The idea of us deciding to use medal scoring is just completely alien. We've never even considered it. I can't even imagine watching one of my mates try to recover on a bad hole and hole out for 9 or 10 when it's not a competition - we'd just be telling him to stop dicking around and pick the ball up. The idea of playing medal over Stableford when it doesn't count for anything is baffling to me. 😄 There's simply nothing to be gained and it'll probably just take longer.
If it's just a social game then it's usually match play but no point in counting any scores (either stableford or cumulative stroke) as not every shot will be holed out once the hole is won. I generally tend to count all of my shots if it's not a match play situation and holing everything out but my mate (off 19) will pick up if he's on say a 7 on a par 4 so we don't really get a slow play issue either.
 
I dont think you are ever "still in" a stableford comp if you have a really bad hole....you very rarely hear someone say they got 40+ points with a blob.

To still compete in a stableford comp you really have to score on every hole.
you want to try the results and after round conversations in one of the swindles I play in, 😂
 
The question is preference for playing medal or stableford scoring on a day-by-day basis….there is NO mention of any of these rounds being played in the context of competition.
 
Yeah, seen too many instances that would argue against that.

Being able to take a 10 on a par 4 (no shot) and treat it the same as a 6 on the same hole for the same "score" of zero points means you aren't really impacted by those 4 extra shots. Go on to get a couple of net birdies and you're right back in it. Net birdies do little for you in medal play, you need the real deal to reduce that deficit.
I see what you’re saying, but you keep using extreme scores, don’t know about other people but when playing a Stab comp and someone can’t score we expect/tell them to pick up, nobody is going to stand there and watch somebody dick about taking 4 extra shots for no purpose.

But if we don’t use extremes and someone gets a 6 on a Par 4 for no points or a double bogey in a medal with no shot, then the nett birdie has the same affect in both Comps.

It is possible to play Stableford while keeping an eye on your gross score, even if it’s only for handicap purposes.
 
I see what you’re saying, but you keep using extreme scores, don’t know about other people but when playing a Stab comp and someone can’t score we expect/tell them to pick up, nobody is going to stand there and watch somebody dick about taking 4 extra shots for no purpose.

But if we don’t use extremes and someone gets a 6 on a Par 4 for no points or a double bogey in a medal with no shot, then the nett birdie has the same affect in both Comps.

It is possible to play Stableford while keeping an eye on your gross score, even if it’s only for handicap purposes.
I agree on most of that. The extreme scores may be, well, extreme but take it from the point of view of a blob in that case, much more common.

That blob does not have the same effect as it's counterpart in medal rounds. NR and you're out of it, done, sayonara.

A blob also doesn't allow you to record an accurate stroke count either.

I think we will just need to agree to disagree on the merits of stableford, but as a mechanism of 'fair competition' I don't think it is one due to the above. Don't get me wrong, I understand the why of it, but then I understand the why of organised religion, but I don't agree with it :D
 
I agree on most of that. The extreme scores may be, well, extreme but take it from the point of view of a blob in that case, much more common.

That blob does not have the same effect as it's counterpart in medal rounds. NR and you're out of it, done, sayonara.

A blob also doesn't allow you to record an accurate stroke count either.

I think we will just need to agree to disagree on the merits of stableford, but as a mechanism of 'fair competition' I don't think it is one due to the above. Don't get me wrong, I understand the why of it, but then I understand the why of organised religion, but I don't agree with it :D
Re the bit bold:
Putting NS or NR in the stroke column won’t, but putting a number in will, it is your score on each hole entered in to the terminal.
 
The question is preference for playing medal or stableford scoring on a day-by-day basis….there is NO mention of any of these rounds being played in the context of competition.
Through the year most of my games are not medal or stableford.
I will be playing medal or stableford only when it is a competition.
 
Yeah, get that. But most blobs are non recorded scores surely, as you say no one is dicking about for a triple bogey so will pick up.
Varies to be honest, imagine the Par for example, no shot, a 5 gets you a point, you leave it very close, most will tap it in.

Also with WHS your Stableford Round could contain blobs, but also could be one of your top 8 if it’s only on 1 or 2 holes if you putt out.
 
On a more serious note, why is it not possible to preview the results of the poll without having to vote?

I'd like to see the results but have no firm preference in the choices, if I vote purely to see the result I'll be skewing the percentages.

(I'm voting for the first option purely to see the result)
48/29 in favour of stableford right now.

Golf score is your total strokes for 18 holes.
But if you prefer a format that allows you to not count some of them if you play a hole badly - fine with me.

I like playing golf. I will probably play a lot more than 10 stableford comps this year.
 
48/29 in favour of stableford right now.

Golf score is your total strokes for 18 holes.
But if you prefer a format that allows you to not count some of them if you play a hole badly - fine with me.

I like playing golf. I will probably play a lot more than 10 stableford comps this year.
😂😂 Hang on, some have said they prefer Match Play but it wasn’t an option, so that must be a fun, novelty format as it can be played over just 10 holes.
 
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