Stableford - Is It Real Golf ?

[DCB]

Okay, I know that it's a form of strokeplay that gives points for your performance against par on each hole.

Is it a real test of golf though ?

Just been reading through another thread where people are getting hung up on their stableford points tally.

For me, well I enjoy an occasional stableford competition, one a year usually suffices, but the real test is Medal Strokeplay

Discuss.......

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If you're a purist then no. Medal is the only definitive way of competiting. However for the majortity of handicap golfer stableford lets us have a good game, get our handicaps down (sometimes) without the grief of a cricket score hole ruining the round.

As my club hosts a midweek and monthly medal I can get a decent amount of medal play. I like it and it does sharpen the mind a lot more as you know a blow out hole can be gotten back with a couple of 3 pointers. It would be interesting if GM organised an event or one of the forum meets was a medal event to see what handicap the winner had and whether it still suited the lower guys more.

 

[garyinderry]

i enjoy stableford and medals. stableford just gives you that small cushion that one hole wont completly wreak your card. we would sometimes play a wee match within our fourball to keep intrest going if we drop away from having a chance of winning the competition. these types of matches are better with stableford scoring.

 

[moogie]

I think its the PERFECT Winter Format, cant score, pick it up, move on.......
Also good for a Friendly 'knock'

Strokeplay, for me is best format, some people think completely differently when theyre playing Medal Tees Stroke, I know some of my pals do, theyre much more laid back in Stableford comps

 

[In_The_Rough]

Not a proper test really as you can have 3 or 4 shocking holes and still come away with a good score. Say 4 holes which you take a 9 on which would be 36 shots already do well on the other holes though and you could have a good total in strokeplay this would not happen. Extreme example I know but Strokeplay is the proper test and the one I use to say have I played well consistently or not.

 

[pbrown7582]

Medal strokeplay is the ultimate test but comps in different formats do make a change whether it's stableford bogey etc but medal will always be king IMO.

 

[G1BB0]

well off 28 I have to say stableford is my best chance of winning in a comp although my only decent result was a runner up and that came in a medal.

I do prefer strokeplay as it gives a proper measure of the round whereas with stableford I can afford a few horror holes and still have a decent score at the end of it.

 

[AMcC]

My opinion is that it stableford is good for a social game and winter golf.

The true test of any golfer is stroke play medal play. Agree with DCB

 

[DCB]

Surely we are all looking to post the lowest score we can possibly manage for any given 18 hole round. If you know that in stableford format a couple of bad holes doesn't kill you, does that effect the way you approach the round and your strategy whilst playing the round ?

I'm afraid I'm old school and if someone asks what I shot it's the gross number that counts. My handicap allowance and Nett score will see if I've managed a placing in the competition, but I'm really only competing against myself and trying to get the best out of me that I can.

 

[chris661]

Medal strokeplay is the ultimate test but comps in different formats do make a change whether it's stableford bogey etc but medal will always be king IMO.

Is probably the best answer IMO.

well off 28 I have to say stableford is my best chance of winning in a comp although my only decent result was a runner up and that came in a medal.

I do prefer strokeplay as it gives a proper measure of the round whereas with stableford I can afford a few horror holes and still have a decent score at the end of it.

Not really if you come in with a score of 5 under your handicap then 7 handicap has to play to two over. I would think it would be more common for a higher man to play better than his handicap.

We have stablefords nearly every comp and to be honest I would prefer that there was more stroke events as I feel, like most on here, it is a better yardstick of how you are playing.

 

[G1BB0]

I always go by gross DCB even off 28! as you say the net/points is purely for competition places, its the total shots thats important. The funny thing is the rounds I feel I havent played so well I seem to have actually scored better... mad game

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Okay, I know that it's a form of strokeplay that gives points for your performance against par on each hole.

Is it a real test of golf though ?

Just been reading through another thread where people are getting hung up on their stableford points tally.

For me, well I enjoy an occasional stableford competition, one a year usually suffices, but the real test is Medal Strokeplay

Discuss.......

As a hacker I enjoy stableford.

 

[G1BB0]

whilst that makes sense Chris, with stableford a horror hole can be blobbed, forgotten about and move on. In medal strokeplay an 8 or 9 puts extra pressure on and as a high capper I find I tend to buckle a bit under the pressure to try and regain those extra shots (golf is 90% mental after all )

 

[Hobbit]

Its just a different format to medal. Next thing you'll be proposing foursomes as the only true format for pairs, i.e. both players have to contribute to win.

The only golf that I think isn't real golf is where you have to knock it through the windmill...

 

[Lanark_Golfer]

Strokeplay Medal for me, only play 1 or 2 max stableford comp a year at my place. From what I've seen on HDID forum, stableford seems the norm comp format down south which surprised me to be honest.

Either that or scratch matchplay :thup:

 

[garyinderry]

having to par certain holes in stableford can wreak a round. it can get in you head and put unnecessary pressure on a player. i wont have any shots on the par 3's at my course and theres only maybe one thats a gimmy. knowing i need to par these at least for 2 points can add this pressure. in stroke play, i wont even think about this!

 

[BTatHome]

Is it a qualifier? Then it's good !!

 

[Imurg]

To be honest it's much the same to me.
These days I don't often pick up on a hole - it does happen but not often.
Generally the worst I score is a double bogey which may well be a blob but I'll put it down as a double on the card.
I think to the lower guys, there's not much difference. But there is to the higher guys, where that 9 or 10 gets "ignored".......

 

[aceofspades]

Irrespective whether I playing in a Medal or Stableford competition, I play with the same approach. I record all my gross scores on my home course and enter them into a spreadsheet I devised, which tracks how I playing month on month, year on year.

 

[brendy]

In my book its pretty simple. Handicaps were made to make the game accessible to all abilities. Stableford is simply a by product which is a compromise between rewarding good golf but not murdering someone for one bad hole. What gets me is when someone has two blobs (dings, gongs, scratches, call them what you will) and still romps home winning with 4x points.
Stroke for me, regardless of how well/bad I play on the day.