Strokeplay or Stableford......

[thegogg]

Being a relative newcomer to the game I'm often left dissapointed due to virtually all the competitions at my club being strokeplay format.

In 2 recent winter medals I carded 38 points (with 3 blobs) and came 3rd in one yet scored a nett 73 (70 par) after having had two 8's and a 7 on par fours and coming nowhere in the other a couple of weeks later.

The "C" word, consistency is my biggest problem as in some rounds I can play in the mid teens then the next have a mare! What a great game this is.

Our first hole is a daunting par 5, fairway slopping to the right (power faders nightmare - ok slicer!) and I've ruined many medals having walked off it having scored an 8, 9 or once a 10 where as in stableford's I can forget it and carry on.

I'd be interested to hear everyone else's view.

 

[Macster]

Stableford much less pressure and more social.....

Medal Strokeplay - a true test of what you can do, and in my opinion, the best benchmark of your Handicap.

Yes its a lot easier to blow out, but thats just it, you have to keep it together for 18 holes, just as the Pro's do

 

[Cernunnos]

Strokeplay & Match play are golf & stableford is good for social events. But even stableford has pressure to make as good a score on each hole as you can, even though if you have a mare on a hole you simply don't get a point on that hole, where as it would be more difficult to turn that arround in strokeplay. But I often feel more pressure playing stableford than stroke play.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Strokeplay is far better stableford if for high handicappers to give them a chance in comps.

 

[SammmeBee]

Hi,
Strokeplay is far better stableford if for high handicappers to give them a chance in comps.

I completely disagree here - Stableford is set up for the high handicapper as they have their 2/3 bad holes and can still manage 36+ points....

 

[Twire]

We have a monthly medal and a monthly stableford, I enjoy both. It's nice to play different formats.

 

[minty18]

I would suggest as a beginner Stableford is better as you can pick your ball up if you're having a bad hole.

I would say though, playing in Medals will improve your game and your mental side of the game in the long run.

Just one pointer, if there is any doubt you wont find your ball just play a provisional. I made this mistake twice in my first medal.

 

[clubchamp07]

To play the gane the way it's meant to be played it has got to be Stroke. Stableford is set ur for the higher handicapers.

 

[CliveW]

Hi,
Strokeplay is far better stableford if for high handicappers to give them a chance in comps.

I completely disagree here - Stableford is set up for the high handicapper as they have their 2/3 bad holes and can still manage 36+ points....

Is that not what Mike is saying?

 

[heronsghyll]

I would suggest as a beginner Stableford is better as you can pick your ball up if you're having a bad hole.

I would say though, playing in Medals will improve your game and your mental side of the game in the long run.

Just one pointer, if there is any doubt you wont find your ball just play a provisional. I made this mistake twice in my first medal.

This message is spot on. EXACTLY!!!!

 

[thegogg]

All helpful and valied points gents.

I play off 21 and a low handicapper gave me the best advice to date in a stroke play medal last year, he said "your a 21 handicapper for a reason, your learning the game. Your not using your shots as your trying to play above your level and keep up with the better players. Play within yourself, try to keep the ball in play and use your shots wisely".

After thinking about what he said I started using an iron off the tee and not trying to reach the greens in regulation. My game improved straight away. Now 9 months later I'm using a driver off the tee and playing with more confidence and can't wait for the summer where I'm determined to knock 5 or 6 shots off my handicap.

 

[EchtLoon]

Being a relative newcomer to the game I'm often left dissapointed due to virtually all the competitions at my club being strokeplay format.

I have the opposite problem, where I feel my club has too many stablefords, although the majority are still strokeplay, I would rather see more of them.

 

[USER1999]

Stroke play every time.

For me, stableford is like cheating. Oh, I didn't score a 9 on that hole, put me down for a 6.

It favours higher handicaps and rewards inconsistency.

Strokeplay is proper golf, maximum concentration, where any lapse and your whole day is a wash out.

 

[slugger]

Stableford has its place - like stag doos and my annual football club golf day, where it gives higher handicap golfers (like me ) a chance to win something and feel more part of the day.

I'd rather play stroke play though as it gives a more truthful indication of where you are with your game and just how good you are compared with anyone else playing that day.

 

[USER1999]

Sure, stableford for society days as it gives every one a chance of posting a score. Apart from the low handicappers that is, who probably are then eliminated from the comp.

 

[Cernunnos]

In my experience the low handicap players are stilllikely to win even in stableford. I don't know whether its the courses we play but 28 points is generally a good high handicapscore, rarely anything above that. And its the Lower handicap player who invariably wins with high points.

At least the courses I've played with our works society & clubs I've been a member of.

 

[USER1999]

It depends on whether the high handicappers are golfers who play regularly, or are the sort of twice a year golfers, who clearly won't win anything.

A 20 h/cap player, who plays often, can shoot the lights out in stableford on his day. A low handicapper is more consistent, but is never going to score 45 points.

In the society I play in, we split into two divisions, but still have an overall winner. I often win division 1, but rarely win the overall, (and my h/cap isn't low, it is just the lowest in the society).

 

[Herbie]

Some comments make me titter.

Stableford should be a fair comp for everyone if their H/Cs were correct. But it never ever is and it does favour high h/c players who play a lot.

'Stroke play' is a great format to follow and I prefer stroke play and equally 'match play'

I also like one or two other methods of competing in golf, but stableford is only something I play for fun and to be social when its hard to avoid. Oh the laughs I get at the end of a stableford when they call out the winners and their scores

 

[Cernunnos]

Especially when you've won then HNJ...rofl

 

[Marko77]

In effect every round you play for handicap is stableford as everything is netted off at 2 over par or 3 if you get a shot so if playing strokeplay and you have a mare or nr just keep a running stableford with yourself and forget about the mounting total.