Imagine a golf game where players are trying to get the highest score possible...
That’s the case with Stableford scoring.
Stableford scoring was brought to the world of golf by a man named Dr. Barney Gorton Stableford in the 1930s. His aim was to make golf more enjoyable for players of all levels and to discourage golfers from giving up entirely after just one of two bad holes.
The Stableford format is very popular in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. It is not played as often in North America.
This is because in Stableford scoring, more points are given for positive results than penalties for poor results. Players don’t count strokes to win (like in stroke play), they count points for the score relative to par on each hole.
These are the points per hole awarded in a classic Stableford:
Albatross (3 under par): 5 points
Eagle
(2 under par): 4 points
Birdie (1
under par): 3 points
Par:
2 points
Bogey
(1 over par): 1 point
Double
Bogey (2 over par) or worse: 0 points
All points are totalled for the players’ final score. The highest score wins.
The Stableford rewards a player’s great scores with points rather than counting every shot of their poor holes.
The scoring distribution encourages aggressive play and is more forgiving of inconsistent play. Scoring one under will garner 3 points, while scoring one over will score 1 point. There are more rewards for great holes than penalties for bad holes.
For example, if a player starts poorly with an 8 on the first hole (a par 4), their gross score for the hole would be 10, but their Stableford score would be zero.
This player is not heavily penalized in the Stableford format for the abysmal score on the first hole and has opportunity to gain points in later holes.
This simple example shows how having one bad hole in a Stableford format tournament is not as discouraging for a player as it would be in a stroke play format tournament.
Stableford format can also be played using net scores for holes. Check out this video on how to score a net Stableford format for beginner golfers:
A modified Stableford changes the scoring to make it easier or harder for the players to earn points. As example, this is the scoring used for amateurs playing in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions:
Albatross (3 under par): 10 points
Hole
in One (par 3): 8 points
Eagle
(2 under par): 5 points
Birdie (1
under par): 3 points
Par:
2 points
Bogey
(1 over par): 1 point
Double
Bogey (2 over par) or worse: 0 points
In this modified Stableford, a player will make even more points by taking more risks to try for a lower score than playing conservatively. Players will try to get as close to the pin as possible to try to move quickly up the leaderboard.
Stableford-scoring tournaments can be very exciting to watch as players are more likely to take risks and “go for it”.
A Stableford format also encourages fast play. After a player is at 2 over for a hole, they can pick up without penalty, no double digits on the scorecard!
Playing a Stableford format makes scoring a much more positive experience for beginners!
Try Stableford scoring for your next round or try one of these five fun games.