Stroke Play vs Match Play in Golf: 3 Important Details

Golf is golf, right? Not necessarily. Golf can be a little more complicated. Specifically, when we’re talking about stroke play vs match play in golf. What is the difference between match play and stroke play? Let’s take a closer look at the two and find out.

Stroke Play Golf Rules

A typical round of golf usually involves keeping up with how many strokes you make throughout 18 holes. If you’re playing in golf tournaments or groups with friends, those strokes will determine who you beat and if you win or lose. You are technically the winner if you have the lowest score in your group or a golf tournament. 

For instance, if I make par on a par 5, I’ve just made five strokes. If I had been lucky enough to card a birdie, I would have made four strokes on that hole.

Most of the time, including in tournaments, stroke play will be used to determine a winner and where participating golfers place, and the player with the fewest strokes and lowest score will be declared the winner.

Match Play Golf Rules

Match play can be slightly more complicated than stroke play. At the same time, match play can be more exciting depending on how each golfer plays and how many are involved.

In match play, a golfer can be playing less than their best and still pull out a win, which is one of the pros of match play. However, a golfer’s score can suffer quickly after just one bad hole in stroke play. In comparison, in match play, you can think of each hole as a small match in itself.

For example, let’s say the first hole of a match is a par 4, and Player A shoots four over. This means Player A made eight strokes already. What if their opponent (Player B) makes a par? Player A is now down by four shots and will have to work hard to bring back their score.

Alternatively, if Players A and B were playing match play, Player A would lose the hole and be down by just one, which makes it far easier for them to come back and have a chance to still win the match. In this situation, Player A would be referred to as one down, and Player B would be one up.

Diving Deeper Into Match Play

In stroke play, a match will generally last the number of holes decided on before beginning the round. For instance, if a match is intended to last 18 holes, it will go 18 holes regardless of how the golfers are playing, unless one of the two drops out or gets disqualified for whatever reason. The same is true of a tournament—if it is scheduled to last 72 holes, it will unless inclement weather causes a cancelation or fewer holes to be played. Although players will often still play golf in the rain, sometimes the weather gets so bad that play cannot continue, or it no longer makes sense to continue the tournament due to scheduling issues.

Under match play rules, however, a match may not last the full 18 holes. For example, if one player wins the first ten holes in a row, this player is now 10 up. There is no way for that player’s opponent to come back and win the match with only eight holes remaining. In this instance, the winning golfer will be said to have won the match 10 and 8. That is ten holes played with eight remaining.

If a player is 5 up with only four holes remaining, that player has won the match 5 and 4.

Another thing match play is known for is conceded putts. When on the golf course during match play, let’s say Player A looks at Player B’s ball and sees that he has only a two-foot putt remaining; Player A may decide that it is inevitable that Player B will make it and decides not to make Player B hit the putt. So, in this instance, Player A has conceded the hole. 

There is also an opportunity for a player to concede an entire hole. So if Player A hits his drive out of bounds and Player B hits the fairway, Player A may decide that it’s not worth playing the hole and concede it to Player B.

There are also certain situations where a player may decide to concede the entire match to their opponent. In which case, their opponent is declared the winner of the match.

Is Stroke Play or Match Play Better?

Now that we’ve discussed what stroke and match play are and the differences between the two, we can now talk about which is better. My answer to this question is straightforward: it depends on personal preference.

Although you will not get a choice of which you prefer if you are playing in a golf tournament, you and your buddy or buddies can and will get the opportunity to discuss which you would prefer to play.

You may find that you will likely develop a preference over time for one or the other. Many players prefer match play over stroke play, and some do pretty well in match play regardless of how they have been playing until that point.

That said, standard golf tournaments are usually played in stroke play format. That is how handicaps are calculated and how most golf tournaments are played; however, there are many great golf tournaments conducted in match play format. Such as the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, and the WGC Match Play, along with several other events on all professional tours—including the PGA Tour—and amateur and team match play events.

For more information on stroke play and match play, check out the official website of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and its explanation of each, along with the necessary rules and procedures.

Try Both Match and Stroke Play

So, in conclusion, get out and play both match and stroke play. See how you like the two. Although you’ll find that you will be required to play stroke play most of the time, you and your golfing friends may want to throw in the occasional match play event from time to time.

Resources:

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/topics/match-play.html

https://www.usga.org/RulesFAQ/rules_answer2019.asp?FAQidx=233&Rule=0&Topic=15