Glossary

Glossary

Short guides to golf formats, terms, and ideas. Start here when a competition name or scoring phrase needs a plain-English explanation.

F

Four-ball Better Ball
A pairs format where each side uses its better score on each hole.

M

Matchplay
A head-to-head format where each hole is its own contest.

S

Stableford
A points format where good holes score points and bad holes hurt less.
Strokeplay
A total-score format where every shot counts.

T

Texas Scramble
A team format where everyone hits, then the team chooses the best ball.