Golf Games Explained
How to play 'Stableford': The game where the highest score wins
Erik Isakson
Golf Games Explained is exactly what it sounds like. You want to mix it up and try something new for once? Well, someone has to do the thankless work of playing different golf formats and telling you if it's worth it. You can thank me later.
In golf, lowest score almost always wins. But there is one format, Stableford, where the object is to rack up points and achieve the highest score. Quite the changeup.
Of course, the catch is that you still want to shoot low numbers. If your head is now spinning, don't worry, we'll explain.
The game was first developed by Frank Barney Gorton Stableford in the late 1800s, and it was first used in competition in England in 1932. Despite its rich history, one opposite-field PGA Tour event uses the format each year, and you're unlikely to ever hear a buddy on the first tee say "You guys want to play Stableford?" to the group. You could be the person to change that after reading this guide.
Here's how to play.
Number of players required: Two is enough, but the more the merrier. Looking for a different format on your 16-man golf trip? Try Stableford for one of the rounds, or one of the nines.
Best for: Huge groups on a golf trip (see above). Players who don't quit on their round after a bad hole or two. Golfers in desperate need of a unique format change. Folks who will fight for a bogey to the bitter end.
How to play: The game of Stableford uses a points system that rewards different point totals for each type of score you can make on a hole. The lower the score, the higher the point total. And yes, you can even be rewarded for ... wait for it ... making bogeys. The player with the most points at the end of the round is declared the winner.
Below is the standard Stableford scoring system as specified by the R&A and USGA:
Double bogey: 0 points
Bogey: 1 point
Par: 2 points
Birdie: 3 points
Eagle: 4 points
Double eagle/Albatross: 5 points
Four under: 6 points
Of course, you can and should use the handicap system when playing Stableford. So if you are getting a shot on a par 4 and you make a par, you've made a net birdie and would be awarded 3 points in the Stableford format. Also, as you'll see, a double bogey (or higher) is worth 0, so if you reach that score you should simply pick up your ball. This keeps play moving.
If you are playing for money, you can simply all agree on "$20 a player" on the first tee and the player who wins/scores the most Stableford points would receive $60, $20 from each player, after the 18th hole. Or you can place a monetary amount on points, say $1 per point, and at the end the person who wins would be paid the difference in their point total and the other three players' point total. So if Player A scored 12 points, Player B scored 8, Player C scored 3 and Player D scored 1, Player B would pay $4 to Player A, Player C would pay $9 and Player D would pay $11.
Variations: There is really just one variation of Stableford called "Modified Stableford," though you can modify the game in a number of ways. Essentially, you are just changing the point totals around. In the PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship, which uses Modified Stableford, the point totals look like this:
Albatross: 8 points
Eagle: 5 points
Birdie: 2 points
Par: 0 points
Bogey: -1 points
Double bogey or worse: -3 points
A format like that encourages aggressive play and aggressively punishes bad play, making it perfect for players who compete at the highest level. As for us mere mortals, since we are not making eagles and albatrosses all that often, you can tailor the system to the group's level of play. Make birdies worth a lot, pars worth a decent amount, bogeys worth a little something and, if you're playing with real high handicappers, you can even make double bogeys worth a point if you'd like. We don't recommend applying negative point totals to any score, though, if you're playing with a group of sticks, it can certainly make things interesting and allow plenty of lead changes throughout the round.
If you have any golf games or variations of golf games we haven't covered and you'd like to explain, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X @Cpowers14.
MORE GOLF GAMES EXPLAINED