If you've been invited to a golf tournament or a friendly group event and the format is listed as "scramble" or "Stableford" or "modified Stableford," and you have no idea what that means, this guide covers all the common formats.
Most tournament formats exist to make the game more fun for groups with mixed skill levels. Some reward consistency. Some reward aggressive play. Some let weaker players contribute meaningfully to a team.
Format Cheat Sheet
Every format at a glance — save this one.
Stableford
Most social tournaments in the Philippines use scramble or Stableford.
Stroke Play
The default. Count every stroke on every hole for all 18. Lowest total wins.
This is how most professional tournaments work and how most casual rounds are scored. Simple, no special rules.
Gross vs. net. In a handicap-adjusted stroke play event, each player's handicap is subtracted from their gross score to get a net score. Prizes are often awarded for both best gross and best net.
Stroke Play — Gross vs. Net
Lowest total wins. Subtract each player's handicap for the net score.
Handicaps level the field. That's the whole point.
Match Play
You don't count total strokes. You count holes won.
Each hole is a separate contest. Whoever finishes the hole in fewer strokes wins that hole. If tied, the hole is "halved" (no one wins it). The player who wins more holes wins the match.
The score is expressed as "2 up" (leading by 2 holes) or "3 and 2" (won 3 up with 2 holes left to play, meaning the match ended early).
Why people like it. A terrible hole only costs you one hole, not your entire round. Match play rewards aggressive play because the downside is capped. This format is used in the Ryder Cup and many club championships.
Match Play Scoreboard
Count holes won, not strokes. A green cell wins the hole.
AS = All Square (tied). The match runs until someone leads by more holes than are left to play.
Scramble (also called Texas Scramble)
The most common team format. Four players on a team. Everyone tees off. The team picks the best shot, and everyone plays their next shot from that spot. Repeat until the ball is holed.
Why it's popular. Beginners aren't a liability. Even if you hit one good shot out of four, the team can use it. Scrambles are the default format for corporate outings, charity events, and casual group tournaments in the Philippines.
Best Ball (Four-Ball)
Four players play their own ball for the entire hole. The lowest individual score on the team counts as the team score for that hole.
Unlike a scramble, everyone plays their own ball from start to finish. You don't move to someone else's spot.
Best ball vs. scramble. In a scramble, everyone plays from the same spot after each shot. In best ball, everyone plays their own ball the entire time. Best ball is more individual; scramble is more collaborative.
Best Ball — One Hole, Par 4
Everyone plays their own ball. The lowest score on the team counts.
Only the best individual score on the team counts per hole.
Stableford
Instead of counting total strokes, Stableford awards points based on your score relative to par on each hole. Higher points = better.
Why it works. If you blow up on a hole, you just score zero points and move on. There's no spiraling from one bad hole ruining your entire card. This makes Stableford popular in club events and handicap competitions.
Points are usually calculated using your handicap-adjusted score (net), meaning you get your handicap strokes distributed across specific holes based on their difficulty ranking on the card.
If you're not familiar with how handicaps work, we have a separate guide on what a golf handicap is and how to get one.
Stableford — Points Per Hole
More points for better scores. Highest total wins (a common net scale).
Modified Stableford
Same idea, different point scale. The modified version rewards aggressive play by giving bigger bonuses for under-par scores and bigger penalties for over-par scores.
Modified Stableford is less common in casual events but shows up in some professional tournaments and more competitive club competitions.
If you're looking for upcoming tournaments in the Philippines, check our tournament listings for events that are open to the public.