Golf format for players of all levels, any suggestions?

[Shlax]

I've been searching for a game format suitable to players of all levels and most importantly, without the requirement for a representative handicap index.

We are a group of 10 or so golfers that try to organize a few golf day trips during the summer. We usually either play 2-person best ball or 2-person scramble (matchplay). There is no money on the line other than maybe a few pitchers of refreshing beverages after the round as side bets.

I am trying to spice things up a bit as out of the group, only 3 of us have an official handicap index (between 5 and 11) and what happens is that those 3 players always end up paired with the "more casual" golfers. It gets old real quick for both players as the better golfer basically plays his own round without much help in generating additional birdie chances and the less serious golfer basically only hits his ball for the sake of it as he knows that his shot or score will rarely be taken.

I wonder if there is a game format where players of varying skill levels could participate on a semi-equivalent basis in the team scoring or a game where 2 better players could compete against casual golfers without needing the handicap index of players who don't have one?

So far, the game format that I found that works the best is called "The 5-point Game" (it surely does have other names depending on where you are).

• Teams are formed of 2 players;
• Each player plays their own ball;
• On each hole, there are 5 points to be had.
  • The player shooting the best score on the hole gets 2 points for his team;
  • The player shooting the 2nd best score on the hole gets 1 point for his team;
  • The team that has the lowest cumulative score on the hole gets 1 point;
  • The player that was closest-to-the-pin in regulation gets 1 point for his team;
  • If a player makes a birdie, his team's points on the hole are doubled;
  • If a player makes an eagle, his team's points on the hole are quadrupled.
• If two players shoot the same score on the hole, the point associated with this score is not given;
• If no points are given on a hole, the next hole counts double (10 points to be had).
• The team with the most points after 9 or 18 holes wins.

This game works well as less experienced golfer can compete for points. A putt for double and sometimes even triple bogey usually counts toward the cumulative team score on the hole. When they play for par of bogey, they can often compete for the best and 2nd best score on the hole. Also, players holding an official handicap index can log this round in as they are playing their own ball!

Example:

• Player A1 makes a par and was closest-to-the-pin in regulation;
• Player A2 makes double bogey;
• Player B1 makes a par;
• Player B2 makes a bogey.
  • No points are given for the best score on the hole as players A1 and B1 both shot par;
  • 1 point for the 2nd best score on the hole is given to player B2 for his bogey;
  • 1 point is given to Team B as they are at cumulative +1 on the hole versus +2 for Team A;
  • 1 point is given for being closest-to-the-pin to player A1;
• On this hole:
  • Team A gets 1 point;
  • Team B gets 2 points.

If you didn't know this game, I strongly encourage you to try it!

If you know of another game format, please share it in this thread.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Shlax
Typos

[RickyBobby_PR]

Without handicaps any type mod match play or for the most part stroke play will be hard to effectively divide up teams and the better players not getting help.

Modified stableford  is usually a good one but you can’t figure out to figure out how many points one needs to be even. 

[hckymeyer]

We play a variation on that 5 point game and call it scotch.  Where you will run in to trouble is the points for low score and nearest to pin.  I'm guessing by casual golfer you mean only plays a couple times a year and maybe not the best player.  A better player will run the game just from hitting greens and keeping it to par or bogey golf.

When we have a wide range of disparity in handicaps we usually don't play that game.  

We have been playing a game we call Wad though.  For us the wad starts at $5, then any time someone holes a shot or putt from outside the flagstick length $1 gets added to the pot and the person that made it holds the wad.  At the end of the round everyone pays the person who holds it that much money.  So it doesn't matter if the putt is for eagle or triple bogey everyone has a chance to make a longer putt.  Doesn't matter how many you make, only the last person to make one gets paid.

Variations would be to start at different dollar amounts or have smaller or larger values on a made putt.  For instance we play that a birdie wad counts for 2 and anything off the green counts as 5. 

[Shlax]

1 hour ago, hckymeyer said:

We play a variation on that 5 point game and call it scotch.  Where you will run in to trouble is the points for low score and nearest to pin.  I'm guessing by casual golfer you mean only plays a couple times a year and maybe not the best player.  A better player will run the game just from hitting greens and keeping it to par or bogey golf. 

You are right. It's definitely more fun when there is at least a better player in each pairing as the best score and nearest to pin can regularly be challenged by the opposing team, but the less experienced golfers do only play for the cumulative team score most of the time.

I see the interest in your WAD game and yes, it would definitely be more appropriate for less skilled golfers. Knowing my group, I would need to find a way where this pot would go toward a common cause (e.g., the one that wins the WAD must spend it on beers after the round or something like that lol)!

Edited August 10, 2023 by Shlax

[Golf2Much]

When I was younger I was involved in a professional society that met all over the country once every couple months.   Luckily we had 3-5 golfers in the group, so we typically would mix business with pleasure by getting at least one round of golf near where we were staying.  Two of our normal group were big time betters.  They bet on anything and everything.  The first tee shots were always delayed while the negotiations started about strokes, which game(s) would be played, etc.  In the end, I'd say "I'm in.  At the end of the round, just tell me how much I won or who I paid?"   Trying to keep track of all the different bets became such a distraction for them, they often didn't play their best.  I focused on the golf and typically took their money.

So, I would encourage you to keep it simple and not overly complicated.  You're there to have fun and not have to bring an accountant or PhD just to figure out who won or lost.   @RickyBobby_PR suggestion of a modified Stapleford system is good way of leveling the field with people with differing handicaps.  We used it in our men's league.   We assign the number of points needed for each golfer by subtracting a golfer's handicap from half the course's par (our course is a par 70 so, 35).  Players get 10 points for a hole in one, 8 points for an eagle, 4 points for a birdie, 2 points for a par and 1 point for a bogey.  No points for a double or more.  I've been running our summer men's league for two years and average number of points people get over several rounds doesn't vary more than two points from their calculated targets.  There is often variabillity between rounds, but it averages out.  Another advantage is that once a golfer is at a double bogey, they can pick up keeping the pace of play moving and not having to putt for triple.