Stableford?

Hi all, What is Stableford? is it a type of play?

Regards Mehmet

Ps: sorry if this is a stupid question.

Not a stupid question at all Mehmet, just a stupid format that seems to be the norm for all competitions these days.

You use your handicap to work out a net score for each hole.  You then score one point for a bogey, two for a par, three for a birdie and so on.  You then add up a points total for the round and the winner has the highest total.  The scoring system means that you can have an horrendous score on one hole without ruining your chances of winning a competition.  

This makes it a good scoring system for friendly rounds and society competitions but does not necessarily show who has played closest to their handicap. I wouldn't agree with John that it is a stupid format but I would agree that it is over used at present,

John, what format would you prefer for all handicaps to participate? I will go along with it disadvantages the lower handicaps on the easier courses but what's the alternative?

Par is a better format, still gives higher handicapers a chance and is fairer to the lower handicaps.

In Par play the score is entered on the card in the same way as in stroke play with the exception that where the score exceeds par for the hole, after allowing for handicap stroke (if the player is in receipt of one), the score need not be written in. It is the custom that when a player is beaten by par, the ball shall be picked up. This helps speed up play.

After entering the stroke score on the card, the result is marked in the column provided with a ‘+’ sign for a win, an ‘o’ for a half and ‘-’ for a loss. At the end of the round the plus and minus signs are added and the nett result written in as so may ‘up’ and ‘down’ or ‘all square’.

A player is allowed his full stroke handicap and the strokes are taken at holes as indicated on the card.

Where the handicap is more than 18, two strokes will be allowed on the number of holes that the handicap exceeds 19. These strokes will be taken in the same order as followed for the first 18 holes unless the index goes beyond 18.

We've used Stableford for years in our Society with a few Stroke Play events added in there as well.  It always gives the Higher Handicap players a better chance at winning.  Makes the competition closer at the end.

Stableford is good for the higher handicappers as they are generally a high handicap due to inconsistency.  As Jon said above, you can have a bad hole without ruining your card.  I recently played at Sherfield with John P and despite shooting 1 over my handicap I got 38 points (2 below).  This was due to a 9 on a par 3!

Strokeplay off full handicaps generally benefits the players who play consisently through the round, which is usually the players with handicaps of mid-teens or below. 

If you are an 18 handicap, you get one 'spare' stroke on each hole.  If you are less than an 18 handicap you get a 'spare' stroke on the number of holes corresponding to your handicap and on the hardest holes on the course per the stroke index (SI).  So if you are a 12 handicap, you would get a 'spare' stroke on the holes that are SI 1 to 12 and no 'spare' on the other six (in case you didn't know, SI 1 is the hardest hole on the course and SI 18 is the easiest).  If you have a handicap of more than 18, you get two 'spare' strokes on some holes.  Here's a couple of examples to help explain it.  Assume an SI 6 par 4.  Every player cards a 6 

• Handicap 5 player.  5 is less than 6 so he gets 0 strokes.  6 - 0 = 6 = 2 over.  0 points
• Handicap 15 player.  15 is more than 6 so he gets 1 strokes.  6 - 1 = 5 = 1 over.  1 point
• Handicap 22 player.  22 is more than 18, so he gets a stroke on every hole.  With the 4 strokes left over he gets an extra stroke on SI 1 to 4.  4 is less than 6 so gets 1 stroke.  6 - 1 = 5 = 1 over.  1 point
• Handicap 27 player.  27 is more than 18, so he gets a stroke on every hole.  With the 9 stroke left over he gets an extra stroke on SI 1 to 9.  9 is more than 6 so gets 2 strokes.    6 - 2 = 4 = Par.  2 points

I know this can be a little confusing, but put simply if you are off 27, you get two strokes on SI 1 to 9 (18 strokes) and one stroke on SI 10 to 18 (9 strokes) making a total of 27 strokes.  Hope that helps and you're not totally lost!

You forgot the other end of the scale:

Par 5 SI 5 hole. 

Handicap 23 player.  Gets a birdie 4 = 5 points. 

Handicap 4 player.  Gets a double bogie 6 = 0 points.

The 4 handicap player would have had to have an albatross (2 on a par 5) to get the same score.

All stableford comps (if you have to play in them) should be played off 3/4 handicaps. This would hopefully encourage all the higher handicappers to become more consistent players. If you're quite happy having 3 or 4 blobs and picking up 36+ points then you'll never improve as a stroke player and you're handicap won't fall.

Patrick, The game of golf is about playing 18 holes in the least amount of strokes. This mean that every stroke has to be counted. Medal play is the only format that takes this into consideration. Every other form of competition is, quite honestly, a joke. That is my opinion.

Paul, I agree with you regarding stableford competitons although the recognised format was 7/8ths handicap.

I have never agreed with handicaps being nigher than 24 and 3/4's brings the maximum stroke on a hole to 1. Giving 2 shots on a hole is another one of modern golfs jokes.

Mehmet,I just read your whats in the bag  that will tickle me all day, and welcome to Golfshake. I agree with your last post it is done but not enough atmost clubs, usually monthly. At my club however tjhere is one every weekend and is known as a Medal round.

John, yes but we're talking about stableford which I think is the only format that society games, with all the diversity of handicaps remains inclusive and keeps everyone in with a chance, though it does bug me when 24 h'cappers get 5 pts.

The elusive 5 pointer havn't had one of those in a long time Patrick,but I agree it grains me when i have to write that on a  high Hcpr's card!!

The funniest thing about the example I gave above is that it was true....and it was me that got the 5 pointer! 

Bad thing about it was the person who got the 0 pointer on the hole was my old man and he was my partner in a South African Stableford. In case you don't know that is where you multiply your stableford score with your partners....Dad was not too happy!

John P, my old course in NZ had a par 3 (192 metres) that was stroke index 2, so a 20 handicapper can play wedge, wedge and be on the green for a net none!  Rather stupid indexing IMHO.

It is a hard hole with a ditch 40 yards in front of the green and running around the right hand side, but giving away 2 shots on the hole to a high handicapper makes it pretty hard to compete on the hole.

I got a 5 pointer a couple of years ago, Holed my second shot to the SI 2 at Filey for a Nett One.

On the subject of high Hcp's getting 5 pointers, what do they do for the other 17 holes. If they do get the 5pts then blob and follow with a 1 pointer, that's 6 points for 3 holes and if a low Hcp'er goes Net par par par, that's the same 6 points.

I agree Lyth,that's exactly what happens usually it still grains me though 2 shots on a hole is bad, It may be as I never had that privilege my first club comp Hcp was 18. Martin its quality, I started to wonder if filling out important forms asking "sex" he answer's "Yes please ".

I can remember getting three 5 pointers, the one mentioned above, a birdie on the par 3 mentioned above with 2 shots (hit driver to 2 feet, fluke!) but the best one was holeing a 4 iron for my second on the par 5 fifth, SI 16 hole on the same course when I was off 8.  No shots needed for that one!