How ESVGA Golf Competitions are Scored

The majority of games played by the ESVGA are Stableford events. Other events we play each year are, one Ambrose 4 event, one Four Ball Better Ball (4BBB) event and one Stroke event. The stroke event is our Championship round and is always played in November.

Stableford

In Stableford events, points are scored for each hole rather than the number of strokes taken. Points scored for each holes are based on the Par of the hole. Two points are scored for a par and 1 point for 1 stroke over Par. At the end of 18 holes, the total points are tallied and that becomes your final score for the round. The player with the highest score wins.

When taking handicaps into account most players new to Stableford events often have trouble. The following explains how handicaps are applied in a Stableford event.

• On your score card, each hole is assigned a rating between 1 to 18. This rating is based on the difficulty of the hole with 1 being the most difficult and 18 the easiest.
• If your handicap is greater than or equal to the hole rating, you receive a handicap stroke on that hole. In that situation a Par 4 becomes a Par 5, so if you take 5 strokes on that Par 4 you receive 2 points or 1 point if you take 6 strokes. If you par a hole where you receive a handicap stroke, you receive 3 Stableford points for the hole.
• Some players whose handicap is greater than 18 will receive 2 strokes on some holes. Most score cards will therefore show hole ratings of 19 and above for the benefit of golfers whose handicap is over 18. This will be shown as 1/19, 2/20 etc on the score card. For holes where a player receives 2 handicap strokes, you add 2 strokes to the Par for the hole being played to score 2 Stableford points. For example, if your handicap is 25, you receive 2 handicap strokes on holes with a rating of 1/19 to 7/25 and 1 handicap stoke for all other holes. Scoring a 6 on a Par 4 will give you 2 Stableford points.

Count-back system for Stableford

1. The 1st count-back is the best score on the last nine holes (i.e. 10 to 18).
2. The 2nd count-back is the best score on the last six holes (i.e. 13 to 18).
3. The 3rd count-back is the best score on the last three holes (i.e. 16 to 18).
4. The 4th count-back is hole-by-hole BACKWARDS from the Last hole (i.e. 18) until there is a winner.

Fourball Better Ball Stableford

Fourball Stableford is played with two players playing as partners, each taking strokes at holes as in a Stableford competition. Each players score is based on his handicap for the hole being played. The player with the most Stableford points is credited with the points for that hole. Each player’s points are recorded in separate columns.

Stroke (ESVGA’s Championship Event)

For the ESVGAs Championship Stroke round the score at each hole is entered on the score card and totalled. The player who completes the round with the lowest score is the ESVGA Champion. In each of grades A, B and C the player’s handicap is deducted from his score and the player who completes the round in the fewest nett strokes will be the winner of that grade.

Count-back system for stroke

1. The 1st count-back is the best score on the last nine holes (i.e. 10 to 18). Half handicap applies, and the half-stroke IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
2. The 2nd count-back is the best score on the last six holes (i.e. 13 to 18).  One-third handicap applies, and the fractional handicap IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
3. The 3rd count-back is the best score on the last three holes (i.e. 16 to 18). One-sixth handicap applies and the fractional handicap IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
4. The 4th count-back is hole-by-hole BACKWARDS from the- Last hole (i.e. 18) until there is a winner.  For stoke 1/18 handicap applies on each hole, and the fractional handicap IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

Ambrose 4’s

Ambrose is a STROKE game. All players hit from each tee and a ball is selected from which position all players play their next shot. Then the next ball position is selected from which all players again play a shot and this is repeated until the ball is holed under the following rules:

1. Three tee shots must be used for each player in 3 or 4 player teams.
2. On the cut fairway the selected ball may be marked but played as it lies. Other players place their balls within a club length no nearer the pin.
3. On the short grass of the green surrounds the selected ball may be marked and the other players place their balls within a club length no nearer the pin.
4. In the rough the balls must be dropped in the rough within a club length of the selected ball no nearer the pin. The selected ball is not marked but played as it lies.
5. If the selected ball lies in a bunker the balls are to be dropped within a club length no nearer the pin. The selected ball is played as it lies.
6. On the green the selected ball may be marked and the other players place their balls within a hand span no nearer the pin.
7. Handicap: 4 players = 1/8 of total handicap. 3 players = 1/6 of total handicap.
8. (Trial Rule for Box Hill Event 2016)
   On the green, 3 player teams may take a fourth putt at each position. Any player may take the fourth putt, but that player must not take consecutive putts.
9. Note: if the selected ball lies in a hazard then a drop is taken in accordance with the rules of golf and then the above procedure is applied as to where the dropped ball lies, e.g., in the rough or on the cut fairway.
   

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   Gentsomes

   With Gentsomes each team member tees off at each hole. The captain selects the best tee shot, then each member drops his balls from this point and plays out the hole with his/her own ball. The selected drive is counted as the first shot of each of the team members for that particular hole.

   The use of another golfer’s tee shot DOES NOT apply on par 3 holes. On these holes each member of the team must play their ball for the entire hole.

   There is one additional requirement. During the course of the round all player’s drives must be used on a set number of occasions as indicated by the organisers.

   The method of scoring in Gentsomes is based on the popular Stableford format and prizes will be awarded for:

   • Individual stableford score
   • Team Stableford Score comprising the best 2 scores from each player for each hole
   1. The mobile scoring system GolfDayPro will automatically calculate individual and team stableford points and also allow you to specify whose drive was used on a given hole.
   • All players are eligible for NTP & Hole-in-One privileges, regardless of Tee shot restrictions
     

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     Irish Four Ball

     There are many variations to an Irish Four Ball (sometimes called Irish Stableford). Many Irish Four Balls use the two low balls per hole throughout the tournament. A more popular variation calls for the number of scores per hole to vary throughout the round in this fashion:

     Holes 1-6: One low ball
     Holes 7-11: Two low balls
     Holes 12-15: Three low balls
     Holes 16-18: All four scores

     (Some using the above format eliminate the one-low ball option, and play six holes each using two low balls, three and four.)

     Another variation determines scores based on the type of hole being played:

     Par 3 Holes: Two low balls
     Par 4 Holes: Three low balls
     Par 5 Holes: All four scores

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