2 sides: any size
⚔️Match play golf rules: how to play and score it
Match play is golf reduced to its purest question: did you beat the other player on this hole? Win holes, go "up"; the match ends when you’re up more than there are holes left: the famous 3&2. Blowup holes cost exactly one hole, which is why match play stays fun when your swing doesn’t.
The rules
Each hole: lower score (gross or net) wins the hole; ties halve it. The score is the running difference: 2 up, 1 down, all square. The match closes when the lead exceeds the holes remaining.
Teams play better ball: each side counts its best score on the hole. Handicaps typically stroke off the low handicap: the best player plays off scratch and everyone else takes the difference where the card says.
Making it a game
Put a per-player stake on it, add presses when someone goes down, and layer junk on top: greenies, sandies, birdies. One match with trash riding is the default Saturday game for a reason.
How Swilkin runs it
Swilkin scores the match live off the group’s scores (who’s up, thru how many, strokes marked on the exact holes they fall) and layers presses, junk, and side bets on the same card. The match’s hole-by-hole story is saved with the round, and the result goes on your rivalry record.
