Match play is a scoring system that awards a player one point or “the hole” if he or she beats their opponent on that hole. The winner is the golfer who has won the most holes.
There are many different formats and scoring systems within golf. Golf is one sport that allows golfers of different ability ranges and ages to play and compete against each other.
The different sets of tee boxes and the USGA handicap system allows golfers of varying abilities to head out on the course and have a fun competitive match.
What is match in golf? (Example Below)
For example: If player A scores a 4 and player B scores a 5, player A wins that hole and is now considered 1 up. If player A scores a 4 and player B scores a 7, player A is still only 1 up. The total strokes are not added at the end, but instead the number of holes each golfer has won.
Stroke play, which differs from match, does count the total number of strokes and the golfer with the total lower amount wins the match. This is different from match play where each hole is its own competition. The person with the lowest amount of stokes doesn’t always win the match in match play.
Below we take you through key questions often associated with Match Play in Golf! These include:
- Terminology in Match Play in Golf
- Strategy in Match Play in Golf
- Four Ball in Match Play in Golf
- Great Match Play Events in Golf
Terminology in Match Play in Golf
Match play, in our opinion, is the simplest and most natural form of golf for head to head competitions. Stroke play is better when there are many golfers involved in the event and the only way to measure who played the best on that day or in a shorter amount of time is to add up all the strokes and the person with the lowest score wins.
A key term to understand is the scoring system. If a golfer has won two holes and lost none, that golfer is considered 2 up. If the golfer has won 4, but lost 2, he or she is considered 2 up as well. The match is over when a golfer is more holes up then what remains. For example, if a golfer is 2 up after the 17th hole, that player is considered to have won the match 2 and 1. If a golfer is 5 up after the 14th hole, that golfer is considered to have won the match 5 and 4.
Another keep term is concession. In a head to head match play event, a golfer can concede a hole or a match. For example, if a golfer is struggling on a hole and has a putt for a 6 and the other golf is putting for 3, a golfer might consider conceding the hole.
Also, putts can be conceded as well. Often times, you will see putts in the 2-3 foot range conceded and counted as good. There is gamesmanship involved in the concession of putts, and early on in a match you may find your opponent being more liberal with the concession and then that tightens up as the match gets deeper into the 18 holes.
If a hole is tied, it is considered “halved” and the match would be considered “all squared” when neither golfer has the lead.
Strategy in Match Play in Golf
Match play often benefits the player that may have 1 or 2 really bad holes during a round that destroys his or her total strokes played during that round. The person that is more steady might prefer stroke play and the more volatile golfer might prefer match play. Hitting two balls out of bounds on a tee shot will only lead to a loss of the hole possibly instead of ruining your entire day because of the quadruple bogey that was made.
The match play format in golf allows golfers to take more risk and to possibly react to the position of their opponent. For example, if golfer A slices their tee shot out of bounds, you might see player B adjusts and instead of hitting driving, maybe only hit a 3 wood, hybrid or even an iron off the tee.
The opposite of this if player A hits a par 5 in two and player B is sitting in position where he or she may have laid up, player B might be more likely to now try to hit the par 5 in two in reaction to what player A did. Tiger Woods during his youth, was one of the world’s greatest match play golfers.
He won 6 consecutive USGA tournaments in a row, 3 being the junior US amateur, followed by 3 US amateurs, which are hosted annually by the USGA. We can all use more speed in our golf swing, read more about our review on SuperSpeed Golf, here.
Match play can bring about some great theatre because golfers are play head to head and every putt and shot seems vital. Having the honors on a tee can help cause pressure if you are able to hit the fairway with your tee shot. Sometimes you may even see someone wanted to be further back in the fairway so they can hit the first approach shot on a par 4 into the green, which can increase the pressure.
The opposite of this is if you miss the fairway or the green, it might help your opponent be more relaxed, knowing that you may be in a bad position on the course.
Match play is so unique in that not only are you worried about where your ball is going, but it can become a major distraction as you spend time trying to figure out where you opponent is at or what he or she is going on the hole.
Four Ball In Match Play
In my opinion, four ball is incredibly fun when you have 4 golfers of somewhat equal talent, or when handicaps are applied appropriately. The roller coaster ride and having a partner makes each shot and hole seem so important.
The format is that each golfer has one partner in the foursome and competes against the other pair in the foursome. Everyone players their ball for the hole and post a score. The team then compares their lowest score to the other teams lowest score.
If your team has a lower scores you know get one point or are considered one up. This continues on for 18 holes. The pressure is increased as not only are you trying to make a putt, but you don’t want to let your partner down.
Great Match Play Events in Golf
There are a number of events in golf that are worth marking your calendar for. The first and my favorite is the Ryder Cup, which is now held every other year falling even numbered years. The team of 12 from the United States takes on the team of 12 from continental Europe.
There are three days of match consisting of Four Play and Alternate shots on Days 1 and 2 and Singles matches on Day 3. The theater and the level of golf is amazing and it means so much to the players and the fans. The atmosphere of these events is fantastic. If you are Ryder Cup fan or want to learn more, we recommend this book from Amazon. Check out the current price, here.
A second highly entertaining Math Play format event is the Ryder Cup. Very similar format to the Ryder Cup, but instead of the USA competing against Europe, they compete against golfers from areas outside of the US and Europe. There have been some highly entertaining matches, maybe with the most famous being the singles match of Tiger Woods vs. Ernie Els.
The third, but maybe the one with the most history and an impressive list of winners is the USGA hosted event known as the U.S. Amateur. This starts as stroke play, but then once the field is reduced the last so many rounds are Match Play. The notable champions include Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus (2 Times) and Tiger Woods (3 Times)
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Overall
Golf is a wonderful game, enjoyed by people of all ages. The great formats like match play in addition physical and mental challenge that each rounds brings, plus the time outdoors on some of the world’s great landscapes, makes golf a game to be enjoyed by all with friends.
It is a game that brings about great social opportunities, challenges, and overall quality time with family and friends. There is a great amount of business done on the golf course and it is known as a class sport. If you are looking to get started we have a great post on How Golf is Played, here.
We also have a series of posts on how to beak 100, 90, 80 or 70.
