Stableford, par, Ambrose: which format to play

Most amateur golf is played as medal stroke play, the format that suits amateurs least. One blow-up hole ruins the card, the round drags, and everybody holes out from a metre on a hole they lost long ago. Australian clubs run better options nearly every day of the week.

Stableford, the club standard for a reason

Points against par with handicap applied: two for a net par, three for a net birdie, one for a net bogey, nothing worse. A disaster costs two points instead of six shots, and you pick up as soon as you cannot score, which speeds the round up considerably. It is the format most Australian clubs use for their weekday and Saturday competitions, and it is the one that keeps a 24 marker interested at the sixteenth.

Match play, where the hole is the unit

You win, lose or halve each hole and the score resets. A nine at the fourth costs one hole, exactly like a bogey. It rewards aggression at the right moment and forgives the rest, which is why club championships run knockouts in match play.

Par and other formats you will meet

Par, sometimes called bogey competition, scores each hole as a plus, minus or square against your net par, and the result is a figure like plus three. It plays fast, punishes a wrecked hole no more than a bogey, and is a fixture on Australian club calendars alongside Stableford.

Ambrose, the format for mixed abilities

Everybody tees off, the team picks the best ball, everybody plays from there. Known elsewhere as a scramble, Ambrose is the standard Australian charity and corporate format, and it works because weaker players contribute putts while stronger ones carry the tee shots and nobody spends the day looking for a ball.

Fourball and foursomes

In a fourball each player plays their own ball and the better score counts, which is the relaxed and social option. In foursomes, partners alternate shots with a single ball: fast, tense, and rarely played by amateurs. A foursomes round takes about three hours and teaches more about course management than a month of medal play.

Which format for which day

• Alone or with one other, wanting a real test: medal stroke play.
• Club competition on a Saturday: Stableford or par.
• A mate of similar ability and a bet: match play.
• Charity day, corporate day, mixed abilities: Ambrose.
• Two hours and a partner: foursomes.

Ask what your club runs

Most Australian clubs run competitions on Wednesday and Saturday, monthly medals, club championships in match play, and a pennant season for teams. The pro shop keeps the calendar and entry is usually a few dollars on top of the green fee.

If your GolfLink handicap matters to you, ask which competitions are handicap qualifying before you enter.