Stableford
Encyclopedia
Stableford is a scoring system used in the sport of golf
. Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in stroke play
, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. Unlike traditional scoring methods, where the aim is to have the lowest score, under Stableford rules, the objective is to have the highest score.
The Stableford system was developed by Dr. Frank Barney Gorton Stableford (1870–1959), to deter golfers from giving up on their round after just one or two bad holes. It was first used informally at the Glamorganshire Golf Club
, Penarth
, Wales
, in 1898, and first used in competition at Wallasey Golf Club in Wallasey
, England
, in 1932.
Stableford can have the added benefit of speeding up the pace of play, as once it is no longer possible to score a point, a player does not have to complete the hole but can simply pick up his/her ball
and proceed to the next hole. It is a popular form of the game, especially at club level and particularly in the United Kingdom
, as it is still possible to record a competitive score despite having the occasional bad hole.
. This fixed score is then adjusted in relation to the players handicap. Once a player has taken two strokes more than the adjusted fixed score, they may pick up their ball as it is then not possible to score any points on that hole. They can then resume play on the next hole. Because of this, it is still possible to be competitive even allowing for a few bad holes. At the end of the round, the number of points scored on each hole is totalled to give a final score. The winner of a Stableford competition is the player with the highest points total.
In the United Kingdom, the fixed score would be adjusted as per the stroke indexes (SI) of the holes, starting at the lowest stroke index 1 hole, through to the highest, stroke index 18. For example, a 12 handicap golfer would increase the fixed score on holes indexed 1 through 12, a 24 handicap player would increase the score by 2 on holes indexed 1 through 6 and by one for the rest, and a plus handicap player would reduce the fixed scores starting at the stroke index 18 hole.
The standard Stableford system can be altered to use different point levels, commonly referred to as a Modified Stableford system, but the number of points awarded per hole as specified by the R&A and the United States Golf Association
are as follows:
The only PGA Tour
event that used a Stableford system of scoring was The International
, although it used a modified version of the scoring system adapted for the skill levels of the professionals and to encourage attacking play. The event was cancelled in February 2007, after 21 years as part of the tour.
On the European Tour
, the ANZ Championship
, which ran for three years from 2002, used the same modified Stableford scoring system as The International. The Royal Swazi Sun Open on the Sunshine Tour
has used the same system since 2003. Two Champions Tour
events also used the modified Stableford system briefly. They were the Royal Caribbean Classic in 2000 and 2001, and the Uniting Fore Care Classic
in 2002. In the latter case, it was seen as a final attempt to save the failing tournament.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in stroke play
Stroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. Unlike traditional scoring methods, where the aim is to have the lowest score, under Stableford rules, the objective is to have the highest score.
The Stableford system was developed by Dr. Frank Barney Gorton Stableford (1870–1959), to deter golfers from giving up on their round after just one or two bad holes. It was first used informally at the Glamorganshire Golf Club
Glamorganshire Golf Club
Glamorganshire Golf Club is located in Lower Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, 7.3 miles south west from the capital city of Cardiff and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Wales...
, Penarth
Penarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, in 1898, and first used in competition at Wallasey Golf Club in Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1932.
Stableford can have the added benefit of speeding up the pace of play, as once it is no longer possible to score a point, a player does not have to complete the hole but can simply pick up his/her ball
Golf ball
A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits...
and proceed to the next hole. It is a popular form of the game, especially at club level and particularly in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as it is still possible to record a competitive score despite having the occasional bad hole.
Scoring
The number of points awarded on each hole is determined based on comparison of the number of strokes taken to a fixed score, usually parPar (score)
The word "par" is a term in the game of golf used to denote the pre-determined number of strokes that a scratch golfer should require to complete a hole, a round , or a tournament...
. This fixed score is then adjusted in relation to the players handicap. Once a player has taken two strokes more than the adjusted fixed score, they may pick up their ball as it is then not possible to score any points on that hole. They can then resume play on the next hole. Because of this, it is still possible to be competitive even allowing for a few bad holes. At the end of the round, the number of points scored on each hole is totalled to give a final score. The winner of a Stableford competition is the player with the highest points total.
In the United Kingdom, the fixed score would be adjusted as per the stroke indexes (SI) of the holes, starting at the lowest stroke index 1 hole, through to the highest, stroke index 18. For example, a 12 handicap golfer would increase the fixed score on holes indexed 1 through 12, a 24 handicap player would increase the score by 2 on holes indexed 1 through 6 and by one for the rest, and a plus handicap player would reduce the fixed scores starting at the stroke index 18 hole.
The standard Stableford system can be altered to use different point levels, commonly referred to as a Modified Stableford system, but the number of points awarded per hole as specified by the R&A and the United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
are as follows:
| Points | Strokes taken in relation to adjusted fixed score |
|---|---|
| 0 | 2 strokes or more over, or no score recorded |
| 1 | 1 stroke over |
| 2 | Same number of strokes |
| 3 | 1 stroke under |
| 4 | 2 strokes under |
| 5 | 3 strokes under |
| 6 | 4 strokes under |
Professional tournaments
Very few professional tournaments have used a stableford scoring system.The only PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
event that used a Stableford system of scoring was The International
The International (golf)
The International was a professional golf tournament played from 1986 to 2006 at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, Colorado. It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match...
, although it used a modified version of the scoring system adapted for the skill levels of the professionals and to encourage attacking play. The event was cancelled in February 2007, after 21 years as part of the tour.
On the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
, the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship (golf)
The ANZ Championship was a men's professional golf tournament, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia, that was played in Australia between 2002 and 2004....
, which ran for three years from 2002, used the same modified Stableford scoring system as The International. The Royal Swazi Sun Open on the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
has used the same system since 2003. Two Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
events also used the modified Stableford system briefly. They were the Royal Caribbean Classic in 2000 and 2001, and the Uniting Fore Care Classic
Uniting Fore Care Classic
The Uniting Fore Care Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1982 to 2002. It was played in Park City, Utah at the Jeremy Ranch Golf Club and the Park Meadows Golf Club . It was played at stroke play each year except in 2002 when it used a Modified Stableford scoring system...
in 2002. In the latter case, it was seen as a final attempt to save the failing tournament.
| Points | Strokes taken in relation to par |
|---|---|
| +8 points | Albatross (3 strokes under par) |
| +5 points | Eagle (2 strokes under par) |
| +2 points | Birdie (1 stroke under par) |
| 0 points | Par Par (score) The word "par" is a term in the game of golf used to denote the pre-determined number of strokes that a scratch golfer should require to complete a hole, a round , or a tournament... |
| −1 point | Bogey (1 stroke over par) |
| −3 points | Double bogey or worse (2 strokes or more over par) |