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Game Format

Stroke Play Golf Format

Also known as: Medal Play, Strokeplay

Stroke play is the simplest and most widely used scoring format in golf. Every stroke counts — you add up your total strokes over the round and the player with the lowest score wins. It’s the format used in most professional tournaments, including all four majors, and is the standard way to play golf at every level.

At a Glance

Type
Individual game
Players
1 or more
Scoring
Total strokes (displayed as gross or relative to par)
Handicaps
On by default (Net Score)
Wins
Lowest total score

The Rules
  1. Each player plays their own ball on every hole from tee to green.
  2. The number of strokes taken on each hole is recorded on the scorecard.
  3. After all holes are completed, each player’s total strokes are added up.
  4. The player with the lowest total score wins.
Pickup rule: If a player picks up their ball on a hole (gives up without finishing), Squabbit records a pickup (“P”) for that hole. This keeps the round moving without penalizing a player beyond the strokes they’ve already taken.

Example Round

Three players are competing over 18 holes on a par-72 course:

Gross Scores
Player A shoots 82 (10 over par)
Player B shoots 90 (18 over par)
Player C shoots 95 (23 over par)
Gross winner: Player A with 82 strokes

But with handicaps enabled (net scoring), the results can change:

Net Scores
Player A: 82 gross − 8 handicap = 74 net
Player B: 90 gross − 18 handicap = 72 net
Player C: 95 gross − 22 handicap = 73 net
Net winner: Player B with 72 net strokes

Handicap Options

Squabbit supports three handicap modes for stroke play. You can switch between them when setting up a game.

Net Score (default)

Each player’s handicap strokes are subtracted from their gross score to produce a net score. The player with the lowest net score wins. Handicap strokes are distributed across holes based on the course’s hole handicap rankings — the hardest holes receive strokes first.

Compare With Lowest

The lowest handicap in the group is used as the baseline — that player plays at scratch (0 strokes). Every other player receives the difference between their handicap and the lowest handicap. This keeps the relative gaps the same while giving fewer total strokes.

Compare With Lowest Example
Player A handicap: 8 (lowest) → receives 0 strokes
Player B handicap: 18 → receives 10 strokes (18 − 8)
Player C handicap: 22 → receives 14 strokes (22 − 8)

Gross (no handicaps)

Handicaps are disabled entirely. Every player’s raw stroke total is their score. This is how professional tournaments are scored and is best for groups of similar skill levels.

Tip: You can also set a custom handicap percentage for all players (e.g., 80% of full handicap) if your group prefers a partial handicap adjustment.

Setting Up in Squabbit

To create a stroke play game in Squabbit:

  1. Create a new tournament or casual game.
  2. Under format, choose Stroke.
  3. Handicaps are enabled by default using Net Score. To change this, tap the handicap settings and select Gross or Compare with lowest handicap.
  4. Add players to the game.
  5. Select your course and start the round.

During the round, enter each player’s stroke count on every hole. Squabbit automatically calculates running totals and applies handicap strokes based on the course’s hole difficulty rankings. You can toggle between viewing scores as gross strokes or relative to par at any time.

Note: Stroke play is also used as the subscoring method inside many other formats in Squabbit, including Skins, Nassau, Best Ball, and more. When you see “Stroke Play” as a subscoring option, it means individual hole scores are determined by total strokes.