Know nothing about golf? That’ll all change in five minutes with this cheat sheet
Match play
• Match play is when players play on a hole-by-hole basis – so the number of holes won determines the winner, not the number of strokes
• The person playing against you is your opponent
• If you win the first hole, you are one-up; if you lose it, you are one-down. If two players win the same hole, they are all-square
• The winner is the player who has more holes up than there are left to play, so if a player is three-up and there are only two holes left to play, they win ‘three and two’
• If you putt and your ball hits the flagstick when it is in the hole, you lose the hole
• If you play a ball that isn’t yours, you lose the hole
• If you play out of turn, your opponent may make you replay your shot
Stroke play
• Stroke play, also known as medal play, is when the player with the fewest strokes wins. Most professional tournaments follow this style
• The person playing against you is your fellow competitor
• The competitor with the lowest total score for the round/s is the winner
• You must play your ball into a hole before starting on the next one
• If you putt and your ball hits the flagstick when it is in the hole, add two penalty strokes to your score
• If you play out of turn, your opponent won’t make you replay your shot
• If you play a ball that isn’t yours, add a two-stroke penalty
• It’s not possible to play match play and stroke play at the same time
Do
• Play the holes on the course in order – one to nine or one to 18
• Wait 10 seconds to see if your ball drops into a hole if it’s hanging on the edge. If it falls in after 10 seconds, add a penalty stroke to your score
• Add a penalty stroke to your score and replace the ball if you move it; if you don’t replace it, add two penalty strokes
• Play the ball as it lies, even if moved by wind or water
• Spectators, keep quiet and still, wear shoes without spikes and wait for players to putt before leaving the green for the next teeing ground
Don’t
• Carry more than 14 clubs
• Change balls during play, unless it’s damaged
• Ask anyone except your caddie for advice. Don’t dish it out either!
• Hit your ball while it’s moving, except in water
• Spectators, don’t take photos or phone calls, run between holes during a match or holler ‘You da man!’ or ‘Get in the hole’, after a particularly good shot
Last but not least…
• The player who has the lowest score on a hole has the right to play first on the next hole. This is called the ‘honour’
• The player whose ball is furthest from the hole plays first
• A ball is lost if not found in five minutes. Add a penalty stroke to your score and play another ball from where you played your last shot
