Playing Golf with Different Abilities: the Formats Where Anyone Can Win
To play golf with very different abilities, choose a format that puts players on the same team, or gives each of them a target that suits their game. As a team: Texas Scramble or Threesome Scramble. Every player for themselves: Quota or Stringball, which put the handicap to work during the round, not just at the end.
Why the handicap isn't enough
He plays off 12, you play off 36. In stroke play or net Stableford, the handicap will correct the score at the end. But for four hours you'll have watched him hit it fifty metres past you on every hole, and each of you will have played your own round. The handicap makes a round calculable; it's the format that makes it fair.
Two families of formats solve the problem: those where you play together, and those where each player plays against their own target.
Playing together: everyone's good shot counts
🤝 Texas Scramble — the format for mixed abilities
Two teams of two. Both players tee off, you keep the best ball, and both play again from that spot, all the way to the hole. Put the strongest and the weakest player on the same team: the beginner stops counting their strokes, and one good shot in eighteen is enough to win a hole for their team. The rules of Texas Scramble · Handicap Scramble
🔀 Threesome Scramble — the best player alone against the other two
With three: one player on their own takes on a team of two playing a scramble, in match play, hole by hole. Give the solo role to the best of the three: the gap in ability becomes what the round is about. The rules of Threesome Scramble
Everyone their own target: the handicap plays during the round
🎯 Quota — beat your own number
Each player gets a points quota: 2 points per hole, minus their handicap. Over 18 holes, a player with a handicap of 12 has a quota of 24 points. You then score Stableford points, and what counts is the gap to the quota: whoever beats their own number by the most wins, whatever their standard. The rules of Quota
🧵 Stringball — a helping hand in proportion to the handicap
Each player gets 50 cm of string per handicap point: 10 metres for a player with a handicap of 20. They can use it at any time to move their ball — out of a bunker, closer for a putt — and cut off what they have used. The fewest strokes wins. The rules of Stringball
🚩 Flag
Everyone gets a stroke budget equal to the course par plus their handicap. When it runs out, you plant your flag where the ball lies. The flag planted furthest round the course wins: the beginner has more strokes, the good player has to make theirs last. The rules of Flag
Depending on the situation
| You're playing with… | Try |
|---|---|
| A beginner, for their first proper round | Texas Scramble, on your team: they don't count their strokes |
| A much stronger friend (12 against 36) | Quota, Stringball |
| Two friends, one clearly better | Threesome Scramble: the best player alone against the other two |
| Your boss, a client, your father-in-law | The Wolf: the result depends on choices too, not just on ability |
🃏 Mexicaine Las Vegas. In a four, the teams change on every hole: after the drive, the two balls furthest right team up against the two furthest left. Then the scores are read Vegas-style — a 4 and a 5 make 45, a 4 and a 7 make 47. A wayward drive can land you the best partner on the hole, and one big number costs the whole team dearly. The rules of Mexicaine Las Vegas →
Frequently asked questions
How do you play golf with someone much better than you?
Choose a format where the handicap works during the round, such as Quota (everyone has to beat their own points quota) or Stringball (a piece of string in proportion to the handicap, used to move the ball). Or play on the same team in a Texas Scramble.
Which format should you choose to play with a beginner?
Texas Scramble, with the beginner on your team: on every shot the better of the two balls is kept, so they don't count their strokes and every good shot they hit helps the team. Quota and Stringball, on the other hand, assume everyone has a handicap.
Isn't net Stableford enough?
Net Stableford makes the results comparable, and in French clubs it is the format of most club competitions. But each player plays their own round, and the gap in ability shows on every hole. Team formats and Quota make the round itself more closely fought.
Can you play a scramble with 3 players?
Yes: Threesome Scramble pits one player on their own against a team of two playing a scramble, in match play. It is the ideal format for three when one of the players is clearly better than the other two.
Play with mixed abilities without working anything out
Quota, Stringball, Scramble: Game of Swing applies each player's handicap, counts the points and shows the leaderboard live. All 41 formats are in the app — and 5 games are free to get you started.
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