Quota Golf Game: Rules of the Points Target Format
Quota is fairness in golf boiled down to a single number: your personal target. Each player works out their quota — 2 points per hole minus their handicap, so 36 minus handicap over 18 holes — then plays the whole round against that number. On every hole, points are scored using the Stableford scale applied to the gross score: eagle or better 4 points, birdie 3 points, par 2 points, bogey 1 point, double bogey or worse 0 points. The points add up hole after hole, and at the end of the round the final score is worked out like this: total points minus starting quota. The player who beats their quota by the most wins — whether they have the lowest or the highest handicap in the group. That is what makes Quota so remarkably fair: a beginner on a quota of 16 and an experienced player on a quota of 30 end up on exactly the same leaderboard, each one battling their own number rather than their neighbour's. The result: nobody is out of the running before the first tee shot, and beating your quota is still a win, even if you don't finish first in the group.
▶ The rule in 60 seconds, in French with English subtitles — the Game of Swing channel
How to play Quota, hole by hole
- Work out your quota before you start: 2 points per hole minus your handicap. Over 18 holes: 36 − handicap (a handicap of 12 gives a quota of 24). The handicap is counted pro rata to the holes played.
- Play each hole normally, without worrying about the quota along the way: just count your strokes.
- Convert your score into Stableford points, on the gross score: eagle or better = 4 pts, birdie = 3 pts, par = 2 pts, bogey = 1 pt, double bogey or worse = 0 pts.
- Add up your points hole after hole over the whole round.
- At the end of the round, work out your final score: total points − quota. The biggest positive margin wins the round.
| Result on the hole | Points scored |
|---|---|
| Eagle or better | 4 |
| Birdie | 3 |
| Par | 2 |
| Bogey | 1 |
| Double bogey or worse | 0 |
Sofia (handicap 12) starts with a quota of 24, Antoine (handicap 20) with 16, Hugo (handicap 8) with 28. At the end of the round: Sofia 27 pts (+3), Antoine 21 pts (+5), Hugo 26 pts (−2). Antoine wins: he beats his quota by the most, even though he has the highest handicap in the group and the lowest Stableford score of the three.
| Handicap | Quota over 18 holes |
|---|---|
| 8 | 28 |
| 12 | 24 |
| 18 | 18 |
| 20 | 16 |
Why golfers love Quota
- Perfect fairness, with no maths along the way. Everyone chases their own number from start to finish: no need to compare your score with the others' to know where you stand.
- The beginner and the single-figure handicapper can compete on the same leaderboard. The handicap does all the work up front, once, before the start.
- A handy benchmark: a bogey on every hole makes 18 points. If your handicap is 18, that is exactly your quota — so every par you make is a point in hand.
Strategy tip
Aim for pars on the short holes and accept the bogey elsewhere: it is the best way to build a steady positive margin. The real enemy in Quota is the double bogey — it earns not a single point, however much effort you put into the hole. A player who consistently avoids the zero almost always finishes ahead of the one who mixes birdies with no-point holes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you work out your quota in golf?
Your quota is 2 points per hole minus your handicap: over 18 holes, quota = 36 − handicap (a handicap of 12 gives a quota of 24). If the round is played over a different number of holes, the handicap is counted pro rata to the holes played.
How are points scored on each hole?
With the Stableford scale applied to the gross score: eagle or better 4 points, birdie 3 points, par 2 points, bogey 1 point, double bogey or worse 0 points. These points add up hole after hole over the whole round.
How is the winner of Quota decided?
Each player's final score is their total points minus their starting quota. The player with the biggest positive margin — the one who beats their quota by the most — wins the round, whatever their handicap.
Does Quota work for players of very different abilities?
Yes, that is exactly what it is for: each player has their own target, worked out from their handicap, so a beginner and an experienced player can sit on the same leaderboard and compete on equal terms.
Every format on a single page: step-by-step rules, a worked example, the points scale and a strategy tip — to read the night before a round or to print. The free sample covers 10 formats, including the 5 you can play for free in the app; Quota is in the complete guide.
Download the free sample →PDF · 14 pages · direct download, no email needed · the complete guide covers all 41 formats
Your next Quota round, without working out your margin
The Game of Swing app works out each player's quota, awards the Stableford points hole by hole and shows live who is above their quota. Quota is waiting in the catalogue of 41 formats — with 5 free games to get you started.
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