The rules
Every golfer plays his own ball for the whole round and holes out as normal. On each hole, his score against par turns into points from a table the group agrees before the first tee. Add the points up; the highest total wins.
1
Score against par
Birdie, par, bogey: the score on the hole, net of any handicap strokes, is all that matters.
2
Look it up
The table turns that score into points. On the standard table a par is worth two.
3
Most points wins
Higher is better, the opposite of stroke play.
Why golfers like it
A disaster hole can only cost you the points you would have scored. Once you can no longer make a point, there is nothing left to play for on that hole, so the usual etiquette is to pick up and move on. Rounds go faster and one bad hole doesn’t end anybody’s day.
The points table
The standard table pays two points for par and one point for each stroke better or worse, down to zero. The modified table on the right is covered in the next section.
SCORE ON THE HOLE
STANDARD
MODIFIED
With the standard table, Stableford ranks a field almost exactly like net stroke play in which no hole can count worse than a double bogey. The difference is that the scoring stops at zero on its own, so nobody has to remember to cap a score.
Modified Stableford
Some groups want the game to reward going for it. A modified table pays more for birdies and eagles and takes points away for bogeys and worse, so par is worth nothing and a blow-up costs you. Here are the three golfers from the top of the page under both tables:
THE SIX HOLES ABOVE
STANDARD
MODIFIED
Sam’s three birdies win it either way, but under the modified table Paul’s six steady pars are worth nothing at all, and Dave’s two birdies put him ahead of Paul.
Any table you like
Nothing about the game depends on the standard numbers. Some groups use a “reward birdies” table (6, 4, 3, 1, 0, −1) that sits between the two. Agree the table before you tee off, because it decides who wins.
Handicaps
Net
Each golfer gets his handicap strokes on the hardest holes by stroke index, and points are scored on the net score. A golfer who gets a stroke on a hole turns a gross bogey into a net par and scores two. The allowance can be set anywhere from 50% to 130% of the course handicap.
Gross
Scores straight off the card. Fine for a group of similar ability, harsh on anyone who isn’t.
Strokes off the low man is not used for Stableford in Halved. Points are measured against par, not against the other golfers, so every golfer plays off his own handicap.
The money
There are two ways to pay out a Stableford round.
Pool
Everyone pays the same entry and the pot is split among the top finishers, for example 60% to first, 30% to second and 10% to third. Golfers who tie share the places they occupy and split that money evenly. There is no countback.
Per point
Each point is worth an agreed amount. By default you settle against the group’s average: finish two points above it at $1 a point and you collect $2. Two other ways are available: pay everyone above you the difference in points, or pay the leader only. Losses can be capped per golfer for the round.
Stableford also works as a side game. The group can play a Nassau or Skins as the main game and keep a Stableford leaderboard alongside it from the same scores, with its own money. A golfer can be in the standings without being paid, which is useful for a guest who isn’t playing for money.
Scoring it without a spreadsheet
Stableford is easy in your head for one golfer and slow for a group, especially net, where every hole needs a stroke check before you can look up the points. Halved scores every hole as the scores go in, with whichever table you chose.
✓
Points by hole
Each golfer’s points show under the scores as you enter them.
✓
Your table
Standard, modified, or your own numbers, set before the round.
✓
Settled with the round
Pool or per point, worked out the moment the last score is in.
Every point counted for you.
Free for the group. Post the scores and Halved applies the strokes, scores the points and settles the money.
Questions people ask
How many points is a par in Stableford?
Two on the standard table. A bogey is one, a birdie three, an eagle four and an albatross five. Double bogey or worse scores nothing.
Is a high or a low score better in Stableford?
High. You add up points, so the golfer with the most points wins, the opposite of stroke play.
What happens if I make a triple bogey in Stableford?
Nothing worse than a double bogey: both score zero on the standard table. That is why many golfers pick up once they can no longer score a point.
What is Modified Stableford?
A table that pays more for birdies and eagles and takes points away for bogeys and worse. A common one is 8 for an albatross, 5 eagle, 2 birdie, 0 par, minus 1 bogey and minus 3 for double bogey or worse.
Is Stableford played net or gross?
Either. Net is the usual choice: each golfer gets his handicap strokes on the hardest holes by stroke index, and points are scored on the net score.
How do ties work when Stableford is played for a pool?
Tied golfers share the places they occupy and split that money evenly. Two golfers tied for second split the second and third prizes. There is no countback.