Definitions

Course Handicap
Local Course Handicap
Playing Handicap
Tournament Handicap

Individual Formats

Excuse My Bad
Individual Skins
Individual Stroke
Nassau
Stableford
Three-Hole Skins

Two-Man Team Formats

Alternate Shot
Better-Ball
Chapman or Pinehurst
Razzle Dazzle
Scramble
Shamble
Total

Four-Man Team Formats

Best-Ball
Best-Balls or 2 Best Balls
Cha-Cha-Cha
Easy as 1-2-3
Irish Rumble
Lone Ranger
Scramble
Shamble
Square-Ball

Italicized terms below indicate they are defined in the USGA Rules of Golf or the USGA Rules of Handicapping.

Course Handicap: the number of handicap strokes a player receives, before Handicap Allowances are applied, from a specific set of tees as determined by the Slope Rating and the difference between Course Rating and par. It is derived from his WHS/USGA Handicap Index with the formula:

Course_Handicap = Handicap_Index x Slope_Rating / 113 + (Course_Rating - par)

The Course Handicap is rounded to the nearest integer when its value is used in evaluating adjustments of the maximum hole score for handicap posting. It is used in full precision when evaluating the Playing Handicap.

Local Course Handicap: a Course Handicap derived from a Local Handicap Index which is calculated using the WHS formula except it is based only on postable club tournament scores using fewer score differentials:

No. Club Rounds	Differentials Used	Multiplier
1-4	lowest 1	90%
5-7	lowest 2	95%
8-9	lowest 3	98%
10 most recent	lowest 4	100%

Playing Handicap: The Course Handicap adjusted for any Handicap Allowances (e.g., 85%) or Terms of the Competition. It represents the actual number of strokes the player gives or receives for the round being played and is usually rounded to the nearest integer.

Tournament Handicap: same as Local Course Handicap unless the member has fewer than 10 Local rounds, in which case it is the lesser of his Local Course Handicap and his WHS/USGA Course Handicap.

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Excuse My Bad — 100% Handicap Allowance

Scoring variant of Individual Stroke: each player's worst hole-scores (relative to par) on the front and back nines will be dropped. The order of finish is determined by net score relative to par (not total net score) because par for each player will vary (from 62 to 66) depending on the hole scores that are dropped. Tie scores will be retained because the tie breaking method assumes the hole layout is the same for all players.

Individual Skins — 100% Handicap Allowance

Skins are won by the player with the lowest net score on each hole within his flight. The value of each skin is the purse divided by the total number of skins, with no carry-overs. Flight sizes are adjusted downward to reduce the number of ties (and increase the number of skins).

Individual Stroke — 95 or 100% Handicap Allowance

Each player receives a handicap allowance of 100% of his Tournament Handicap unless the field (or flight) is large (30 or more players), in which case the handicap allowance is 95%. The player's tournament score is his total number of strokes minus his Playing Handicap.

Nassau — 100% Handicap Allowance

Scoring variant of Individual Stroke: the low net score (and ties) for the front-nine, back-nine and total will place.

Stableford — 100% Handicap Allowance

Each player receives a handicap allowance of 100% of his Tournament Handicap, distributed over 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course. His net score on each hole determines the number of points awarded for that hole, using a point-schedule based on net score relative to par (birdie, par, bogey, etc.) The player's tournament score is the total number of points. The point schedule depends upon the type of Stableford (Standard, Modified, Point-Par, etc.).

Three-Hole Skins — 100% Handicap Allowance

Each player receives a handicap allowance of 100% of his Tournament Handicap, distributed over 18 holes according to the course Stroke Index allocation. This event consists of 6 three-hole games. The net scores for each hole are collected in groups of three where the low triplet score wins a "skin"; tie triplet scores share a skin.

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Alternate Shot — 100% Handicap Allowance — Non-Postable

Also called Foursome Stroke Play. Two partners form a side and each side plays one ball. The partners decide which player is to tee off on the odd-numbered holes and which from the even-numbered holes. The partners play alternately from each teeing ground and alternately during the play of each hole. The team handicap allowance factor is T = (A + B) / 2 where A and B are their Tournament Handicaps. The team handicap may be rounded to the nearest integer or rounded to the nearest 1/10th to reduce the number of tie scores. The team score is the total number of strokes minus the team's Playing Handicap.

Better-Ball — 85% Handicap Allowance

Also called Four-Ball Stroke Play. Each player receives a handicap allowance of 85% of his Tournament Handicap. The team score is the sum of the net better-ball scores for each hole which are determined by each player's Playing Handicap and the Stroke Index for each hole.

Chapman or Pinehurst — 100% Handicap Allowance — Non-Postable

In Chapman or Pinehurst stroke play, two players play as partners, each partner plays from the teeing ground and plays his partner's ball for the 2nd shot. After the 2nd shot, partners select the ball with which they wish to score and play that ball alternately to complete the hole. The player whose 2nd ball was not chosen plays the 3rd shot. The team Playing Handicap is T = 0.6 x A + 0.4 x B, where A and B are the low and high Tournament Handicaps for the players, respectively. The Playing Handicapay be rounded to the nearest integer or rounded to the nearest 1/10th to reduce the number of tie scores. The team score is the total number of strokes minus the team Playing Handicap.

Razzle Dazzle — Handicap Allowance varies — Non-Postable

This format is a combination of three formats: holes #1-6 are played as an Alternate Shot format, holes #7-12 are played as a Two-Man Better-Ball format and holes #13-18 are played as a Two-Man Scramble .

Scramble — 100% Handicap Allowance — Non-Postable

Each player hits and the team selects the position from which they play from next, continuing until the ball is holed. The Committee may stipulate the minimum number of tee shots used by each player. The team Playing Handicap is calculated with the formula: T = 0.35 x A + 0.15 x B, where A and B are the low and high Tournament Handicaps for the players, respectively. The team handicap may be rounded to the nearest integer or rounded to the nearest 1/10th to reduce the number of tie scores. The team score is the total number of strokes minus the team's Playing Handicap.

Shamble — 85% Handicap Allowance — Non-Postable

This format is played like a 2-Man Better-Ball except after each player hits from the tee the team selects the ball position from which they will both play from next. Each player then plays his own ball from that point on until holed. Each player's Playing Handicap is distributed over the 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course. The team score is the sum of best-balls for each hole.

Total — 100% Handicap Allowance

Each player plays his own ball and receives a handicap allowance of 100% of his Tournament Handicap. Players must complete each hole and have a valid net score (no pick-ups). The team score is the sum of the net strokes for both players.

This format can also be played with Stableford scoring, in which case a player need not finish a hole if his stroke count exceeds a net bogey.

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Best-Ball — 75% Handicap Allowance

Each player plays his own ball throughout the round and receives a handicap allowance of 75% of his Tournament Handicap. In order to determine net scores for each hole, Playing Handicaps are distributed over the 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course to determine net hole-scores for each player. The team score is the sum of all the single lowest net scores for each hole.

Best-Balls — 85% Handicap Allowance

Each player plays his own ball throughout the round and receives a handicap allowance factor of 85% of his Tournament Handicap. In order to determine net scores for each hole, Playing Handicaps are distributed over the 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course. The team score is the sum of the two lowest net scores for each hole.

Cha-Cha-Cha —  85% Handicap Allowance

Each player plays his own ball throughout the round and receives a handicap allowance of 85% of his Tournament Handicap. The team score on the 1st hole is based on the lowest net score, on the 2nd hole it is based on the two lowest net scores and on the 3rd hole it is based on the three lowest net scores. The "1-2-3" scoring is repeated for the remaining holes. In order to determine net scores for each hole, Playing Handicaps are distributed over the 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course.

Easy as 1-2-3 — 85% Handicap Allowance

Scoring variant of a 4-Man Best Balls format. All players play their own ball. The team score is the total of the single best ball on par 3 holes, the two best balls on par 4 holes and the three best balls on par 5 holes.

Irish Rumble — 85% Handicap Allowance

The Irish Rumble has many forms, but here it is played like a 4-Man Best Balls tournament except it is scored by counting the single best ball on holes #1-6, the two best balls on holes #7-12 and the three best balls on holes #13-18.

Lone Ranger — 85% Handicap Allowance

On holes 1-8 and 10-17, one player in the group is assigned to be the "Lone Ranger". On the 1st hole, the player in position 1 in the pairings will be the Lone Ranger; on the 2nd hole, the player in position 2 in the pairings will be the Lone Ranger; on the 3rd hole, the player in position 3; and on the 4th hole, the player in position 4. The cycle then repeats through holes 5-8 and again on holes 10-17. The team score on these holes will always include the Lone Ranger's ball as well as the best ball of the other three players. On the 9th and 18th holes the two best balls of all players will be used for the team score. Each player plays his own ball, with an 85% handicap allowance.

Razzle-Dazzle — Handicap Allowance varies — Non-Postable

This format is a combination of three formats: holes #1-6 are played as a Four-Man Best-Ball format, holes #7-12 are played as a Four-Man Alternate-Stroke format and holes #13-18 are played as a Four-Man Scramble.

Scramble — 100% Handicap Allowance  — Non-Postable

Each player tees off on each hole and the team selects one of the four ball locations from which to play next and each player plays from that location, continuing in this way until a ball is holed. The Committee may stipulate a minimum number of tee shots be used for each player. The team Playing Handicap is calculated with the formula: T = 0.25 x A + 0.20 x B + 0.15 x C + 0.10 x D, where A, B, C and D are the Playing Handicaps for the players, ordeed low to high. The team Playing Handicap may be rounded to the nearest integer or rounded to the nearest 1/10th to reduce the number of tie scores.

Shamble — 75 or 85% Handicap Allowance  — Non-Postable

This format can be scored by counting the best-ball (with a 75% handicap allowance) or two best-balls (with an 85% handicap allowance). All players hit from the tee then the team selects the ball position from which they will all play from next. Each player then plays his own ball from that point on until each ball is holed. Each player's Playing Handicap is distributed over the 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course. The team score is the sum of the net best-ball (or two net best-balls) for each hole.

Square-Ball —  85% Handicap Allowance

Each player plays his own ball throughout the round and receives a handicap allowance of 85% of his Tournament Handicap. The Playing Handicaps are distributed over the 18 holes according to the Stroke Index allocation for the course. The team score is the sum of the net "square-ball" and the low net of the remaining three balls. The player "in the square" rotates A, B, C, D for holes #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 and holes #10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17. On holes #9 and #18 the two net best balls from all the players are counted. The team score is the sum of the two balls scored for each hole.

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