Top 10 Ways to Play Golf

Golf is not just one game. It is a whole family of games played with clubs, balls, scores, laughs, pressure, strategy, and occasionally a heroic shot that should probably have stayed in your imagination.

Most beginners think golf is always played the same way: hit the ball, count every shot, write down the score, and try not to cry quietly into your glove. That version does exist, and it is called stroke play. But it is only one of many ways to enjoy a round of golf.

Different golf formats can make the game more social, more forgiving, more tactical, more competitive, or simply more fun. Some formats are perfect for beginners because one bad shot does not ruin the day. Others are ideal for club tournaments, golf trips, business events, mixed-skill groups, or players who enjoy a little friendly pressure.

In this guide, we will walk through 10 of the most popular ways to play golf, including classic formats like stroke play, Stableford, and match play, plus team favourites like Texas Scramble, Best Ball, Foursomes, Greensomes, Shamble, Skins, Bingo Bango Bongo, and Wolf.

Golf becomes much more enjoyable when you choose the right format for the players, the occasion, and the mood of the day.

So, whether you are organising a company golf day, a club competition, a weekend match with friends, or your very first round with new golfers, here are the top 10 forms of playing golf you should know.

1. Stroke Play: The Classic “Count Every Shot” Format

Stroke play is the most traditional and widely recognised form of golf. It is also the format most people imagine when they think about golf tournaments. Every shot counts, every hole matters, and the player with the lowest total score at the end wins.

In stroke play, you play your own ball from the first tee to the final hole. If you take 5 shots on the first hole, you write down 5. If you take 9 on the next hole because your ball visited the trees, the bunker, another bunker, and possibly a neighbouring postcode, you write down 9. Stroke play has no sympathy. It is honest, clear, and sometimes a little brutal.

How stroke play works

• Each player plays their own ball throughout the round.
• Every shot is counted.
• The total score after 9, 18, or more holes decides the winner.
• The lowest score wins.

This format is excellent for serious competition because it rewards consistency. It does not allow a player to simply forget a terrible hole. A big number stays on the scorecard and becomes part of the final result.

That is why stroke play can feel tough for beginners. One bad hole can damage the entire round. If you are new to golf, you may find that stroke play puts pressure on every shot, especially when you know the scorecard is keeping a very honest diary of your mistakes.

Stroke play is golf in its purest scoring form: simple to understand, difficult to master, and impossible to hide from.

Best for

• Club championships
• Serious individual competitions
• Players who want a true test of total performance
• Golfers who enjoy measuring progress with exact scores

For learning golfers, stroke play is useful because it gives a clear picture of where strokes are being lost. But for social golf, mixed-skill groups, or beginner-friendly events, it may not always be the most enjoyable choice. Sometimes golf is better when one terrible hole does not become the headline of your afternoon.

2. Stableford: Points Instead of Pain

Stableford is one of the best formats ever created for regular club golfers. Instead of counting total strokes in the traditional way, players earn points on each hole based on their score. A good hole earns points. A poor hole earns few or no points. Most importantly, a disaster hole does not destroy your entire round.

This makes Stableford much friendlier than stroke play. If you are having a nightmare on a hole, you can pick up your ball when you can no longer score points. That saves time, protects your mood, and prevents the scorecard from looking like a crime scene.

How Stableford works

The exact point system can vary, but a common version looks like this:

• Net double bogey or worse: 0 points
• Net bogey: 1 point
• Net par: 2 points
• Net birdie: 3 points
• Net eagle: 4 points
• Net albatross: 5 points

The player with the most points wins. Because handicaps are often used, Stableford allows players of different abilities to compete more fairly. A beginner, a high-handicapper, and a more experienced golfer can all play in the same event and still have a chance to enjoy meaningful competition.

Why golfers love Stableford

• It reduces the damage from one bad hole.
• It keeps the pace of play moving.
• It works well with handicaps.
• It encourages positive scoring instead of only avoiding mistakes.
• It is excellent for club competitions and social rounds.

Stableford is perfect for golfers who want competition without feeling punished for every single mistake.

For beginners and improving golfers, Stableford teaches a valuable lesson: golf is about collecting good decisions, not just avoiding bad ones. You can have a poor hole, reset, and still score well on the next. That is a healthy mindset for golf.

If stroke play says, “Every shot counts forever,” Stableford says, “That hole was ugly, but let us move on like adults.” For many golfers, that is a much better Saturday.

3. Match Play: One Hole at a Time

Match play is one of the most exciting and strategic ways to play golf. Instead of adding up total strokes for the whole round, you compete hole by hole. Win a hole, and you go one up. Lose a hole, and your opponent pulls one back. Tie a knot, and it is halved.

The beauty of match play is that one disaster hole only costs you one hole. You could make an 8 on the second hole, lose it, and still be completely alive in the match. The next hole is a fresh battle. This makes match play more emotionally forgiving than stroke play, while remaining very competitive.

How match play works

• Each hole is a separate contest.
• The player or team with the lower score wins the hole.
• The match score is tracked as holes up or down.
• The match ends when one side leads by more holes than remain.

For example, if you are 3 up with 2 holes to play, the match is over because your opponent cannot catch you. This would be called a 3-2 win.

Why match play feels different

Match play changes the psychology of golf. You are not only playing against the course. You are playing against another person’s decisions, strengths, mistakes, and nerves. Sometimes the smart play is conservative. Sometimes the situation calls for aggression. Sometimes your opponent hits it into the trees, and suddenly the safest shot in your bag looks like pure genius.

Match play also creates natural drama. A two-metre putt in stroke play might be just another putt. In match play, that same putt may win the hole, save the match, or crush your opponent’s soul in a friendly and sportsmanlike way, of course.

Match play is golf with a scoreboard that feels alive after every hole.

Best for

• Head-to-head games
• Team matches
• Club knockout competitions
• Golf trips and Ryder Cup-style events
• Players who enjoy tactical pressure

Match play is also excellent for golfers who struggle with scorecard pressure. Because the round is divided into smaller battles, it is easier to stay present. You do not need to rescue the entire round at once. You only need to play the next hole well.

4. Texas Scramble: The Ultimate Team Fun Format

Texas Scramble is one of the most popular team formats in golf, and for good reason. It is fun, social, beginner-friendly, and perfect for events where the goal is to get everyone involved without making the round feel too intimidating.

In Texas Scramble, everyone in the team hits a tee shot. The team chooses the best shot, and then all players hit their next shots from that spot. The same process continues until the ball is holed. In simple terms, everyone contributes, the team keeps choosing the best position, and the round moves along with plenty of encouragement.

How Texas Scramble works

• Teams usually consist of 2, 3, or 4 players.
• All players tee off on each hole.
• The team selects the best ball position.
• All players hit their next shot from that selected spot.
• This continues until the ball is in the hole.

Some events require each player’s tee shot to be used a minimum number of times during the round. This prevents the strongest driver from carrying the team all day and gives everyone a role. It also creates some entertaining moments when the team realises they still need to use “Uncle Peter’s” drive, and he has been exploring the right route since breakfast.

Why Texas Scramble is so popular

• It is excellent for beginners.
• It creates a strong team feeling.
• It reduces pressure on weaker players.
• It often produces lower scores and more birdie chances.
• It works brilliantly for charity events and company golf days.

Texas Scramble is the format where a beginner can top a shot 40 metres and still walk to the next ball smiling.

This format is especially useful when players have very different skill levels. A strong player can provide stability, while newer players can still contribute with a good putt, a lucky chip, or one beautiful drive that they will mention at dinner for the next six months.

Texas Scramble also teaches teamwork and course strategy. The team must decide which ball gives the best angle, not just the longest distance. Sometimes a shorter ball in the fairway is much better than a longer ball behind a tree. That makes the format both fun and educational.

5. Best Ball and Fourball: Play Your Own Ball, Help the Team

Best Ball is a team format where every player plays their own ball, but only the best score from the team counts on each hole. In pairs golf, this format is often called Fourball, especially in match play competitions.

Unlike Texas Scramble, players do not all move to the same ball. Everyone plays their own shots from tee to green. At the end of the hole, the lowest score on the team becomes the team score. If one player makes par and the other makes double bogey, the team happily writes down the par and quietly pretends the double bogey was part of the landscape.

How Best Ball works

• Players are grouped into teams, often pairs or four-person teams.
• Each player plays their own ball throughout the hole.
• The best score from the team counts.
• The format can be played as stroke play or match play.

Best Ball is a great balance between individual responsibility and team support. You still play your own round, but you are not alone. If your partner is in trouble, you may choose a safer strategy. If your partner is already safely on the green, you might take a more aggressive line.

Why Best Ball works well

• It rewards individual performance.
• It gives teams a safety net.
• It works well for mixed abilities.
• It creates tactical decisions between partners.
• It is popular in team matches and club events.

Best Ball lets you play your own game while still feeling the comfort of having a teammate beside you.

Fourball match play is especially exciting because the team dynamic changes constantly. If one player is safely in for par, the other player might attack the pin. If both players are in trouble, the pressure rises quickly. Good partners communicate well, understand each other’s strengths, and know when to play safe or take a chance.

For newer golfers, Best Ball can be a good step up from Scramble. You still have team support, but you also get the full experience of playing your own ball. It is a helpful bridge between beginner-friendly team formats and more traditional individual golf.

6. Foursomes: Alternate Shot, Maximum Teamwork

Foursomes is one of the most traditional team formats in golf. It is also one of the most demanding. Two players form a team, share one ball, and take alternate shots until the hole is completed. One player tees off on odd-numbered holes, and the other tees off on even-numbered holes.

This format sounds simple. Then you try it and realise that your partner has left you 145 metres from the green, behind a tree, on a downhill lie, with the emotional instruction “just get it somewhere up there.” Welcome to Foursomes.

How Foursomes works

• Two players form a team.
• The team plays one ball.
• Players alternate shots.
• One player tees off on odd holes, the other on even holes.
• The team records one score per hole.

Foursomes is sometimes called alternate shot. It requires trust, patience, and a good sense of humour. You will sometimes hit from places your partner created. Your partner will sometimes hit from places you created. This is a wonderful opportunity to practice forgiveness, both on the golf course and in life.

Why Foursomes is challenging

• There is no second ball to rescue the team.
• Every shot affects your partner directly.
• Strategy matters before every tee shot.
• Players must manage emotions carefully.
• Course management becomes extremely important.

Foursomes is not just a test of golf skill. It is a test of communication, trust, and whether two people can remain friends after 18 holes.

Despite the challenge, Foursomes is a brilliant format. It is fast because only one ball is in play per team. It is strategic because tee shot order matters. It is mentally engaging because you must think not only about your own shot, but also about the next shot your partner will have to play.

Foursomes is best suited for players who are comfortable with basic ball-striking and course strategy. For complete beginners, it may feel a little too pressured. But for experienced pairs, it is one of the most satisfying and traditional ways to play team golf.

7. Greensomes: A Kinder Version of Foursomes

Greensomes is similar to Foursomes, but with one important difference: both players tee off. After the tee shots, the team chooses the best drive and then plays alternate shots from there.

This small change makes the format much more forgiving. In classic Foursomes, a poor tee shot can immediately put the team in trouble. In Greensomes, both players get a chance to put the team in a good position. After that, the alternate-shot format begins.

How Greensomes works

• Two players form a team.
• Both players tee off on every hole.
• The team chooses the best tee shot.
• From that point, players take alternate shots.
• The team records one score per hole.

Greensomes is popular because it keeps the teamwork and strategy of Foursomes but removes some of the early-hole panic. It is especially good for couples, mixed pairs, club events, and friendly competitions where players want teamwork without too much punishment.

Why Greensomes is enjoyable

• Both players get to hit a tee shot on every hole.
• The team gets a better chance of starting well.
• It is faster than two players playing separate balls.
• It still requires strong teamwork after the drive.
• It is less intimidating than classic Foursomes.

Greensomes gives you the teamwork of alternate shot with a little breathing room from the tee.

Strategy in Greensomes is interesting. The best tee shot is not always the longest one. Sometimes the shorter ball has a better angle, a flatter lie, or a clearer route to the green. Good teams discuss the options and choose the ball that gives the next player the best chance.

For newer players, Greensomes can be a great introduction to team golf. It allows both players to participate fully from the tee, while still encouraging shared decision-making and communication. It is also a fine format for speeding up play without removing the challenge of shotmaking.

8. Shamble: A Friendly Mix of Scramble and Individual Golf

Shamble is one of the best formats for golfers who enjoy team support but still want to play their own ball. It begins like a Scramble: everyone tees off, and the team selects the best drive. But after that, each player plays their own ball from the selected tee shot position until the hole is finished.

Think of Shamble as a helpful push from the tee. The team starts from a strong position, but each golfer still plays the rest of the hole individually. This makes it more authentic than Scramble, but less punishing than regular stroke play.

How Shamble works

• Everyone on the team hits a tee shot.
• The team chooses the best drive.
• All players move their balls to that position.
• From there, each player plays their own ball into the hole.
• The team score may be based on the best one, two, or more scores per hole.

Shamble is excellent for golf days where you want fun, pace, and some individual scoring. It removes many of the problems caused by weak or lost tee shots, while still allowing players to hit approaches, chips, bunker shots, and putts.

Why Shamble is a great format

• It helps weaker drivers stay involved.
• It keeps the game moving.
• It still lets players record individual scores.
• It creates more approach shots from good positions.
• It is perfect for mixed-skill teams.

Shamble says, “Let us all start from a decent drive, then see who can actually play the hole.”

For beginners, Shamble is a fantastic learning format. Many new golfers struggle most from the tee. By starting from the best drive, they get more chances to experience the real flow of a hole: approach shot, short game, putting, and decision-making around the green.

For better players, Shamble still feels competitive because they must finish the hole with their own ball. It is not as relaxed as Scramble, but not as strict as full stroke play. That balance makes it one of the most flexible formats for social and corporate events.

9. Skins: Every Hole Has a Prize

Skins is a competitive format in which each hole is worth points. That “something” might be points, money, bragging rights, chocolate, or the privilege of choosing where to eat after the round. The idea is simple: win a hole outright, and you win the skin.

If two or more players tie the hole, the skin usually carries over to the next hole. This can create dramatic moments. A hole worth one skin is interesting. A hole worth five carried-over skins suddenly makes a one-metre putt feel like a final exam.

How Skins works

• Each hole has a value called a skin.
• A player must win the hole outright to win the skin.
• If the hole is tied, the skin carries over.
• The player with the most skins or value at the end wins.

Skins are popular because they create excitement throughout the round. Even if a player is not scoring well overall, they can still win individual holes. One birdie, one clever par, or one lucky chip-in can change the mood immediately.

Why Skins is exciting

• Each hole feels important.
• Carryovers create pressure and drama.
• Players can recover from poor overall scoring.
• It works well in small groups.
• It adds friendly competition without needing a formal tournament.

Skins turns every hole into its own little tournament, complete with nerves, hope, and suspiciously quiet opponents.

Skins can be played gross or net, depending on whether handicaps are used. Net skins are usually better for mixed-skill groups because they give everyone a more realistic chance to win. Without handicaps, stronger players may dominate too easily.

This format is best when the group agrees on the rules before starting. Decide what each skin is worth, whether ties carry over, how handicaps apply, and whether there are any special prizes. Golf is more enjoyable when nobody is debating the rules on the 17th tee with the emotional energy of a courtroom drama.

10. Bingo Bango Bongo and Wolf: Social Games With Extra Strategy

Some golf formats are less about the final score and more about creating little competitions inside the round. Two of the most popular social formats are Bingo Bango Bongo and Wolf. They are especially good for groups that want fun, variety, and a way for different skill levels to compete.

Bingo Bango Bongo

Bingo Bango Bongo awards points for three achievements on each hole:

• Bingo: first player to get the ball on the green.
• Bango: player whose ball is closest to the hole once all balls are on the green.
• Bongo: first player to hole out.

This format is clever because the lowest score does not always win all the points. A shorter hitter may earn Bingo by playing first and reaching the green. A good putter may win Bongo. A precise wedge player may win Bango. The result is a game where different strengths matter.

Bingo Bango Bongo gives every golfer a reason to stay interested, even when the scorecard is not looking beautiful.

It is important to play in the correct order for this format, especially for Bingo and Bongo. The player farthest from the hole normally plays first. That order gives shorter hitters a fair chance to earn points before longer hitters play their approaches.

Wolf

Wolf is usually played in a group of four. On each hole, one player becomes the Wolf. The Wolf watches the other players tee off and decides whether to partner up or play alone. If the Wolf plays alone and wins the hole, the reward is bigger. If the Wolf chooses a partner, the hole becomes a two-versus-two contest.

The order rotates each hole, so everyone gets a chance to be the Wolf. This creates a fun mix of observation, courage, risk, and strategy. Do you partner with the player who just hit a perfect drive? Do you wait and hope the next player hits an even better one? Do you go alone and try to win big? Do you immediately regret your confidence? Very possibly.

Why these formats are great for social golf

• They create mini-competitions on every hole.
• They give higher-handicap players more chances to contribute.
• They keep the round lively even if scores are uneven.
• They reward different skills, not only the total score.
• They are ideal for regular groups and golf trips.

Bingo Bango Bongo is more beginner-friendly because it spreads the points across different moments on the hole. Wolf is more tactical and works best when players understand the group’s basic strengths and weaknesses.

Both formats remind us that golf does not always need to be about shooting the lowest score. Sometimes the best format is the one that keeps everyone laughing, thinking, and fully involved until the last putt drops.

How to Choose the Right Golf Format

The best way to play golf depends on who is playing, how experienced they are, and what kind of day you want to create. A club championship needs a different format than a relaxed company event. A beginner group needs a different experience than four low-handicap players looking for serious match pressure.

For beginners

• Texas Scramble is the safest and most welcoming choice.
• Shamble is excellent when beginners are ready to play more of their own shots.
• Stableford helps beginners learn scoring without being punished too harshly.
• Bingo Bango Bongo gives beginners more ways to win points.

For competitive players

• Stroke Play gives the most complete individual test.
• Match Play creates direct head-to-head pressure.
• Foursomes test teamwork and discipline.
• Skins adds drama to every hole.

For team events

• Texas Scramble is ideal for charity days and corporate golf.
• Best Ball works well for stronger teams and club matches.
• Greensomes is excellent for pairs and mixed competitions.
• Wolf is great for regular groups that enjoy strategy and risk.

The right format can turn golf from intimidating to inviting, from slow to lively, and from individual pressure to shared enjoyment.

If you are organising a golf event, do not automatically choose the most traditional format. Think about the players first. Are they beginners? Are they competitive? Are they there to network, learn, laugh, or win? The format should support the day’s purpose.

Final Thoughts: Golf Is More Fun When the Format Fits

Golf can be serious, social, tactical, relaxed, traditional, chaotic, or all of those things in the same afternoon. That is part of its charm. The course may look the same, but the format changes the entire experience.

Stroke play gives you the pure test. Stableford gives you breathing room. Match play gives you a duel. Texas Scramble gives you teamwork and laughter. Best Ball gives you your own game with team support. Foursomes and Greensomes bring strategy and partnership. Shamble gives everyone a better start. Skins adds pressure and prizes. Bingo Bango Bongo and Wolf keep the round lively from start to finish.

The next time you play, try choosing the format before you choose the scorecard mindset. A small change in format can make the round more enjoyable, especially for mixed groups or newer players.

And remember: golf is difficult enough as it is. You are allowed to pick a format that makes it more fun.

The best golf format is not always the toughest one. It is the one that makes players want to come back and play again.