Stroke Play
Count every stroke. Lowest total wins. The format that runs most of the tournaments in the world.
What it is
Stroke play, also called medal play, is the simplest scoring in golf: add up every stroke over the round and the lowest total wins. Everyone competes against the whole field rather than one opponent.
It can be scored gross (raw strokes) or net (after handicap), and across a multi-round trip the round totals add up into a running leaderboard.
How scoring works
- 1.Each player records a gross score on every hole.
- 2.In net play, course-handicap strokes are subtracted to produce a net total.
- 3.The 18-hole totals rank the field from lowest to highest.
- 4.Across a trip, each round's total feeds a cumulative or order-of-merit leaderboard.
Handicaps
Net stroke play applies the player's full course handicap, allocated by stroke index so strokes land on the hardest holes. Gross stroke play uses no strokes at all.
Best for
Tournaments where everyone plays their own ball against the field, season-long standings, and any group that wants one clear leaderboard rather than head-to-head matches.
Score Stroke Play automatically
Sunday Singles handles the handicaps, the scoring, and a live TV leaderboard for the whole trip. Set up your first round free.
Common questions
What is the difference between stroke play and match play?
Stroke play counts total strokes over the round and ranks the whole field. Match play is won hole by hole between two sides, and total strokes do not matter once a hole is decided.
What is net versus gross in stroke play?
Gross is your raw score. Net subtracts your handicap strokes, letting players of different abilities compete fairly on the same leaderboard.