Match Play
Hole-by-hole, win the most holes
The simplest head-to-head format. You win, lose, or tie each hole. The match ends when one side is up by more holes than there are left to play.
The rules
Per hole
Lowest score wins the hole. Same score = halved (tied). The hole counts equally regardless of how many strokes the difference is.
Match status
Reported as '2 up', '1 down', 'all square' (AS), or 'dormie' (up by exactly the number of holes remaining).
Closing the match
When you're up by more holes than remain, the match closes — '4 & 3' means you won, 4 holes up with 3 to play.
Handicaps
Difference in course handicaps determines stroke allocation. Strokes are given starting on the lowest stroke-index hole (typically the hardest).
How a match closes early
- 1.After hole 15, Alice is 4 up with 3 to play. She can't be caught.
- 2.Match closes 4 & 3 — Alice wins the bet. Holes 16-18 still played for fun (or for presses).
Variations
- ·Best ball — each player on a team plays own ball, low score counts
- ·Scotch / Foursomes — one ball per team, alternate shots
When to play
Default for any 1v1 or 2v2 group. Fast to score, dramatic finishes.
Frequently asked questions
How does match play scoring work?
You compete hole by hole. Win a hole and you go '1 up'; lose it and you're 1 down; tie and the score holds. The margin on a hole doesn't matter — winning by one stroke or five both count as winning one hole. The match ends once a player is up by more holes than remain.
What does '3 and 2' mean?
The match ended with the winner 3 holes up and only 2 holes left — not enough holes remained for the opponent to catch up, so play stopped on the 16th.
What's the difference between match play and stroke play?
Match play is won hole by hole, so a single disaster hole only costs you that hole. Stroke play counts every stroke for the round, so one blow-up hole can wreck your total. See our match play vs stroke play guide for a full breakdown.
mashie scores Match Play automatically and settles up at the end. See how it works