Match Play

What is Match Play?

Match play is one of the oldest and most exciting formats in golf. Instead of counting every stroke across the full round, you play hole by hole. Win a hole and you go "1UP." Lose a hole and your opponent goes "1UP." Tie a hole and it's "halved" — nobody scores.

The round ends the moment one player has won more holes than there are holes remaining. That's when you hear the classic result: "3&2" — meaning the winner was 3 holes up with only 2 left to play.

It creates a completely different mental game than stroke play. One bad hole doesn't destroy your round — you just lose that hole and move on. Comebacks happen all the time.

How Scoring Works

1. 1

   Play each hole normally. The player with the lower score wins the hole. No need to finish the hole if your opponent can't beat your score — you can "concede" their remaining putt at any time.

2. 2

   The running score tracks who is ahead and by how many holes. "3UP" means you've won 3 more holes than your opponent. "All Square" (AS) means it's tied.

3. 3

   If both players make the same score, the hole is halved — the status stays the same and nobody gains or loses ground.

4. 4

   The match is over when one player's lead exceeds the number of holes left. If you're 3UP with 2 holes remaining, the match is over — your opponent can't win enough holes to catch up.

5. 5

   If the match is still tied after 18 holes, it goes to sudden death — play additional holes until someone wins one.

Playing with Handicaps

Match play works great with handicaps. The higher-handicap player receives strokes on specific holes based on the course's stroke index. On those holes, one stroke is subtracted from their gross score before comparing to the opponent.

In Strokes & Stakes, turn on Net Scoring when setting up your round and enter each player's handicap. The app handles the math automatically on every hole.

Setting Up the Wager

Match play is most commonly played with a simple flat buy-in — both players put in the same amount and the winner takes the pot. The size of your lead at the end doesn't change the payout.

Some groups also add a per-hole bet on top of the match bet — a set dollar amount for each hole won outright. This keeps every hole meaningful even when the overall match is decided early.

Strokes & Stakes tracks both the match result and any per-hole side action, then calculates exactly who owes what at the end.

Pro Tips

• You can concede a hole or even the entire match at any point. There's no obligation to play out a hole if it's already won — the Ryder Cup pros do it all the time.
• The scoreboard in Strokes & Stakes shows your current match status (1UP, 2UP, AS) after every hole — no mental math required.
• Don't panic if you go 3DOWN early. Match play swings are real. Win three straight holes and you're right back in it.
• Decide upfront whether the match is decided at 18 or goes to sudden death if tied. It avoids arguments on the 18th green.

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