What’s the best format for handicap matchplay

By Paul Gueorgieff

What’s the best format for handicap matchplay?

When we play handicap matchplay at our golf club we always make it that the lowest handicapper gives all the shots.

In other words if player A is on a 10 handicap and player B is on a 15 handicap, then player B receives five shots.

In this instance player B receives those five shots on holes with a stroke index of 1-5.

My question is why should those five shots be on the hardest holes of the golf course?

Let me simplify this further. Let’s say player A is on a 14 handicap and player B is on 15. In this instance player B receives just one shot and that will be on the stroke one hole.

My question is why should player A concede a shot on the supposedly hardest hole on the course. Both players are unlikely to par the hole but let’s say player A remarkably does par it.

But in this case he only gets a half because player B scored a bogey with a shot. Is that fair?

The answer to that question is that golf is not played over one hole. It is played over 18 holes and a lot can happen in that time.

But I come back to my question why do we play it that the lowest handicapper gives all the shots?

When I have played in Australia with Australians they have always played best nett or best stableford which are basically the same.

Let me simplify this further. Let’s say player A is on a 14 handicap and player B is on 15. In this instance player A receives one shot on holes with a stroke rating of 1-14. Player B receives a shot on holes with a stroke rating of 1-15.

In this instance player B will receive his/her extra shot on the hole with a stroke rating of 15. Is that fair?

The answer to that question is golf is not played over one hole. It is played over 18 holes and a lot can happen in that time.

I think,  however, I am more at ease at conceding a shot on an easier hole rather than the course’s hardest hole.

But that used to be complicated in my case because the hardest-rated hole at my course used to be No 17. Imagine if you received just one shot from your opponent but you never got to use it because the match was over before reaching the 17th. Is that fair?

I once ran this situation past our former club professional and his stoic reply was you shouldn’t be more than one down coming to the 17th. Golf is not played over 18 holes when you are three down with two to play.

The first nine holes at my golf course are all even numbered stroke holes. Consequently, the second nine holes are all odd-numbered stroke holes. This is deliberate, not coincidental. It has become a common practice but is not universal.

I played at the Townsville Gold Club in Queensland last month and the holes were simply rated on how hard they were. As a consequence the holes with a stroke index of one, two and three were all on the back nine.

Golf New Zealand recommends the practice of even-numbered stroke holes for one nine and odd-numbered for the other nine. 

Handicapping manager Phil Aickin said it is preferred that first nine be odd-numbered stroke holes unless it is clear the second nine holes are harder.

Aickin also said stroke indexes should be spread evenly over the 18 holes but at the same time keeping mind that the lower stroke holes can be used before a match is over. 

Aickin added that holes should be grouped into threes — holes 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 etc — when assessing stroke holes. Ideally the stroke one and two holes should in the middle triad of the front and back nines. But the complicating factor is that the words ideally and logically rarely go together.

Another complicating factor is assessing the difficulty of a hole. For example, the hardest hole for a scratch golfer might not be the hardest hole for an 18-handicapper.

Aickin said research had showed that the most equitable competition for players of all handicap ranges is when the lowest handicapper is giving the shots. 

``It is proven by research that there are more halves in a match using this approach,’’ Aickin told Golfer Pacific.

I found that very interesting.

Given all that I am tempted we should try a change to best nett or best stableford at our club and as a consequence our stroke one hole could return to being No 17 (it was changed to three because it came late in the round).

Aickin added that stableford provides some fun options. One such option, when playing doubles, is the best stableford wins on the first six holes. For the second six holes you add you and your partner’s stableford together to decide the winner of each hole.

And for the final six holes you multiply each other’s scores to determine the winner for each hole.