# Golf league formats

> Golf league formats compared: individual net stroke play, Stableford, match play, two-person teams, scrambles and skins, with what each means for the organizer every week.

Canonical: https://golfleaguesoftware.com/guides/golf-league-formats

The format decides how a night is won, how much work the organizer does, and how social the league feels. Here are the common ones and what they cost you in admin.

*By the Golf League Software team. Updated 2026-11-12.*

| Format | How a night is won | Organizer effort |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Individual net stroke play | Lowest net score (in each flight) | Low |
| Stableford | Most points from hole scores against par, net of strokes | Medium |
| Match play | Head-to-head, hole by hole | High: weekly pairings |
| Two-person teams | Best ball or combined net of a pair | Medium to high |
| Scramble | Team picks the best shot each time | Medium; individual handicaps fit poorly |
| Skins | Lowest score on a hole, alone, wins it | A side game on top |

## Individual net stroke play

Each golfer’s gross score minus their handicap. Simple to explain and to score, and it works with flights and points by place. It’s what most twilight leagues play.

## Stableford

Points per hole relative to par after handicap strokes, so a disaster hole costs at most a few points. Popular with higher handicaps; needs stroke index on every card.

## Match play and teams

More social and more competitive head-to-head, but someone has to make pairings or a team schedule every week and handle no-shows.

## What Golf League Software supports today

Individual stroke play, net or gross, 9 or 18 holes, with flights and points by place. Stableford, match play and team formats are not built yet. If your league plays one of those, [tell us](https://golfleaguesoftware.com/contact?topic=question&from=/guides/golf-league-formats): it shapes what we build next.

## Related

- [How to run a golf league](https://golfleaguesoftware.com/guides/how-to-run-a-golf-league)
- [Golf league points systems](https://golfleaguesoftware.com/guides/golf-league-points-systems)
- [Shotgun start in a golf league](https://golfleaguesoftware.com/guides/shotgun-start)