How Stableford scoring works, in plain English.

The idea: points, not strokes

In medal (stroke play) golf you count every shot, so one disastrous hole can sink a good round. Stableford fixes that by turning each hole into a small points contest against par. You score points based on how you did relative to par after your handicap — and the worst you can score on any hole is zero. A wipe on the 7th costs you that hole's points and nothing more.

The points table

On each hole, your net score (your strokes minus any handicap strokes you get there) is compared to par:

• Net double bogey or worse — 0 points
• Net bogey (one over) — 1 point
• Net par — 2 points
• Net birdie (one under) — 3 points
• Net eagle (two under) — 4 points
• Net albatross (three under) — 5 points

Add up all 18 holes and the highest total wins. Because a bad hole is just a zero, players are encouraged to keep swinging freely rather than grinding out damage limitation.

Where handicap strokes come in

Your course handicap is shared out across the holes using each hole's stroke index (1 is the hardest hole, 18 the easiest). If your course handicap is 18, you receive one stroke on every hole. If it's 9, you receive a stroke on the nine hardest holes — stroke index 1 to 9.

On a hole where you get a stroke, subtract it before working out points. A gross bogey (one over) with a stroke becomes a net par — 2 points. That's the quiet genius of Stableford: a steady bogey-golfer scores solidly all the way round.

Net double bogey and picking up

The lowest scoring result is a net double bogey — worth zero. The moment you can no longer score a point on a hole, there's no reason to keep putting out. Players simply pick up and move to the next tee, which is the main reason Stableford days finish on time. (This "net double bogey" cap is also the maximum hole score used for handicap purposes under the World Handicap System.)

A quick worked example

You're a 12 handicap on a par-4 with stroke index 6. Because your handicap is 12, you receive a stroke on stroke-index holes 1 to 12 — so yes, one stroke here.

• Score a 4 (par): net 3 — a net birdie — 3 points.
• Score a 5 (bogey): net 4 — a net par — 2 points.
• Score a 6 (double): net 5 — a net bogey — 1 point.
• Score a 7 or worse: net double bogey or worse — 0 points, pick up.

Letting the app do the sums

Working out strokes per hole, net scores and countback ties by hand is where mistakes and arguments creep in. In Caddro Society, players (or the organiser) tap in gross scores hole by hole and the app applies the right course handicap and allowance, converts to Stableford points live, breaks ties on countback, and updates the leaderboard for the whole field — then writes the result straight into your season Order of Merit.