Golf · Rules explained
How does match play scoring work in golf?
In match play you score holes, not strokes. The lower score wins the hole, the same score halves it, and a player wins the match by leading by more holes than are left to play, or when the opponent concedes (Rule 3.2a).
How is each hole scored in match play?
| What happens on the hole | Result of the hole |
|---|---|
| You take fewer strokes, penalty strokes included | You win the hole |
| You both take the same number of strokes | Halved (the Rules call it a tied hole): the match score does not change |
| You take more strokes | You lose the hole |
| Your opponent concedes the hole | You win the hole |
| You breach a Rule that carries the general penalty | You lose the hole |
The size of the win does not matter. Winning a hole 3 to 7 is worth exactly the same as winning it 4 to 5: one hole. A triple bogey costs you one hole and no more, so a risky shot that goes wrong hurts far less than it would in stroke play.
What do up, down and all square mean?
The match score is the difference between the holes each player has won. If you have won 5 holes and your opponent 3, you are 2 up and they are 2 down, however many holes were halved. When both have won the same number, the match is all square, often shortened to AS. The score is usually given with the holes left, for example 2 up with 4 to play.
When the leader is up by exactly the number of holes left, such as 2 up with 2 to play, they are dormie: the opponent can still draw level, but can no longer win in regulation.
When is a match play match over?
- Closeout: one player leads by more holes than remain. At 3 up with 2 to play the match is over, because winning both of the last two holes would only bring the opponent back to 1 down. The remaining holes are not played.
- The last hole: if nobody pulls that far clear, the match is played to the end and the result is the final lead, 1 up or 2 up.
- Concession or disqualification: a player can concede the match at any time before it is decided, and a player who is disqualified from the match loses it (Rule 3.2a(3)).
- Level after the last hole: under Rule 3.2a(4) the match carries on to extra holes, one at a time, until someone wins a hole. The terms of a competition can instead let the match end halved, as in many team events.
However a match ends, the result is written as the winning lead, followed by the holes left unplayed if it finished early, so a match won 3 up with 2 to play is 3&2. What does 3&2 mean? explains every result you will see, including why there is no 1&0.
Worked example: an 18-hole match, hole by hole
You play a singles match over 18 holes. The lead swings both ways on the front nine before you pull clear on the back nine and close the match out on the 16th green.
| Hole | Hole won by | Match | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halved | All square | Same score: the hole is halved and the match stays level |
| 2 | You | You 1 up | |
| 3 | You | You 2 up | A second hole in a row for you |
| 4 | They | You 1 up | |
| 5 | Halved | You 1 up | |
| 6 | They | All square | They win it back: level again |
| 7 | They | They 1 up | They lead for the first time |
| 8 | Halved | They 1 up | |
| 9 | You | All square | Level at the turn |
| 10 | You | You 1 up | |
| 11 | Halved | You 1 up | |
| 12 | You | You 2 up | 2 up with 6 to play |
| 13 | They | You 1 up | They win one back |
| 14 | You | You 2 up | |
| 15 | Halved | You 2 up | Halved: 2 up with 3 to play |
| 16 | You | You win 3&2 | 3 up with only 2 to play: the match is over and holes 17 and 18 are not played |
You won 7 holes to their 4, with 5 halved, but the margin is not 7 to 4. Only the lead counts, and the match ended the moment it reached 3 with 2 holes left.
What can you concede in match play?
A stroke, a hole or the match can be conceded (Rule 3.2b):
- The next stroke, usually a short putt. The opponent has completed the hole with that stroke counted in their score, and anyone can pick the ball up.
- A hole, at any time before it is finished, even before it starts. The opponent wins the hole.
- The match, at any time before the result is decided.
A concession must be clearly communicated, in words or by an action that clearly shows you mean it, and once made it cannot be declined or withdrawn. Concessions only exist in match play: in stroke play every hole must be holed out.
How the app handles it
Match play in the app is singles, one player against another, over 18 or 9 holes. After each hole you tap the player who won it, or Halved hole. Each card shows holes won, the status line shows holes played, and the player with more holes won is marked as leading. The match ends as soon as a lead is bigger than the holes left, and a match level after the last hole ends All square, as the app does not play extra holes. It records only who won or halved each hole, so there is no separate entry for a conceded putt or hole, and no strokes are counted.
Questions
Do you count total strokes in match play?
No. Strokes only decide each hole, and the match is decided by holes won. A player can take more strokes over the whole round and still win the match.
How do handicap strokes work in match play?
Lower handicap plays off 0; the other receives the full difference. That is the recommended allowance for singles under the World Handicap System, and the strokes fall on the holes ranked hardest by the stroke index on the card, coming off that player's score before each of those holes is decided. The app does not apply handicap strokes.
Can three players play match play?
Yes, in a format called three-ball match play. Each player plays two separate matches at the same time: one against each of the other two players (Rule 21.4). The app's match play is for two players only.
Who tees off first in match play?
On the first tee, the order of the draw decides or, if there is no draw, the players agree or use a random method such as tossing a coin (Rule 6.4a). The winner of the previous hole tees off first, and after a halved hole the order stays the same as on the previous tee.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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