Match play¶
What it is¶
Match play is golf head-to-head. Two players go hole by hole, and whoever wins more holes wins the match — the actual scores don't matter, only who took each hole. A wipe on one hole costs you that hole and nothing more, so match play rewards nerve and momentum over a clean card.
How scoring works¶
- On each hole, compare net scores. The lower net wins the hole; an equal net halves it.
- The match is tracked as holes up — "2 up" means two holes ahead. A halved hole leaves the margin unchanged.
- When a player's lead is greater than the number of holes left, the match is over early — written as, for example, "3&2" (three up with two to play).
- "Dormie" means a player leads by exactly the holes remaining — the trailing player must win every hole left just to halve the match.
- Level after the last hole is "all square". Whoever is ahead at the end wins.
Worked example¶
A three-hole stretch of a singles match, net scores shown:
| Hole | Par | Player A | Player B | Hole | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | A wins | A 1 up |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Halved | A 1 up |
| 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | B wins | All square |
After three holes the match is all square — Player A's win on the 1st was cancelled by Player B's win on the 3rd, and the halved 2nd changed nothing. Over a full eighteen, whoever is more holes up at the finish takes the match.
When to use it¶
The classic two-player game, ideal for a rivalry or a closely matched pair. You can concede putts and even whole holes to keep things moving, and a single ruinous hole only costs one point. Best for one-on-one; for a field event with a match-play feel, see Bogey competition.
Variations¶
None for singles match play itself. To split one match into separate front- nine, back-nine, and overall bets, see Nassau; to play match play against a fixed target instead of an opponent, see Bogey competition.
Last updated: 2026-05-12