Morris on the formats
Match play vs stroke play, and what dormie means
Golf is counted in two basic ways, and many questions at the first tee come from mixing them up. Here is what each one asks of you, what changes in the Rules and where the word dormie comes in.
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The two formats side by side
| Match play | Stroke play | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you play | One opponent | The whole field |
| What is counted | Holes won, lost or halved | Every stroke, penalties included |
| Winner | Leads by more holes than remain | Fewest strokes (net in a handicap event) |
| A bad hole | Costs you that hole only | Stays on your card |
| Concessions | Allowed: a stroke, a hole or the match | Not allowed: you hole out every hole |
| A hole not holed out | The hole can be conceded | Must be corrected in time or you are disqualified |
How a match is won, and what dormie is
Each hole goes to the player with fewer strokes once penalties are counted, or to the player whose opponent concedes it or takes a loss-of-hole penalty. The match is won as soon as one player leads by more holes than remain: two up with one to play, five up with four to play.
A player who leads by exactly as many holes as remain is dormie. Two up with two to play is dormie two: the leader cannot lose the match, but the opponent can still halve it by winning both holes. Dormie is a custom of the game; the Rules never use the word, but they produce the situation.
Concessions: the part that exists only in match play
You may concede your opponent's next stroke (a short putt, the classic gimme), a hole or the whole match. A concession has to be clear, in words or in an action that leaves no doubt, and once made it cannot be refused or taken back. What you may not do is agree with your opponent to concede holes to shorten the match: knowing that is disqualifying for both.
Match play also changes your duties to the other side. Your opponent may ask at any time how many strokes you have taken, and a wrong answer costs you the hole unless you correct it in time. You must also tell your opponent about any penalty you take as soon as reasonably possible.
Stroke play and your card
In stroke play your marker writes down your score on each hole, you check it and, at the end, you certify the card and hand it in. A card with a score lower than you really took on any hole means disqualification; a higher one stands as written. The full routine, step by step, is in how to fill in a golf scorecard. The points version most clubs prefer is explained in Stableford scoring, and for the team games see golf betting games.
Sources
- The R&A — Rules of Golf, Rule 3: The Competition — Match play (3.2): holes won and halved, concessions, how a match ends. Stroke play (3.3): scoring and holing out. Read 18 October 2026.
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Questions about match play and stroke play
What is the difference between match play and stroke play?
In match play you play one opponent and each hole is won, lost or halved; the match is over when someone leads by more holes than remain. In stroke play every player in the field counts every stroke, penalties included, and the lowest total wins, or the lowest net total in a handicap competition.
What does dormie mean in golf?
Dormie is a match-play term for a side that leads by as many holes as are left to play. It cannot lose the match, because the Rules end it when a player leads by more holes than remain, but the opponent can still halve it by winning every remaining hole. The word is a custom of the game, not a defined term in the Rules.
What is a halved hole?
A hole is halved when both players take the same number of strokes, or when they agree to halve it. The Rules only allow that agreement after at least one stroke has been made on the hole, so you cannot agree to halve a hole before starting it.
Can I concede a putt in stroke play?
No. Concessions belong to match play. In stroke play every player must hole out on every hole, and if you do not, you have to correct it before you start the next hole, or before returning your card on the last one, or you are disqualified.
What happens if a match play match is tied after 18 holes?
Unless the Committee sets a different order, the match continues one hole at a time, in the original order of the round, until someone wins a hole. The terms of the competition may instead declare the match a tie.
Which format does a club competition use?
Most weekly club competitions are stroke play, usually Stableford or net stroke play, because a whole field can play at its own pace and be compared. Match play is the format of knock-out cups, team matches such as the Ryder Cup, and friendly rounds against a friend. The terms of the competition on the notice board say which one applies.
The rules, when you need them
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