What would Shanda do?
You ask, Shanda answers
Time to brush up on Match Play Rules, as our 2026 championship season is about to begin with the Montana State Match Play Championship scheduled for June 4-6 at Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena.
Match Play is a form of play where a player (or players) competes directly against an opponent (or opponents) in a head-to-head match. You win a hole by completing it in the fewest number of strokes, and you win a match when you are winning by more holes than remain to be played.
If you are unsure how to proceed during the match, you and your opponent can agree on a course of action even if it is against the Rules, but you are not allowed to mutually agree to ignore a Rule or penalty. If you and your opponent don’t agree on how to proceed, you should do what you think is correct. Your opponent can then make a request for a ruling, which will later be decided by the Committee.
There are basic rules that are different from stroke play, so here are my top five rules that are important to know before competing in Match Play format.
Concession: In match play only, you may decide to concede a stroke to your opponent. The ball is considered holed and your opponent may pick it up. You may also concede a hole, or the entire match. A concession cannot be declined or withdrawn (see Rule 3.2b(1)).
Doubt to Procedure: In stroke play you are allowed to play two balls under Rule 20.1c(3) However, In Match Play this rule does not apply. So, what can a player do?
A player may seek a ruling from the Committee, decide by agreement with your opponent, or proceed how you think is right. If your opponent disagrees, he or she may make a request for a ruling from the Committee (see Rule 20.1b).
General Penalty: In stroke play, a general penalty results in a two-stroke penalty, but in Match Play it is a loss of hole penalty. For example, if a player was late to the tee in stroke play it would be a two-stroke penalty; however, in match play, you would proceed to the second hole as the player late to the tee would receive a loss of hole penalty.
Ready Golf: In stroke play competitions we are always encouraging players to play when they are ready. But in match play, we are playing order of play. On the tee box, the player with the honor (who won the previous hole) tees off first. Throughout the rest of the hole, the player furthest from the hole always plays first.
Scoring: Stroke and match play differ in how you keep score, declare the winner, or finish a hole. Stroke play requires you to count every shot you hit from the first tee until your final putt on the final hole. The player carding the fewest strokes then wins the round.
Match play is played against a single opponent. The player with the lowest score on a hole is awarded that hole. If it reaches the point where your opponent cannot draw or win the match, you are the victor, and you can walk back to the clubhouse.
Match play is my favorite format because a terrible hole is not severely punished. In match play, if I carded a 7 on a par 4 and my opponent a 3, I would only go 1 down.
Unlike stroke play, in match play you are not required to keep a scorecard or sign for a total score. But now we need to follow the Rules of Handicapping. One of the biggest questions is when a player doesn’t finish a hole, or if the match finishes before playing all 18 holes, how is the score posted.
When a hole starts but a player does not hole out, the player must record their Most Likely Score for handicap purposes. (Rule 3.3, Rules of Handicapping)
If a match ends with holes left to play and the players do not play the remaining holes, the players should post using the hole-by-hole feature for each hole played, keeping in mind at least nine holes associated with a 9-hole Course Rating and Slope Rating must be played for a score to posted.
What is ‘Most Likely Score?’
According to the Rules of Handicapping, “Most Likely Score” is the number of strokes (including penalty strokes) you have already taken plus the number of strokes you would most likely need to complete the hole.
How do you estimate your ‘Most Likely Score?’
To determine your Most Likely Score, use the guidelines in the Rules of Handicapping, and ask yourself, “What would most likely happen here?”
Your Most Likely Score cannot exceed your maximum hole score for handicap purposes, known as Net Double Bogey.
For example: A player with a Course Handicap of 10 receives 1 stroke on holes allocated 1 through 10. On a par 4 hole with a stroke index of 5, their net double bogey max is 7 (double bogey +1).
Now you have some background on match play, so go out and play with your friends!