Stableford

For other uses, see Stableford (disambiguation).

Stableford is a scoring system used in the sport of golf. Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in regular stroke play, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. Unlike traditional scoring methods, where the aim is to have the lowest score, under Stableford rules, the objective is to have the highest score.

The Stableford system was developed by Frank Barney Gorton Stableford (1870–1959), to deter golfers from giving up on their round after just one or two bad holes. It was first used informally at the Glamorganshire Golf Club, Penarth, Wales, in 1898, and first used in competition at Wallasey Golf Club in Wallasey, England, in 1932. Between his membership of the Glamorganshire and Wallasey Golf Clubs, Stableford was a member at Anglesey Golf Club North Wales, for most of the 1920s.[1][2]

Stableford can have the added benefit of speeding up the pace of play, as once it is no longer possible to score a point, players do not have to complete the hole but can simply pick up their ball and proceed to the next hole.[3] It is a popular form of the game, especially at club level and particularly in the United Kingdom, as it is still possible to record a competitive score despite having the occasional bad hole.[4]

  1. ^ Corrigan, Peter (August 3, 2008). "The Hacker: With a name like Stableford, we've got to name a horse after him". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  2. ^ "Dr Frank Stableford". Wallasey Golf Club. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
  3. ^ "How stableford scoring works". BBC Sport. September 16, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  4. ^ "Stableford celebrates 100 years". Golf Today. September 30, 1998. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved July 21, 2009.