Golf formats

Singles

Also called singles match play, head to head

Singles is one player against one player, hole by hole. Whoever takes the hole goes one up; whoever loses it goes one down. It is the format the Ryder Cup finishes on, because there is nowhere to hide and no partner to blame.

How it works

1. 1Each hole is its own contest. Win it and you go one up, lose it and you go one down, tie it and nothing changes.
2. 2The match ends the moment one player is further ahead than there are holes left. Three up with two to play is a 3&2 win, and holes 17 and 18 are never played.
3. 3If the match is level after the last hole it is halved, and each side takes half a point.

Handicaps

Singles match play is 100% of Course Handicap. Strokes are taken off the lowest handicap in the match, so the better player effectively plays off scratch and the other receives the difference, allocated by each hole's stroke index.

Playing it well

• Play the hole, not the round. A blow-up on one hole costs you one hole, no more.
• Know where your shots fall before you tee off — it changes how you play a hole entirely.
• Conceding short putts early can buy you goodwill you will want on the back nine.