Golf Glossary
All Square
In short
All square means that a match play game is level in golf. Both sides have won the same number of holes and neither side is ahead. Every match starts all square, and a hole that both sides complete in the same number of strokes leaves the score unchanged. On scoreboards it is often shown as AS.
All square in golf: the meaning explained
All square is an English phrase meaning level or even. In golf it describes the state of a match play game. In match play two players or two teams compete against each other. What counts is not the total number of strokes but each hole on its own. The side that completes a hole in fewer strokes wins it and is then one hole up.
All square means both sides have won the same number of holes. Nobody is ahead and nobody is behind. That is also the position at the start of the match: before the first tee shot it is always all square. On scoreboards and results lists you will often see the abbreviation AS.
The Rules of Golf use the term too. Rule 3.2 on match play says players are expected to know the match score: whether one side is a certain number of holes up or the match is tied, also known as ‘all square’. At competitions, on television and in the clubhouse the term is used as a matter of course.
How the score arises: holes won, tied and lost
In match play every hole has exactly three possible outcomes. One side wins it, the other side wins it, or both complete it in the same number of strokes. In the last case golfers say the hole was halved, and a halved hole does not change the score.
The score is always given from the point of view of the leading side:
- All square: the same number of holes won
- 1 up: one side leads by one hole
- 2 up: one side leads by two holes
- 3 up and more: the lead grows accordingly
Only the difference matters. If each side has won three holes, the match is all square, just as it is at zero all. A side that wins a hole when the match is all square goes 1 up. If the other side wins the next hole, it is all square again.
If handicaps are used, the net score decides. The player with the higher handicap receives strokes on certain holes, so a gross bogey can be a net par and tie or win the hole. The all square score therefore always refers to the result after handicap strokes.
Practical example: a nine-hole match
Anna and Ben play a nine-hole match with no handicap strokes. Before the first hole it is all square.
- Hole 1: Anna makes a 4, Ben a 5. Anna wins, score: Anna 1 up.
- Hole 2: both make a 3. The hole is halved, score: Anna 1 up.
- Hole 3: Ben makes a 4, Anna a 6. Ben wins, score: all square.
- Hole 4: both make a 5. Halved, score: all square.
- Hole 5: Ben makes a 4, Anna a 5. Ben wins, score: Ben 1 up.
- Hole 6: Anna wins, score: all square.
After six holes the match is level again, even though the lead has already changed twice. Only the current score counts. The last three holes are therefore decisive: whoever wins more of them than the opponent takes the match.
In a friendly match a simple habit helps. Call out the score after each hole, for example ‘you are 1 up’ or ‘all square’, so there is never an argument about it.
All square after the last hole: extra holes or a halved match
It becomes exciting when a match is still all square after the final hole. Rule 3.2 covers this: if a match is tied after the last stipulated hole, it is extended one hole at a time until there is a winner, unless the Terms of the Competition say otherwise. The first extra hole counts as the 19th, the next as the 20th and so on.
The Committee may also decide that a level match counts as halved. That is known from the Ryder Cup: if a match there finishes all square after 18 holes it is halved and each team receives half a point. In knockout competitions, however, a winner is needed, otherwise nobody could advance to the next round.
In a friendly game you should also agree before the start what happens when the match is all square after the last hole. Three solutions are common: extra holes, a halved match, or a play-off over an agreed hole.
All square, dormie and ‘X up’ compared
Several terms about the match score are easily mixed up by beginners.
- All square: the match is level.
- 1 up, 2 up, 3 up: one side leads by that number of holes.
- Dormie: one side leads by as many holes as remain to be played. It cannot lose the match any more, but the match can still be halved.
- 3 and 2 (said ‘three and two’): a final result in which the winning side was three holes up with two to play.
- 1 up (on the last hole): the match was won on the 18th hole by a single hole.
Unlike stroke play, match play has no total of strokes. A player can complete a round in 95 strokes and still lose to an opponent who needs 100, if the opponent wins more holes. That is why all square is purely a score in holes and cannot be expressed in strokes.
In stroke play golfers speak of being tied or sharing a place when totals are equal. The phrase all square is reserved for match play.
Tips: how to play a match that is all square
A level match creates pressure, especially over the closing holes. A few thoughts help you stay calm.
- Play the hole, not the match. Focus on the next shot rather than on the final result.
- A halved hole is not a bad result. Avoiding a disaster keeps you in the match.
- Watch what your opponent does, but do not let it disturb your rhythm.
- Take a risk only when the situation demands it. If your opponent is in the water, a safe par is often enough to win the hole.
- Know about concessions: in match play you may concede your opponent's next stroke, a hole or the whole match. A concession is final and changes the score immediately.
For beginners, match play is a good way to experience golf on the course. A bad hole costs only that one hole, and a game against much stronger players stays exciting with handicap strokes.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can experience an all square match with friends on the 9-hole ‘Black’ course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg in Moorfleet. The course is a par 33 with par-3 and par-4 holes, water hazards and bunkers. It is open from April to December to players with the DGV Platzreife (course permit). Up to four players can be booked together, so you can play a head-to-head or two against two. Tee times are booked online. Agree how to score your match among yourselves beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
What does all square mean in golf?
All square means a match play game is level. Both sides have won the same number of holes and neither is ahead. That is also true before the first tee shot. A hole that both sides complete in the same number of strokes is halved and leaves the score unchanged. On scoreboards it is often written as AS.
What happens if a match is all square after the 18th hole?
That depends on the Terms of the Competition. Without other rules, Rule 3.2 extends the match one hole at a time until one side wins a hole. Some events count a level match as halved, for example the Ryder Cup. Among friends you should agree the solution in advance.
What is the difference between all square and dormie?
All square means both sides have won the same number of holes. Dormie means one side is as many holes ahead as remain to be played. The leading side then cannot lose but the match can still be halved. Both terms describe the score in match play.
Is there an all square in stroke play?
No, the term belongs to match play. In stroke play all strokes of the round are added up. If two players finish on the same total, golfers speak of a tie or a shared place. A play-off or a countback of the last holes then decides the winner, as set out in the competition terms.
Do handicap strokes count when a match is all square?
Yes. If handicaps are used, the score is taken after the handicap strokes. If a player receives a stroke on a hole, a gross bogey can be a net par and tie or win the hole. All square then refers to this net result.
As of: October 2026