Golf Glossary
Match Play
In short
In match play, two players or two sides compete against each other. Each hole is scored separately: the player who takes fewer strokes wins the hole, and equal scores halve it. The winner is whoever has won more holes at the end. The total number of strokes does not matter.
What is match play in golf?
Match play is the second major form of competition in golf alongside stroke play. Two players or two teams play head to head, and the round is a series of individual duels. On each hole there are three possible results: you win it, you lose it, or it is halved.
The difference from stroke play is fundamental. In stroke play you add up every stroke of the round, and the lowest total wins. In match play only the result of each hole matters. A bad hole with eight strokes costs you exactly one hole, just like a bogey of five if your opponent makes par.
That changes how you play. You can be bolder because a disaster on one hole does not ruin the whole round, and you always play against a specific opponent. That makes match play exciting, for spectators as well. It is mostly played as singles but also as foursomes or four-ball.
To tell the terms apart: stroke play adds up all strokes. Stableford awards points per hole and you play against the whole field. Nassau and skins are informal formats built on match play. Nassau splits the round into three contests: front nine, back nine and the full round. In skins each hole is its own contest, and a tied hole carries over to the next.
Match play rules: how holes are scored
The Rules of Golf cover match play in Rule 3.2. The key points are quickly explained.
- You win a hole by completing it in fewer strokes than your opponent. You also win it if your opponent concedes it or receives a penalty that costs the hole.
- The hole is halved when both need the same number of strokes.
- You win the match when you lead by more holes than remain to be played. The match is then over even if holes are left.
- If the match is tied after the last hole, play normally continues hole by hole until someone wins one. The terms of the competition may allow a tie instead.
There are special features. You may concede your opponent’s next stroke, a hole or the whole match. The concession must be clearly communicated, by a word or an unmistakable gesture. A concession cannot be withdrawn and the opponent cannot decline it.
Reading the score: up, all square, dormie and 3&2
Match play has its own words for the score, which beginners do not know at first.
- All square (A/S): both have won the same number of holes. The match is level.
- 1 up, 2 up, 3 up: a player leads by one, two or three holes.
- Dormie: a player leads by as many holes as remain to be played. He or she can no longer lose over the regular holes but has not yet won, because the opponent can still draw level by winning every remaining hole.
- 3&2 (said ‘three and two’): the final result. The winner led by three holes with two left to play, so the match ended after the 16th hole.
- 1 up: all 18 holes were played and the winner led by just one hole.
The first number shows the lead, the second the number of holes that did not have to be played. The biggest margin over 18 holes is 10&8.
Practical example: an 18-hole match
Anna plays Ben. After hole 12 Anna has won four holes, Ben one, and seven were halved. Anna is 3 up.
On hole 13 Ben wins with a birdie, so Anna is 2 up. Holes 14 and 15 are halved. After 15 holes Anna still leads by two with three to play.
On hole 16 Anna makes par and Ben bogey. Anna wins the hole and is now 3 up with two to play. The match is over: she leads by three and only two holes remain. The result is 3&2. They shake hands.
The example shows how independent the match is of total strokes. If Ben loses a hole with a double bogey or worse, it counts as one lost hole, just like a narrow bogey. In stroke play such a slip would hurt him far more.
Handicaps in match play: balancing different abilities
So that players of different strength can compete fairly, match play uses handicap strokes. Rule 3.2c says that strokes are given by hole and the lower net score wins the hole. Players should declare their handicaps before the match.
The World Handicap System recommends 100 per cent of the difference between course handicaps for singles match play. The player with the lower handicap plays off scratch and the other receives the difference as strokes.
Example: Anna has a course handicap of 12, Ben has 20. The difference is 8. Ben receives eight strokes, on the eight holes with the lowest stroke index on the scorecard. If he makes a bogey on one of those holes and Anna a par, the hole is halved net.
For four-ball match play the system recommends 90 per cent of each player's course handicap, with the lowest then playing off zero, and for the classic foursome half of the difference of the combined handicaps. In case of doubt the terms of the competition decide.
Order of play, concessions and common mistakes
Match play depends on details that do not matter in stroke play.
- Order of play: on the first tee the draw decides, after that the player who won the previous hole has the honour. After that the player whose ball is farther from the hole plays first (Rule 6.4a).
- Playing out of turn: in match play there is no penalty, but the opponent may cancel the stroke and make you replay it.
- Telling your opponent about penalties: you must inform your opponent as soon as reasonably possible. He or she may also ask at any time how many strokes you have taken.
- Picking up too early: a player who lifts the ball because the hole seems lost, without a concession from the opponent, can incur a one-stroke penalty (Rule 9.4). Wait for the concession.
- Conceding too generously: a conceded putt cannot be taken back, so think before you concede.
If you are unsure, ask your opponent or the committee before you pick up.
Origin and use: where is match play played?
Match play is regarded as the older of the two main forms of competition. The details of the early period are not fully documented, but stroke play as a tournament format came later. The Open Championship was first played in 1860, and it was a stroke-play event.
Today match play is at home above all in team golf and amateur golf. The Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and the Presidents Cup are played as match play. Amateur championships such as the Amateur Championship start with stroke-play qualifying and then continue as match-play knockouts.
It is popular in clubs too. Some clubs run club championships or cup rounds as match play, because the knockout format produces a clear winner and exciting games. The match result does not count for your personal handicap. The international handicap rules do allow national associations to accept match play scores. In Germany, however, the DGV lists individual stroke play formats such as stroke play, Stableford or Maximum Score as handicap-qualifying. Match play is not among them.
Try it at Golf Lounge
A head-to-head match is easy to play on the 9-hole Black course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg in Moorfleet. The course is par 33 with par-3 and par-4 holes plus water hazards and bunkers. It can be played with the DGV Platzreife from April to December. You book your tee time online, with up to four players per booking, which allows two singles matches or one four-ball match. Guests without a membership are welcome.
Frequently asked questions
What is match play in golf?
In match play two players or teams compete directly. Each hole is scored separately: the player with fewer strokes wins the hole, otherwise it is halved. Whoever has won more holes at the end wins the match. Total strokes do not count. Match play is covered by Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Golf.
What does 3&2 mean in match play?
3&2 is a final result. The winner led by three holes when only two holes remained, so the match ended after the 16th hole. The first number is the lead, the second the number of holes not played. If it is 1 up after 18 holes, the match ends with a one-hole margin.
What does dormie mean in match play?
Dormie means a player leads by as many holes as remain to be played. The player can no longer lose over the regular holes but has not yet won, because the opponent can still draw level by winning every remaining hole. For example, leading 3 up with three holes to play means being dormie.
How do handicaps work in match play?
Each player declares a handicap before the match. For singles the World Handicap System recommends 100 per cent of the difference between course handicaps. The better player gets no strokes, the other receives the difference on the holes with the lowest stroke index. The better net score wins the hole.
Does a match-play round count for your handicap?
The match result does not count. In Germany the DGV lists individual stroke play formats such as stroke play or Stableford as handicap-qualifying, and match play is not among them. Formats with shared balls such as foursomes or scramble do not count, because not every player plays all strokes with their own ball.
As of: October 2026