Different golf game formats

This is like 4-Ball Best Ball but is played when there are only three physical players. The format involves making up a fourth player, called 'Amigo' or 'Amiga'.

This fictional player then makes par on all holes. You then play 4-ball best ball - or best ball/worst ball - where each player has Amigo as a partner on six holes. It is advisable to draw lots for who will start with Amigo.

The format means the player plays against the course par as in match play. The course par is thus the 'opponent'. Bogey competitions can be played with or without a handicap. With a score equal to par ('net' when playing with a handicap), the player gets 0. A score better than par gives a +, while a score worse than par gives a -.

The player who accumulates the most + (or the lowest number of - if no one gets any +) during the round wins the competition.

The format is match play where three players share six points per hole. The winner gets 4 points and the runner-up 2 points. In the event of a tie, the points are shared.

A singles competition played as stroke play where the player receives a marked flag to place where the ball lies when their strokes are used up. Should a player have strokes left after playing the designated number of holes, the player continues onto the next round as far as the strokes allow. The player receives a playing handicap corresponding to their exact handicap.

Two players form a pair and play their own ball. Both scores are recorded, and the best result on each hole counts towards the pair's final score. Each player is allowed 90% of their playing handicap, rounded to the nearest whole number. Can also be played as match play. There are also variations where the worst results are counted - 4-Ball Best & Worst - or the total result - 4-Ball Best & Aggregate.

Two players play the same ball and take alternate shots. The players tee off alternately, so the player who teed off on the first hole tees off on all odd holes. The handicap is the average playing handicap of the players.

Two players forming a team tee off on every hole. The players then choose which ball they want to continue with and play alternate shots on that ball. The reduced playing handicap is the sum of 60% of the handicap of the player with the lower handicap and 40% of the handicap of the player with the higher handicap.

Irish Greensome is a variation of regular greensome. The difference is that on par 4 and par 5 holes, you play your second shot on your partner's ball, after which the team selects a common ball to continue with.

There is also a less common variation of Irish Greensome where you play your second shot on your own ball instead of your partner's on par 4 and par 5 holes.

Played as stroke play, but all players, regardless of playing handicap, are allowed a maximum of five strokes over par on each hole, regardless of the hole's index. After that, the ball is picked up, and the score is recorded as par + 5 strokes.

Melody is played by three people forming a team. Players receive their playing handicaps. All players play the hole individually and then choose whose result will count, requiring careful consideration early on given the rest of the game. This must be done after each hole, not at the end of the round. For 9 holes, three holes per player must be circled, and for 18 holes, six holes per player.

Played as Stableford, stroke play, or bogey competition. Teams can consist of two, three, or four players. An 18-hole course is divided into three parts; the front nine, back nine, and total. The winner of each part gets one point. So you are playing for three points.

Played by three people who form a team and play 9-hole Stableford. During the first three holes, the best score for one person in the group counts. For holes 4-6, the best score for 2 players counts, and for holes 7-9, the total score for all three players counts. No handicap reduction.

Pink Panther is played in two steps: as a singles game and as a team game of three people.

The team game means having a pink ball that must be played by a different player every third hole. While playing the pink ball, you also play your own game, keeping one score for yourself and one for the pink ball. When not playing the pink ball, you play a regular white ball. If the pink ball goes into the water or out of bounds, the game ends for the team, but you continue playing the singles game as usual.

Played in teams of 2, 3, or 4 people. All players tee off, after which the best ball is chosen and marked. Players then place their balls in any order within 15 cm of this position (or one club length in the general area depending on local rules), but no closer to the hole, and play their shots.

The competition is usually played without a handicap. If playing with a handicap, the recommended team handicap calculation (from lowest to highest) is: 2 players: 50% / 20%, 3 players: 30% / 20% / 10%, 4 players: 20% / 15% / 10% / 5%.

You add up your points on each hole and your total points are your result, your score.

How many points you get on each hole depends on how many strokes you take on each hole in relation to par. If you receive 16 extra strokes according to the course's slope, you have an extra stroke over par on 16 of the course's 18 holes. The 16 holes are determined by the hole indexing. Points are calculated by comparing your strokes on a specific hole with your 'normal result' (the hole's par plus any extra strokes). If you have two or more strokes over your 'normal result', the points for that hole are 0. One stroke over gives 1 point. Meeting your 'normal result' gives 2 points, one stroke less gives 3 points, etc.

Normally played as stroke play, but each player receives a pair of scissors and a string whose length in meters corresponds to their playing handicap.

The player may use the string to improve the ball's position - even hole out using the string - provided the used portion of the string is cut off. The player with the lowest number of strokes after 18 holes wins. It does not matter if some players have string left over after 18 holes.

You total your strokes for the round (the ball must be holed out) = gross score. You then deduct your received strokes (strokes given via the slope table on the current course) to get your net score.

Texas Scramble is one of the most popular Scramble variations, typically played in teams of 3 or 4. The basic rules are the same: everyone tees off, the team selects the best ball, and everyone plays their next shot from there.

The difference in Texas Scramble is that it is decided beforehand that the team must select a certain number of drives from each individual player during the round. In a 4-person team, the requirement is usually at least 3 or 4 drives per player. This adds a tactical element as you must plan whose drive to play!