Types of Golf Tournaments
Some golfers want to relax when they play a round of golf, but others seek competition and the opportunity to test their skills. These golfers are the type who compete in tournaments. Professional events mean paydays of millions of dollars, but for the amateur golfer, the purse may be little more than the satisfaction of victory. Tournament formats cover the range of golfer competition, from the professional and serious amateur ranks to the weekend golfer who's looking for a fun event.
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Match play
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In match-play, the goal is to shoot the lower score on each hole. The winning side, which can be an individual or team, receives a point for winning a hole. If both sides shoot the same score, they each get a half point and the hole is "halved." The winner of the match is the individual or team with the most points. Professional tournaments like the PGA's Ryder Cup and the LPGA's Solheim Cup are match-play events. The PGA Championship, which is one of the four major championships in professional golf, was a match-play event from 1916 to 1957.
Stroke play
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Stroke play is the most common format in professional golf. All four major championships--the Masters, the British Open, U.S. Open and PGA Championship--are stroke-play events. In stroke-play, golfers count each shot throughout the round, and the winner is the player with the lowest score. Stroke-play touranments can be one or more rounds. On the PGA Tour tournaments are four rounds played on four consecutive days.
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Skins
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A skins game is a type of match-play event in which any number of golfers can compete. Each hole has a point or monetary value. The golfer who shoots the lowest score on the hole wins, but if two or more golfers tie for the low score, the money or points carry over to the next hole. The carryover continues until one golfer wins a hole. In November or December each year, four invited professional golfers compete in a skins game with individual holes worth as much as $200,000.
Foursome
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Foursome events, which can be match or stroke play, are team events with two golfers. One golfer drives the ball on even-numbered holes; the other golfer on odd-numbered holes. The two alternate the rest of the shots. Professional tournaments for the Seve Trophy (a team from continental Europe playing against a team from Great Britain and Ireland), and the Presidents Cup (a team from the United States playing against a team of golfers from across the world, except Europe) include the foursome format.
Scramble
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Scramble tournaments--also called captain and crew--are commonly played in charity events. Teams of two to four players participate. Each team member hits a drive, then the players decide which shot was the best. The team members who hit the other balls pick them up and take them to the spot where the best shot lies, then everyone on the team hits from there. The process continues in this manner until one balls is holed. Scrambles can be modified to limit the number of times a team can use an individual golfer's drives, so one person cannot dominate the event.
String
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Golfers in string events are given 50 centimeters of string per point of their handicap (a golfer with a handicap of five, for example, would get 250 centimeters of string). The string is used to improve their lies. If a golfer has a bad lie in deep grass or if a ball is behind a tree, for example, he can move the ball the length of the string. The ball can be moved in any direction, but golfers can use the string only one time per shot.
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