Max Score vs. Stableford

[cutchemist42 42]

Something that I missed before with the new rules as the rule about a committee allowing a max score to be applied for stroke play? What was the actual point of this if stableford already exists? Was this a really a problem?

[David in FL 2,482]

Perhaps just another bit of “unifying”, because stableford, while ubiquitous elsewhere, is far less common in the US...?

Perhaps similar and related to the change in ESC to a maximum of net double bogey regardless of handicap.

[iacas 8,951]

The fixed score thing lets you set the max score at double par, net triple, 10, etc.

That’s not true of Stableford.

USKG for example used to have a limit of 10, which is now perfectly legal.

[Rulesman 272]

Golf's New Rules: Major Changes

New Rule: “Maximum Score” is a new, additional form of stroke play:

• A player’s score for each hole is capped at a maximum set by the Committee, which may be fixed (such as 6, 8, 10, etc.), related to par (such as two times par or triple bogey), or related to the player’s handicap (such as net double bogey).
• A player who does not complete a hole (often referred to informally as “picking up”) is not disqualified, but simply gets the maximum score for the hole.

Reasons for Change:

The need to hole out on every hole in stroke play can have at least two downsides: (1) it often leads to a slow pace of play, and (2) it may discourage golfers who feel they no longer have a realistic chance to compete or to make a good score for the round once they get a very high score on one or two holes.

Maximum Score is an alternative form of play that addresses both concerns, by allowing a player to “pick up” when he or she scores at or above the maximum and by capping the player’s score for any hole at the maximum.

The Maximum Score form of play is unlikely to be used for elite play, but it may be useful in many other contexts, such as for play by beginners or golfers who are less skilled or experienced and, more generally, for club level and day-to-day play when pace of play is a particular concern.

[cutchemist42 42]

Ok so dumb question.....a round played with capped stroke play can still entered for handicap if a group of friends as a committee agree to it right?

1 hour ago, David in FL said:

Perhaps just another bit of “unifying”, because stableford, while ubiquitous elsewhere, is far less common in the US...?

Perhaps similar and related to the change in ESC to a maximum of net double bogey regardless of handicap.

So for the change to ESC.....that's only for handicap purposes? Like you would not say you shot 84 if you actually shot 88 with picked up balls? (Unless it was a agreed-to capped stroke play round)

[leftybutnotPM 138]

For players who do not regularly play in competition, the idea is good, and this is why:

In Australia and the UK, members play stableford most of the time in competition and Monthly Medal (stroke) on the first Saturday of each month - so roughly once a month apart from Club Championships.

In stableford, you pick up when you no longer have a point to get. You have zero points and you move on. 

In stroke play, you could be playing the 18th hole and not find your drive after not hitting a provisional and not feel inclined to walk back to the tee and slow everyone down. No matter how you were going at the point your score is wiped. Even par after 17 holes and a pick up on 18 is a No Score Returned. You may as well have scored 120. In stableford the wipe on 18 might still have you at 43 points.

With the Maximim Score Cap  you might end up with an 8 or even a 10 in a stroke round  but you are still getting and submitting a score.

BTW This has nothing to do with stroke rounds being handicapped as Stableford scores.

Edited October 21, 2019 by leftybutnotPM

[DaveP043 2,175]

2 hours ago, David in FL said:

Perhaps just another bit of “unifying”, because stableford, while ubiquitous elsewhere, is far less common in the US...?

Perhaps similar and related to the change in ESC to a maximum of net double bogey regardless of handicap.

I don't think the change in the Rules of Golf has any direct relation to the new World Handicap System.  It does give official sanction to things like @iacas mentioned, tournaments where the committee chooses to limit the max hole score.  The most logical reason is for pace of play concerns, but there may be other legitimate reasons to choose this kind of format.  And of course @Rulesman has quoted the reasons given for the change before I started to type, one day I'll learn to read ALL the posts before chiming in.

57 minutes ago, cutchemist42 said:

So for the change to ESC.....that's only for handicap purposes? Like you would not say you shot 84 if you actually shot 88 with picked up balls? (Unless it was a agreed-to capped stroke play round)

The change to the Maximum Hole Score (I think the ESC terminology will go away) is indeed just for handicap reporting purposes.  Just as now, you can shoot 88, and still have to post 83 for your handicap.  It would seem logical for a Committee to set the maximum tournament hole score to at least the max handicap hole score, but its not required to do that.  To me, setting a lower tournament hole score would invalidate that score for handicap purposes.  Or maybe you'd report using the most probable score, if that is still a policy.

[fredf 33]

Stableford is, in effect, a specific form of Maximum Score, the max being net double bogey.  At my course, Max Score has been embraced for the women's monthly medal (stroke) with a max score of 10 because they have a large number of new golfers after a women's fitness/golf membership drive and didn't want to force them to finish a hole if a monumental and embarrassing disaster is underway.  Helps the newbies, protects pace of play and has no relevance for handicap purposes because the entered score gets adjusted to Stableford equivalent anyway.