Golf is a highly competitive sport, but when you have a group of mismatched players, this competition can be lost. To maintain the competitiveness of your games, use a handicapping system, which allows inferior players more strokes. Alternatively, use the Stableford point system to keep score. The Stableford system uses a narrow range of points, meaning that a bad player will not score as poorly and a superior player will not score as well as he would with a traditional system. These scoring systems reduce the difference between your best and worst players, allowing everyone to keep pace with the competition.
Calculating Handicap
Adjust your scores by applying the maximum score allowed for each hole. The U.S. Golf Association allows a maximum score of a double bogey -- two over par -- on courses with a handicap of 9. For a course with a handicap of 10 to 19, the maximum score is 7. For a handicap of 20 to 29, the maximum score is 8. A course with a handicap of 30 through 39 has a maximum score of 9. Finally, a course with a handicap of 40 or above has a maximum allowed score of 10. For example, if you play a course with a handicap of 15 and you take 11 shots on a hole, your score would be reduced from 11 to the maximum level of 7.
Calculate your handicap differentials for each score by subtracting the course rating from the adjusted gross score, multiplying the difference by 113 and dividing the result by the slope rating. Do this for each score. For example, if the course rating is 115 and you score 120, you would subtract 115 from 120 to get 5. You would then multiply 5 by 113 to get 565. Finally, you would divide 565 by 115 to get a handicap differential of 4.91.
Select your lowest handicap differentials according to how many you have available. If you have five to six differentials, you must use the single lowest differential. With seven or eight, you select the lowest two. With nine or 10, you must use the lowest three. With 11 or 12, you use the lowest four. If you have 13 or 14, you use the lowest 5. If you have 15 or 16, you use the lowest 6. For 17, 18, 19 and 20, use the lowest seven, eight, nine or 10 respectively.
Calculate the average of your lowest handicap differentials. For example, if you are using your three lowest handicap differentials and they are 5.1, 6.4 and 4.9, you would add them up and divide by three to get an average of 5.47.
Multiply the average handicap differential by 0.96 -- this is the multiple selected by the USGA. Remove the digits past the tenth place but do not round it up. For example, with an average differential of 5.47, multiply by 0.96 to get 5.2512. Remove the digits after the tenths place to yield 5.2. This number is your handicap index.
Stableford Scoring
Calculate your standard score for each hole. For example, if you shoot two over par, your score would be +2. If you score three under par, your score would be -3. If you shoot par, your score would be 0.
Adjust your score for each hole based on your handicap. The individual golf course will specify in the scorecard how many strokes to allow for each hole based on your handicap. For example, if you have a score of four over par, but the course allows you one stroke based on your handicap, your score would go from +4 to +3. Alternatively, you can use the Stableford system without applying handicaps.
Convert your score for each hole to the Stableford system. A score of two or more over par is awarded no points. One over par will give you one point. Par nets you a score of two points. One under par is given a score of three points. Two under par will give you four points. And three under par or greater gives you five points.
Add up your total points for the course. Unlike traditional golf-scoring systems, with the Stableford system, the person with the highest score is the winner.