Welcome to the SnapGolf

SnapGolf is easier to play then Medal Golf and harder to play than Stableford Golf.

When playing SnapGolf, the most consistent player usually wins (rather like in Medal play), but players can still win even if they have a bad hole or two (just like in Stableford).

SnapGolf can be played on the same or different golf courses at the same time. It can be competitive and fun and it rewards consistency.​

In Medal Golf the aim is to get the lowest stroke score and in Stableford Golf the aim is to get the highest points score. In SnapGolf, the objective is to hit the 'bullseye' by not scoring below or above your playing handicap on the day.

In Medal play:

Medal Golf is tough and cruel; it's the ultimate test as it rewards consistency.

At the professional level, the golfer with the lowest round, or lowest total over a multi-day tournament, is declared the winner.​

At the amateur level, golfers with recognised handicaps play each other and have their official handicap deducted from the total number of gross strokes played; this format is called Medal Net play, and it enables amateur golfers to play against each other and even beat professional golfers.)​

In Stableford play:

Stableford Golf is challenging enough for most and it is a little forgiving.

(Just one or two great holes can easily offset some bad luck or bad play.)

​There are the two formats of Stableford Golf, with the Modified Stableford scoring system created for Professionals, but now rarely used:

​At the professional level (Modified Stableford):

• Double Eagle: 8 points • Eagle: 5 points • Birdie: 2 points • Par: 0 points • Bogey: -1 point • Double Bogey or more: -3 points

At the amateur level (Stableford):

• Double Eagle (Albatross): 5 points • Eagle: 4 points • Birdie: 3 points • Par: 2 points • Bogey: 1 point​

The Stableford system was created by Frank Barney Gorton Stableford before the Stroke Index (SI) system was invented. At that time, handicaps were added to the score at the end of the round, rather than applied hole-by-hole, but this changed once the SI system was invented. The SI system is invaluable in the amateur golf world as it takes account of the relative difficultness for every hole. The SI 1 and SI 2 ranked holes are considered to be the two hardest holes to score a par on.

How to play SnapGolf

​Before the round, each player must predict the total gross score for their round. Once confirmed, they can get ready to tee off as their playing handicap will be the difference between their estimated gross score and the par score for the course that they are playing. If their prediction is correct, they score a 'Bullseye', which automatically qualifies them to be in contention, giving them a chance to win.

​SnapGolf Handicap Rules:

​(1) Playing handicaps can be the same or higher or lower than any official / unofficial handicap. (No official handicap is required to play SnapGolf.)

(2) When more than one player scores a 'Bullseye', how well they scored on a hole-by-hole basis will come into play, to find the winner. (When playing 18 holes, the Stroke Index (SI) system is applied on a hole-by-hole basis. :When playing fewer than 18 holes, the allocation of any handicap is set against the most difficult holes first, using the SI system.)

(3) Achieving a Net Par for the round is the main objective and, when achieved, it is called a 'Bullseye'. If no player achieves that, then only players who take more strokes than their playing handicap can be winners.

​After the round - and the winner is...

​Once all the results are in, they can be checked net of handicap. Players have their score allocated to one of three categories, and the winner usually achieves a Net Par round or 1 or 2 above par, at most.

Here is how it works:

​1 • Players who played Below Net Par for the round: Player Eliminated.

​2 • Players who played Net Par for the round: Player Bullseye. (Winners aim for the 'Bullseye'. When more than one player achieves a Bullseye, a countback elimination process is used to decide the winner.)

​3 • Players who played over Net Par for the round: Player Contender. (When no player achieves a 'Bullseye', all players with the same, lowest, net over par score then become contenders to win. A countback elimination process is used to decide the winner.)

​The Countback Elimination Process: ​(The countback elimination process starts with the players with the closest qualifying (above-Par) net score if no player got a 'Bullseye'.)

​Step One: To reward consistency, only players sharing the greatest number of net-Par holes will survive the first cut.

Step Two: To discourage missed putts on the last hole, players who fail to achieve a net-Par or better on the last hole will be eliminated.

Step Three: Players failing to achieve a net-Par or better on the penultimate hole will be eliminated.

Step Four: All players sharing the lowest gross score survive the last cut.

Step Five: If more than one player makes the final cut, the surviving players become joint-winners.​

Categories of Player (when playing 18 holes):​

ProAm Golfer: Below Scratch, from -1 on the course being played.

Scratch Player: Scratch and above, to a maximum gross score of 79.​

Skilled Player: 80 and above, to a maximum gross score of 89.​

Regular Player: 90 and above, to a maximum gross score of 99.​

Social Player: 100 and above.

BOTH MEDAL GOLF AND STABLEFORD GOLF ARE FREE TO PLAY, AND SO IS SNAPGOLF:

​SnapGolf has been created to enable golfers TO COMPETE ON THE DAY irrespective of how well they expect to play.

In good weather, when conditions are favourable, most golfers will play some of their best golf of the season. At other times they know they are unlikely to score so well.

Most golfers find that their style of play is best suited to certain golf courses. For example, novice golfers tend to play better when there are few water hazards or where there are many wide fairways.

Being able to choose a playing handicap that suits the player on the day is what SnapGolf is all about.​

Faster Golf:​

Those who expect to play well can be teamed up with others who expect to score the same score. (We let the best players have the option to tee off first.)

No need to play 18 holes:

​Like other players, Social (high-handicap) golfers who achieve low net-scores will be eliminated as winners. They are, of course, very welcome to play, and we hope that they will enjoy having the pleasure of knowing that they had a great round. However, golfers who are not playing so well can slow up the field, and sometimes it is far better for them to retire or pick their ball up, especially on the closing holes, rather than persist by putting out all every hole.

(Those who are new to golf or who feel a little bit rusty, having not played for quite a while, are encouraged not to try and play 18 holes. SnapGolf can be played over 1 hole or more.) ​

The SnapGolf Summer Season:

​Join the Guest List if you are in Business and would like to play SnapGolf with us and other folk this summer. The format works particuarly well for business or society golf. (Golfers who miss putts on the closing two holes are unlikely to win.)

​British Summer Time (BST) starts at 01:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on Sunday the 30th March 2025, and the clocks go forward one hour. (When BST ends on the 26th of October 2025, the clocks go back one hour to GMT.)​

Get ready to play a few holes or a full round of SnapGolf in International locations too.