Golf Stableford Calculator

1. Enter the par of the hole.
2. Enter the strokes you took on the hole.
3. Enter the handicap strokes you receive on that hole, often zero or one.
4. Read the Stableford points the hole scores.

Stableford is a scoring system that awards points on each hole instead of counting total strokes. The better your net score on a hole, the more points you win, and once a hole is beyond reach you simply pick up and score zero rather than running up a big number.

This makes Stableford popular for club competitions and casual play. One or two disastrous holes cannot wreck a whole round, because the worst a hole can cost you is the difference between two points and zero. The winner is the player with the most points, not the fewest strokes.

The points are based on your net score, so the handicap strokes you receive on a hole matter. A stroke received turns a bogey into a net par, which lifts the hole from one point to two. That is why higher handicappers stay competitive in Stableford events.

1. Subtract your handicap strokes for the hole from your gross strokes to get the net score.
2. Find how many strokes the net score is above or below par.
3. Start from two points for a net par and add one for each stroke under, or subtract one for each stroke over.
4. A net double bogey or worse scores zero.

So a net par is two points, a net birdie is three, a net eagle is four, a net bogey is one, and anything worse than a net bogey scores nothing.

On a par 4 you take five strokes but receive one handicap stroke on the hole. Your net score is five minus one, which is four, exactly par. A net par scores two points, so the hole gives you two Stableford points.

On a par 5 you take five strokes with one stroke received, for a net four, which is one under par. A net birdie scores three points. Had you taken seven with no stroke on a par 4, your net would be three over par, well past a net bogey, so the hole would score zero and you would move on.

Net Score

The lower your net score against par, the more points the hole scores.

Handicap Strokes

A stroke received lowers your net score, which can add a point on the hole.

Hole Par

Points depend on your net score relative to par, so the par sets the target.

Giving Up in Time

Because a bad hole caps at zero, picking up once you cannot score keeps play moving without hurting your total.

Points by net score relative to par under standard Stableford.

A full round is the sum of the points from all eighteen holes; around 36 points is a solid score.

Club Competitions

Many weekend events are played and scored as Stableford.

Learning the System

Check the points on tricky holes until the pattern is second nature.

Casual Rounds

Keep a fun, forgiving score when you do not want stroke play.

1. Forgetting the Handicap Stroke

A stroke received changes the net score and can add a point, so apply it before scoring the hole.

2. Scoring Below Zero

A hole never scores fewer than zero points, no matter how many strokes you take.

3. Using Gross Instead of Net

Stableford points come from the net score, not the raw strokes.

4. Playing on for No Points

Once a hole cannot score, pick up to save time; the result is the same zero.

The points follow the standard Stableford table of two points for a net par. Some societies use a modified points scale, which this tool does not apply.

Start from two points for a net par, add one for each stroke under par and subtract one for each stroke over. A net double bogey scores zero.

A net par scores two Stableford points, which is the baseline for the standard system.

A net birdie, one stroke under par after handicap, scores three points; a net eagle scores four.

A net double bogey or worse, two or more strokes over par after handicap, scores zero points.

Yes. Handicap strokes lower your net score on a hole, which can raise the points you score there.

Around 36 points over eighteen holes is roughly playing to your handicap; higher totals are strong rounds.

One or two bad holes cannot ruin the round, because the worst a hole can cost is falling to zero points.

On net score. You subtract the handicap strokes for the hole before working out the points.

No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• Stableford (Wikipedia).
• Handicap (golf) (Wikipedia).
• Par (score) (Wikipedia).