Golf Compendium

The name of the game is 3-4-5. But is it a side game that can be played within any group of golfers, or is it a tournament format? The 3-4-5 format can be played either way (side game or tournament).

The Throw-Out Tournament is a golf tournament (the format can also be played within any group of golfers) in which the players get to toss aside several of their worst holes. And the scores that remain are the ones that determine the winner(s).

There are several formats in golf in which a golfer gets to replay a limited number of strokes per round, formats with names such as Mulligans , Play It Again Sam , and Criers and Whiners . Some of those formats are also known as Replay. But that's not the Replay format we are talking about here. In this Replay, your opponent gets to make you replay strokes.

A Monkey Foursome tournament is an old-timey golf format — it goes back at least to the 1920s — most commonly seen as a sort of meet-and-greet lark for golf association playdays. It involves teams of four golfers, with the catch being each golfer gets to use only one club — and the four team members each have a different club.

"Average Score" is the name of a competition format for teams of two golfers. The two golfers on a side each play their own ball into the hole. And on each hole, their two scores are averaged to produced the team's score.

Points for Par is the name of a golf tournament format for individual golfers playing stroke play and using handicaps. On most holes during this tournament, a player earns point by making a net par or better. But on a few holes, the golfer loses points if he fails to score net par or better.

You've signed up to play in a golf tournament next weekend at your club. What's the format? The notice on the clubhouse billboard only says "Mystery Tournament." Hmm, that's odd — Mystery Tournament? What does that mean? It means you won't know the scoring format — or even whether you are competing as an individual or as part of a team — until the tournament is over.

The format known as 1-2-3 Points (not to be confused with 1-2-3 Best Ball , a very different game) is an individual stroke-play game that can be used for tournaments, or within a quartet of golfers. The "1-2-3" in the title refers to the number of points a golfer can earn on each hole based on his score.

All you need to know about how the golf game known as One-Club Challenge works is right there in the name. In this format, golfers get to use just a single golf club throughout the round. And that club is used on all strokes, including putts.

In the golf tournament format known as Designated Round, golfers play multiple rounds over the course of an extended period (for example, over a month's time), but only one of those rounds counts for this game. The catch is that the "designated round" is the one you announce before teeing off as the round you are going to use.

The golf tournament format known as Blind Partner is one in which the golfers playing do not know who their partners are until the tournament is over. Tournament organizers wait until the last group tees off before drawing names to form the partnerships.

Some golf tournament organizers will employ what is known as the "Peoria System" for tournaments in which most of the golfers do not have real handicap indexes. The Peoria System is essentially a math formula that produces a single-day handicap for the golfers playing so that net scores can be use for tournament standings.

Pinehurst System is the name of a golf competition format for 2-person teams. It starts on each hole with the partners each playing two strokes, then switches to alternate shot, with a switch of balls also included following the drives. This format is designed to allow teams comprised of two golfers whose abilities, or at least strengths, widely differ to compete fairly against other such teams, while allowing (requiring, really) the higher-handicap partner to contribute to the team's success.

A Kickers Tournament (also called a Kickers Handicap) is a golf tournament format in which golfers select their own handicaps for the round. At the end of the round, they compare their net scores calculated with those self-chosen handicaps, and the golfer who comes closest to matching the secret score drawn by tournament organizers prior to play is the winner.

The golf game named Trash is actually a collection of common side bets, all played concurrently, and played for points. When a golfer in your groups wins a bet — say, chips in from off the green to claim a "Chippies" points — they mark it down. At the end of the round, high points wins, and golfers pay out the differences in points.

A 36-Hole Eclectic is a competition format that can be played by two or more golfers or used for a tournament. You can probably guess that it is played over two, 18-hole rounds, played on the same golf course. The gist of this format (or an eclectic of any length) is that each golfer compares his scores in the two rounds and selects the lower score on each hole played.

"15 Chips" is the name of a game for the practice green, a game that will help you improve your chipping over time. You can play this game by yourself, or you and a buddy can play it against each other.

"Train Wreck" is the name of a game for multiple groups of four golfers. In Train Wreck, groups earn points based on each player's score, and those points accumulate through the round. But each group must meet a minimum requirement on each hole. If a group doesn't, uh-oh, all those points are lost and it starts over at zero.

"Progressive best ball" is the name of a team golf format sometimes used for charity tournaments, association playdays, league tournaments and the like. It's a familiar format, even if you don't recognize it under this name.

Tee Box Shuffle is the name of a golf game for a group of golfers, or a format for a tournament, that has the golfers using different tee boxes throughout the round. And which teeing ground you use is determined by your score on the previous hole.