Mike i would walk on hot coals to see the PGA match play again. It is twice as entertaining to watch as stroke play. yet, the star power issue seems to keep the tour and Tv locked into the we we are. Toms and Chris D is not a bad match though. I love the shot making that match play brings out as well as the strategy.

There is no way that 99% of club golf is match play.  Every Saturday and Sunday at every club I've ever belonged to there were tournaments of some kind and they were always stroke play.  Within most foursomes it was usually match play if they had any kind of game, but many times four guys just play golf and don't have a competition and they aren't playing match play.

I do love match play and my favorite days on the course are refereeing match play at the US Mid-Amateur or other events.

Not to import the USGA Handicap thread into this one but...

Virtually every golfer at the typical club or public course that's competing is playing match play. Even if there's some sort of medal-play dogfight or whatever the guys who play together usually have a little match among themselves and it's almost never stroke-play.

However, they are keeping a stroke-play score at the same time because in their conceptualization that's what the USGA handicap system requires. Now it may be stroke play with conceded putts and all sorts of other things not allowed at stroke play under the Rules but match play in the US typically has no advantage in pace of play because golfers treat every stroke as sacred.

Now in fact the handicap system's rules allow for pretty much any kind of two-ball or four-ball match without having to treat it like a simultaneous medal-play game but for whatever reason that ain't how the golfers treat it. They basically deal with match play as stroke play with gimmes (not that they don't also play gimmes every chance they get in actual medal competition). Personally, I always try to find some kind of match because plodding along counting to 90 or whatever is tedious.

I love match play but, really, it's not even what most members of clubs in the UK and Australia play on a regular basis.

Most club competitions there are Stableford format, which is just what they should be in the US.  After a net bogey, no points to be had, pick it up and move on; but you putt out everything when there are points involved.

This would still work fine for handicapping in the US system, since your "adjusted score" is really just a matter of throwing out all the net doubles and triples.  In fact, they could easily realign handicap reporting based on Stableford score rather than gross score if they wanted to.

Rich

Our comps are a mix, but friendlies, which is the vast majority of golf played, are almost always match play.  If there are large throw ups then 3/4 stableford is the format.  

A typical time for a fourball is 3:20.  I like this speed even if I play in a two ball.  I am a slow walker! Anything much quicker than 3:00 makes me feel rushed, which is the last thing I want on a golf course.

Ciao

Sean

Mike,

I agree. Match play is the answer. It's faster, more fun, promotes camaraderie, keep you interested in the game, and loosens up American golfers who are so anal about stroke play and handicaps. The heck with the USGA and so much emphasis on holing everything out. Let's have some fun. Difficult courses would also be more fun to play.

I think the place to get this ball rolling is at the high school level. Our course is home to several teams, both male and female. If these young folks could get the spirit of winning and losing as a team, rather than the spirit of personal accomplishment based soley on any given days performance, they would have more fun.

Joe

Joe,
I'm a HS golf coach; we occasionally play a match-play format, but the region and state tournaments are at stroke play, and with a short season and limited playing dates, there isn't a lot of opportunity or incentive.  Also, the kids do still win and lose as a team whether it is stroke or match play.  I'm not sure that I see the difference in that regard.

I also have to say that, in spite of a personal love for match play, I'm not at all sure that I buy into the idea that it is as much faster as everyone is assuming here, other than in singles.  In a four ball match, time spent determining which side is away, or which partner should play first, or reading each other's putts, seems to cancel out time saved by concessions.

Congrats to my LSU Tiger David Toms for a great match play victory today. I do wish as stated earlier that the PGA was match once more.