Stroke play
In regular stroke play, scores from every hole are added together, including any penalty strokes. The lowest total wins.1
Stroke play
Total strokes
| Player | Hole 1 | Hole 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| B | 5 | 4 | 9 |
B leads by 3 strokes
9 strokes against 12.
Consider two holes without handicap strokes. Player A makes 4 and 8, for 12; Player B makes 5 and 4, for 9. B leads by three strokes, even though each player has the lower score on one hole.1
A gross score is the total before handicap adjustments. A net score includes those adjustments, which allow golfers of different abilities to compete. A player who scores 80 and receives 12 handicap strokes has a net score of 68.1
In regular individual stroke play, every hole must be finished by playing the ball into the hole, known as holing out. Other forms use different scoring: Stableford awards points, while Maximum Score caps the score on each hole. Both have separate rules for picking up without holing out.12
The first U.S. Open, held at Newport Country Club on October 4, 1895, used 36 holes of stroke play in one day. Horace Rawlins finished at 173, two strokes ahead of Willie Dunn’s 175. The winning margin was the difference between their totals.34