Rule 21 of Golf Explained: Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey Formats
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of Rule 21 of the Rules of Golf as published by The R&A (the same Rules the USGA publishes), checked October 29, 2026. Read the official Rule text for every detail.
Four other forms of individual play
Rule 21 covers formats where scoring differs from regular stroke play:
- Stableford: points per hole.
- Maximum Score: each hole's score is capped.
- Par/Bogey: match play scoring, hole by hole, against a fixed score.
- Three-Ball match play: each player plays two separate matches at once.
The stroke play Rules (Rules 1–20) still apply, as modified by Rule 21. Each format can be adapted for handicap, Four-Ball and team events.
Stableford (Rule 21.1)
- You earn points by comparing your score on each hole with a fixed target score. That's par unless the Committee sets another. The official Rule has the full points table.
- If you don't hole out, you get zero points for that hole. To help pace of play, you're encouraged to pick up once your score can only earn zero.
- Scorecard: enter your actual score when it earns points. When it earns zero, leave the hole blank or write any score that earns zero.
- The Committee works out the points and applies handicap strokes.
- Penalties are softer for five breaches that would disqualify you in stroke play. Examples are not holing out, an uncorrected wrong ball and playing from a seriously wrong place. Instead you get zero points on that hole. A hole can never score below zero points.
- Most points wins.
Maximum Score (Rule 21.2)
- The Committee sets a cap, such as two times par, a fixed number or net double bogey.
- If your actual score is higher, you get only the maximum. Not holing out also gives you the maximum.
- You're encouraged to stop playing a hole once you reach the cap.
- Scorecard: enter your actual score when it's lower than the maximum. Otherwise leave the hole blank or write any score at or above the cap.
Par/Bogey (Rule 21.3)
Scoring works like match play against a fixed score, typically par or bogey:
- You win a hole by beating the fixed score.
- Matching it halves the hole.
- Going over it loses the hole.
The winner has the highest total of holes won minus holes lost.
Related: match play vs. stroke play, World Handicap System basics, golf handicap calculator, pace of play.