How to Play Stroke Play in Golf — Gross vs. Net Scoring Explained
Learn how stroke play scoring works in golf — total strokes, gross vs. net scores, and handicaps. Includes a worked example.
What is stroke play?
Stroke play is golf's most basic and most common format — the one used in almost every professional tournament. Every stroke you take across the round is counted, including penalty strokes, and added up at the end. Lowest total wins. Unlike match play, it doesn't matter how you did on any single hole relative to your opponent — only your cumulative total across all 18 holes matters.
How stroke play scoring works
- Count every stroke on every hole, including penalty strokes, and write it on the scorecard.
- Add up all 18 holes for your gross score — the raw total, with no handicap adjustment.
- If playing with handicaps, subtract your course handicap from your gross score to get your net score. Most club competitions use net scoring so players of different abilities can compete fairly; professional tournaments use gross scoring only.
- Handicap strokes are applied to specific holes based on the stroke index on the scorecard — the hardest holes get strokes first.
- Lowest net (or gross, in pro events) score across the round wins.
Worked example
A player with a course handicap of 14 shoots a gross score of 86. Their net score is 86 − 14 = 72. If another player with a handicap of 4 shoots a gross 78, their net score is 78 − 4 = 74 — so the higher-handicap player actually wins the net competition despite a higher gross score.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that penalty strokes count toward your total — a lost ball or an out-of-bounds shot adds a stroke, even though you didn't technically "hit" anything extra.
- Comparing gross scores when a competition is actually scored net — the net winner and gross winner are often different people.
- Not knowing which holes your handicap strokes apply to — check the stroke index column on the scorecard before the round if it matters to your strategy.
Track your stroke play score automatically
Adding up 18 holes of strokes, then applying handicap adjustments by hand, is where scorecards get messy. Golf with Mates tracks your gross and net scores automatically as you play, hole by hole.
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Pure stroke play, scored live.
Gross or net totals, updated every hole.