I love match play. It promotes a little different mindset and some unique strategies. You never know what’s going to happen, and that’s what makes it exciting.
In match play, you’re playing against one person to win a hole. It doesn’t matter what your score is as long as it’s lower than the other person’s. So you’re always watching their shots and looking for opportunities to play at least one stroke better.
In match play you can legally “give” putts.
In match play the person whose ball is farthest away from the hole must play first. Do you remember that infamous match when Annika was just off the green and chipped in, and her opponent contended that Annika’s ball was closer than hers? In fact it was, and Annika had to replay the shot. She chipped in again!
In match play you must decide on the outcome of a hole before proceeding to the next.
In match play a penalty is often loss of hole rather than two strokes.
If you currently don’t have the opportunity to compete in a match play format, try setting up a season-long match play tournament at your club. Your golfing buddies will love it.
