Matchplay guidance

Sorbet · 06-05-2025 05:44PM #1

So I have my first matchplay match ever coming up in my club😳. Entered the singles. While I’ve watched the Ryder & Solheim cups and have a general idea on how it goes I’ve never played a matchplay so would appreciate any tips, particularly in rules and etiquette. E.g. have to strictly observe who’s next shot based on distance from the hole etc. Thanks

prawnsambo · 06-05-2025 06:35PM

If you rake your shot out of turn, you can be made take it again. Depends on your opponent.

Make sure you know the rules of golf. Don't tee up in front of the tee markers. When taking relief make sure you take full relief. Time yourself and your opponent when looking for lost balls.

But mostly just enjoy it. It's fun.

bobster453 · 07-05-2025 07:52AM

Give tiddler putts when you are out of the hole, give nothing when you are still in the hole.

Be straight with your shots even if it means a club less, approach shots matter and being short gives you a chance to be on the green first.

Bogeys, even double bogeys can and will win holes so get it back in play after a stray shot.Its never over til its over.

Enjoy it, the purest form of golf and great craic.

Sorbet · 07-05-2025 08:14AM

Thanks. Stupid question, do I complete a scorecard or is just down to the two people to monitor 1 up etc and then post the result afterwards?

spacecoyote · 07-05-2025 08:34AM

Worth Keeping a card to track the score in the match. Removes any risk of a dispute.

Your club should have a board up presumably where you just write up the winner in the next available round slot

prawnsambo · 07-05-2025 09:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123424628#Comment_123424628

A lot of that is done on computer these days. Any club with Handicap Master software has the facility for members to input matchplay results on the computer or their phones.

awec · 07-05-2025 10:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123424595#Comment_123424595

You don't need to keep a card with strokes on it, nor get it signed, nor hand a card in at the end.

But worth having a card to track hole wins, just put a + for a win, a - for a loss and a o for a half.

Sorbet · 07-05-2025 10:32AM

Thanks. I’m the higher handicap, so as I understand it we compare playing handicap and take his from mine to give me say 5 shots and then I get a shot in index 1-5. Is this something we just work out ourselves and agree on the first tee or would it be similar to a regular stableford comp in the weekend where you’ll get your playing handicap from the computer on a sticker.

Does the lower handicap tee off first on the first and then just with whoever won the last hole?

awec · 07-05-2025 10:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123424902#Comment_123424902

You don't sign in on the computer, you need to work out your handicap manually.

Calculate your playing handicap, their playing handicap, and then I think singles match play is 100% of the difference.

You should be able to see their handicap index on master scoreboard if your club uses it, it's worth calculating the handicap in advance and then just agreeing rather than trying to do the calculation on the first tee.

Correct on the tee order.

blue note · 07-05-2025 03:34PM

Don't make a mistake of thinking that matchplay is different from stroke or stableford in terms of strategy. 99% of what you do should be the same. If there's a par 4 that you usually play as a par 5 - play it that way. If you've a shot on a par 4 don't think you should now start playing it as a par 5.

The odd time you should change it slightly - if you've a 10 footer for a half, aim to leave it 10 inches past the hole instead of dead. If it's a 20 footer, once you start thinking about not leaving it short that's when you start hitting it too hard to have a chance of going in. Play it at your normal pace and hope for the best.

And as others have said - remember that anything can happen on a hole. 4 putts are far from uncommon, we duff shots, shank them, thin them. If a hole looks lost, keep trying until it actually is (within reason).

Trampas · 07-05-2025 08:32PM

Don’t overthink things. Just because a player hits a good shot doesn’t mean you feel you need to go for yours. Just play your normal game and if anything play the % shot than a hero shot. If you’ve a 10 on a hole it’s just a lost of hole and not a card destroyer

jarrieta · 08-05-2025 09:00AM

Apart from the valuable advice given above I would add that you should play your game, don't try difficult shots even if you adversary is in advantage, they could thin or fat a shot and lose the advantage, but if you lost your ball or put yourself in trouble… (obviously if they are on the green or have an easy enough chip you will need to adjust)

Edit: More or less the same that @Trampas said, sorry, I was editing before refreshing the page

ChippingSodbury · 08-05-2025 09:48AM

A couple of things:

Get agreement on the score while walking off each green i.e. "I win that hole, you took 5, I had a 4 with a shot. That makes the me 1up" or whatever. If there is any doubt, discuss it there and then and count back both of your shots.

There is no compulsion on you to concede putts, no matter how short they are. The way I think about it is if there's >99% chance of him getting the putt, I'll concede it. That chance of him missing is different if the putt is for a win or for a half too: most of the time, there is a slightly smaller chance of missing a short putt for a half than there is of missing the corresponding putt for a win, therefore the putts I concede are slightly longer for a half than those for a win!!

If you are conceding a putt, make sure that your signal/ words are clear: you can't "un-concede" a putt once you've conceded it. On the other hand, if your opponent "reasonably assumes" that you've conceded a putt when you haven't, then they should replace the ball under no penalty. (if it is not a reasonable assumption on their part, then they should replace the ball and take a 1 shot penalty!). If you or your opponent putt a conceded putt and it misses, it doesn't matter because it has already been conceded. https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/rules/concession-golf-rule/

prawnsambo · 09-05-2025 10:04AM

Always check your opponents lie in the rough. They could be closer to the hole than you, but if it's a bad lie, you have the advantage and just need to play within yourself and not try and kill it to match what you think they can do.

spacecoyote · 09-05-2025 10:45AM

This guy generally gives good practical advice rather than technical advise around golfing, wrote a couple of good books. The algorithms must be listening to boards threads I've looked at as it popped up on my YouTube feed:

https://youtu.be/Ui1nesfRi-I?si=c7Cv3nK2G2GH9p07

Haven't watched the video yet, but he usually gives quite sensible stuff out

BraveDonut · 09-05-2025 04:04PM

Chances are you will throw away holes - don't let that get in on you, it will happen.

Chances are your opponent will throw away holes too!

prawnsambo · 10-05-2025 09:30AM

Most important one. If you get ahead, don't let up. Keep your foot on their throat and don't give them a chance. If you lose a hole, do your damndest to win the next one or at least half it.

Rikand · 10-05-2025 11:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123434251#Comment_123434251

This is it in a nutshell for me.

I'll be nice and friendly outwardly but in my own mind all I'm thinking about it is getting up on top of the guy, ripping off his head and sh!tting down his neck.

Matchplay guidance

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