Golf Match Play Calculator

Player A name

Player B name

Scoring Gross (no handicaps) Net (handicap strokes)

Player A course handicap

Player B course handicap

Strokes are allocated to the hardest holes using the Hole HCP row in the table below. Edit it to match your scorecard's stroke index.

Match wager ($, optional)

Hole-by-Hole Scores

Enter gross scores. Leave later holes blank — the status updates through however many holes you've played.

Calculate Match Result Load example

How Match Play Scoring Works

Match play is decided hole by hole, not by total strokes. Win a hole and you go 1 up. Lose one and you drop back. Tie it and the hole is halved — the status doesn't move, but a hole comes off the schedule, which is what makes the closing stretch tense.

The match ends the moment a lead is bigger than the number of holes left. That is why match play results look like 4&3 rather than a stroke total: four holes up with three left to play is unbeatable, so nobody walks the last three.

Reading the Result: 1 UP, 3&2, Dormie

• 2 UP — leading by two holes with holes still to play.
• AS (all square) — level. Every halved hole keeps it that way.
• Dormie — leading by exactly the number of holes remaining (3 up with 3 to play). The leader can no longer lose; the trailer must win out just to halve.
• 3&2 — won by three holes with two left, so the match finished on the 16th green.
• 1 up — went the full 18 and was won on the last hole.
• Halved — all square after 18. Any wager pushes.

Handicap Strokes in Match Play

Match play uses the difference between the two course handicaps rather than each player's full allowance. If you play off 18 and your opponent off 10, you get eight strokes, and they land on the eight hardest holes according to the scorecard's stroke index. On each of those holes your gross drops by one before the two scores are compared.

Switch the calculator to Net, enter both course handicaps, and adjust the Hole HCP row to match your card — the strokes are applied automatically and the hole-by-hole table marks every hole where a stroke was given.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does dormie mean in golf?

Dormie means the leader is up by exactly as many holes as remain — 2 up with 2 to play. From there the leader cannot lose the match; the worst case is a halve if they lose every remaining hole. It is the point where a trailing player has to win out just to force a tie.

What does 3&2 mean?

Three holes up with two holes left to play. The match ended on the 16th green because two remaining holes cannot cover a three-hole deficit. The first number is always the margin, the second is always the holes left unplayed.

Why isn't it "3&3"?

Because three up with three to play is dormie, not a win — the trailing player can still win all three and halve the match. The match only closes out when the margin is strictly greater than the holes remaining.

Can you lose a match and still shoot the lower score?

Yes, and it happens often. Blowing up on one hole costs you a single hole in match play no matter whether you make 7 or 10, while a one-shot win counts the same as a five-shot win. A player can lose several holes narrowly, win two blowouts, and post the better 18-hole total while losing the match.

What happens on a tied match?

All square after 18 is a halved match — most groups push the bet. Formal events may go to sudden death, playing extra holes until someone wins one.

Want the full rules? See the match play golf rules guide for formats, concessions, and etiquette — or try the Nassau calculator if you're playing the front, back, and overall as separate bets.