What is Stroke Play? Stroke Play Explained in 2 minutes
Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
26/06/2026
What is Stroke Play?
Stroke play is the most common format under which golf competitions are played. During stroke play, each player competes as an individual, and the winner is the player who manages to get around the course (four times in the case of the golfing Majors) in the least number of strokes. A stroke refers to the act of hitting the ball, and each hole will given a par, which is the number of times the player will be expected to hit the ball in order to get it in the hole.
How is Stroke Play used in Sports Betting?
Stroke play golf offers a huge range of exciting options for bettors wishing to take advantage of their golfing knowledge. The most common form of stroke play bet is simply betting on a player to be outright winner of a single tournament. Bets of this kind can be placed as each way bets, which will pay out if a player finishes within the top four or five of a tournament. It’s also possible to bet on how many birdies or bogeys a player will score during a particular round. For bets such as these, anything less than one under par will count as a birdie, and anything more than one over will count as a bogey.
Stroke Play also offer in play betting on issues such as which of two players in a pairing will win the next hole, what each player will score on the next hole, and what the score of both players combined will amount to. Bets can also be placed on whether the ball will land on the fairway from the tee – though usually only on par 4 or 5 holes – and whether the player will hit the green in 2 or 3 shots. The sheer number of bets that can be made makes stroke play golf one of the most popular and exciting sports, particularly for in play betting. Careful study of the players, the course, the condition and the scores as the rounds unfold could lead to impressive profits if the right bets are selected, and will, in any case, enhance the pleasure of watching any tournament.
