Golf Reference -
Stableford Play - Strategy
The strategy in
Stableford formats can, in most instances, be summed up in three words:
Go for it.
Stableford competitions reward aggression and risk-taking on the golf
course. In the traditional Stableford, for example, there are no
negative points. If you are facing a carry over water that you normally
wouldn't try, in Stableford you can take a shot at it - because if you
fail, at worst, you get 0 points. And if you make it? The potential
rewards are greater than the potential disaster.
At the pro events, the Modified format presents even greater incentive
to go for it. A birdie is worth three times as many positive points (3)
as a bogey is worth punitive points (-1).
Eagles offer huge payoffs (5 points).
The professionals who thrive at The International and ANZ Championship
are those who make a lot of birdies at regular Tour stops. A golfer
whose strength is steadiness - making many pars with an occasional
birdie - is at a disadvantage in Modified Stableford. Those golfers who
make a few bogeys but also make a ton of birdies are more likely to be
atop the leaderboards.
Using Handicaps in Stableford Competitions
When those of us who aren't pros are playing Stableford, we'll need to
use our handicaps in order to pile up the points. How many gross birdies
will a 20-handicapper make per round? Close to zero. Pars will be pretty
scarce, too. It would be difficult for a 20-handicapper to earn many
points playing Stableford at scratch.
According to the USGA Handicap Manual, Section 9-4b(viii), players in a
Stableford competition should use full course handicaps, with strokes
taken as they are allocated on the scorecard.
There is an alternative way to try to make Stableford equitable for all
players, without using handicaps. Rather than applying handicaps, a
tournament might be played so that different point totals are awarded to
players of different skill levels. Example: A par might be worth 1 point
to competitors with handicaps of 2 or less; 2 points for golfers whose
handicaps are 3-8; and so on up the ladder.
There are two problems with this approach. First, it's tough to figure
out what points totals should match which handicap levels in a way that
ensures equity for all players. Second, with such an approach keeping
score is simply a very confusing task.
From:
http://golf.about.com/od/beginners/a/stablefordintro_2.htm
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