Stroke play is a form of play in golf where a player (or players) competes against all others in the competition by comparing a total score for one or more rounds. In stroke play, a golfer counts the strokes used to complete the play of each hole, then adds up the total number of those strokes at the end of the round or rounds. The player with the fewest strokes at the end of the round is considered the winner. In regular, individual stroke play, you need to hole out on every hole, and each hole score for every hole in the round is added up to calculate your final score. There is another form of stroke play called maximum score, where the maximum score for each hole is set by the Committee, and you can then pick up before or after you reach that score, and the maximum score becomes your score for the hole. If you are unsure how to proceed in stroke play, you can get help from a referee or play two balls if a referee is not readily available. If you play two balls, you must tell the Committee before you return your scorecard.

Some frequently asked questions about stroke play include:

• How do I keep score in stroke play?
• What is the maximum score?
• What should I do when I don’t know how to proceed in stroke play?
• Do I need to hole out in stroke play?
• May I practice on the course before or during my round in stroke play?
• May I share a caddie with another player or my partner in stroke play?
• May I ask someone for a yardage?