The game is played by two or more sides, each playing its own ball (Rule 1) and the object of each side is to hole the ball in fewer strokes than the other.

There are two methods by which matches can be played, viz. : Match Play and Medal Play. In the former the players count by holes, and in the latter by strokes.

Match Play-In a match by holes the usual number of players is two, and the players begin at the first teeing-ground. The ball is placed on a small elevation, usually a pinch of sand, called a "tee." The player who strikes first, the order of starting being usually settled by agreement or by toss, is said to have the "honour," and this he retains until his opponent wins a hole. After both have struck from the tee, the player whose ball is farthest from the hole plays again, and so on until each player has played his ball into the hole

The player who has done the hole in the fewest strokes wins the hole, and if both have taken the same number, the hole is said to be "halved." At the end of the round, the player who has won most holes wins the match, and if both have won an equal number, the match is said to be "halved" or "drawn." It must be observed in "Match Play," that the total number of strokes taken to the various holes does not directly affect the result, as for instance, A may take 3 to the first hole and B 8, but A only wins 1 hole. At the second hole A may take 6 and B 5, which makes them "all square" or "all even" in holes, although A's total strokes are only 9, while B's are 13.

Should one of the players, A, find himself a number of holes to the good, equal to the number remaining to be played, or, in other words, in such a position that his opponent, B, even by winning all the remaining holes, could only tie with him, A is said to be "dormy," and should A win the next hole, the match is over, as he must eventually win by 1 hole at least.

Supposing A were 3 holes to the good, with but 3 holes remaining to be played, he would be "dormy three," and should he win the next hole he would win by 4 holes and 2 to play.

The remaining holes in this case are only two, called the "bye," and A would be said to have won the "Long Match."

In Match Play the game is counted between the holes by the terms, "the odd," " the like," "2 more," "1 off 2," and so on. Thus when A has played one more than B, he is said to have played "the odd," and when B plays he has played " the like." If A has played two or three more strokes than B, B then plays one off 2 or 3, as the case may be, and so on.

A plays the "long odds" to B, when B lies much nearer the hole in the same number of strokes.

Foursome-A match by holes is often played by four players, two against two, and is called a foursome. Only two balls are used, the partners striking alternately, both from the tees and throughout the green. A stroke exacted as a penalty under any of the rules does not affect the rotation of play. For example, if A and B are partners, and A plays their ball into water, from which it has to be lifted and dropped under a penalty of one stroke, the next stroke is played by B and not by A.

Three-ball Match-Three-ball matches are played by three players, each playing his own ball, but if the play is by holes, the scoring becomes somewhat difficult and complicated, and, if the three players are all playing against each other, it makes a better game to count by strokes.

A good three-ball match can be made when one of the players plays what is called the "best ball' of the other two. This means that in order to win a hole, he must do it in fewer strokes than either of the other two. It is obvious that in this form of match the conceder of odds must be superior to each of the other two players.

"Colonel Bogey"-A method of scoring by holes which has lately become popular is for the players to compete against a score supposed to have been made by " Colonel Bogey." This gentleman is simply the committee's embodiment of a first-rate player, and his score represents approximately the number of strokes which ought to be taken to each hole without serious mistakes. The players play each hole, not directly against each other, but against the "Bogey' score for the hole, and they win, lose, or halve it with "Colonel Bogey," according as their respective scores are better or worse than or equal to his. The player who is most holes up orleast holes down to "Colonel Bogey " at the end of the round wins the match.

Inter-Club Matches-Inter-club matches are usually played by teams of varying numbers, representing the best players in each club. The individual members of each team play hole matches against each other, the players being pitted against each other, as far as possible, in order of merit. At the end, the total number of holes won by each side is added up, and the club having a balance in its favour wins the match. Another, and perhaps fairer, method of judging the result, is to count the number of individual matches won, instead of the number of holes. This latter method supplies a fairer test of the general strength of the teams. By the former method it frequently happens that the failure of one member of the team brings defeat to his side

For example, suppose two clubs play a match with teams of six a-side with the following result :-

It will be seen that though the X team won four of the six matches, they yet lost by eight holes, although the Z team only gained two matches of the six.

Club Tournaments are played on the same principle as the Amateur Championship competition. The competitors are drawn against each other in couples, and at the conclusion of the first round, the winner of the first couple plays against the winner of the second couple, for their places in the third round, and so on until the final stage is reached, the survivor of which is the ultimate winner.