Format: Individual Net Points
The Vibe: Aggressive, optimistic, and mercifully fast.
Standard stroke play can be soul-crushing. One bad hole at a course like Viniterra can ruin your entire afternoon. Stableford changes the math. Instead of counting strokes, you are earning Points. The goal is to accumulate the highest total possible.
The best part? Once you’ve reached a certain number of strokes on a hole, you can simply pick up your ball. The "Math-Challenged" guys love it because the floor is zero, and the "Silent Guys" love it because they can stop suffering in silence and move to the next tee.
This is a NET game. The Spreadsheet God will take your gross score, apply your handicap "pops" for that specific hole, and convert it into points based on this scale:
Net Double Bogey (or worse): 0 Points (The "Pick Up and Move On" Rule)
Net Bogey: 1 Point
Net Par: 2 Points
Net Birdie: 3 Points
Net Eagle: 4 Points
Net Albatross: 5 Points
The Mercy Rule: If you are lying 6 on a Par 4 and you haven't reached the green, pick up your ball. You cannot earn fewer than zero points. Save your energy (and our pace of play) for the next hole.
Aggression is Encouraged: Since a "Net 8" is the same as a "Net 10" (both are zero points), there is no reason to play safe. Go for the green. Hunt the pin. The reward for a Net Birdie (3 pts) is higher than the penalty for a blow-up.
The "Math-Challenged" Guide: Don't try to calculate your points while standing on the green. Just write down your Gross Score. The spreadsheet knows which holes you get a stroke on and will do the point conversion for you.
Stableford keeps the leaderboard tight. One "disaster hole" won't take you out of the running for the weekly top spot. It rewards the grinders who can string together Net Pars and the "Wild Cards" who can find a few Net Birdies per round.
Go for the hero shot. The worst you can get is a zero.
Format: Individual Net Score (Total Strokes minus Handicap)
The Vibe: Pure, unadulterated accountability.
This is the baseline of the Champions Cup. No rotations, no partners, no gimmicks. It is the ultimate test of your consistency over 18 holes. At a tough course, Stroke Play isn't just about hitting great shots; it’s about disaster management. The guy who wins isn’t always the one with the most birdies—it’s the one who turned a potential 8 into a gritty 6.
The Math: Total Gross Strokes - Total Course Handicap = Net Score.
Every. Shot. Counts. Unlike Stableford, there is no "mercy rule" here. If you hit three into the water, you have to play the fourth. You must hole out on every green.
The "Net" Reality: Your handicap "pops" are distributed across the holes based on the course difficulty (stroke index). A "5" on the hardest hole on the course might be a "Net 4," while a "5" on the easiest hole stays a "5."
The Math-Challenged Relief: Please, for the love of pace-of-play, do not try to calculate your Net Score on the course. You will get a headache. Just write down your Gross Score for each hole. The Spreadsheet God will do the heavy lifting later.
The "Silent Guy" Focus: This is your environment. No need to consult a partner or agree on a strategy. Just put your head down, grind out your pars, and let your scorecard do the talking.
The "Blow-Up" Protection: There isn't any. In Stroke Play, one "10" can haunt your season standings for weeks. Play smart, take your medicine, and realize that a Net Bogey is often your best friend.
Because you are playing against the entire field’s posted scores for the week, you never know where you stand. You might think you’re having a rough day, only to find out the rest of the Bhattalion struggled even more.
Keep grinding until the 18th hole. Every stroke you save is a point gained in the Cup standings.
Format: Random Team Aggregate (Net)
The Vibe: Complete mystery. You’re a team, you just don't know it yet.
This is the most flexible game in the BSG arsenal. You don't need to coordinate schedules, you don't need to pick a partner, and you don't even need to play the same course. You play your game on your time, and the "Digital God of Golf" (The Spreadsheet) decides your fate by pairing you with a random brother-in-arms.
Play Your Game: Hit the links whenever you want, with whoever you want.
The Randomizer: After the Sunday 8:00 PM deadline, the Commissioner puts all the names into a hat (or a random number generator) and pairs everyone up.
The Math: We take your Individual Net Score and add it to your Random Partner’s Net Score. * Example: You shoot a Net 74 at Viniterra. Your "Blind Partner" shot a Net 71 at Magnolia Green. Your team total is 145.
Course Neutrality: Because we use Net Scores, it doesn't matter if you played a "Goat Track" or a Championship course. Your handicap is the great equalizer.
The "No-Bailout" Reality: You have to play every hole like the Champions Cup depends on it—because it does. You might be having a "triple-bogey kind of day," but your unknown partner might be sitting on the round of his life. Don't let him down by giving up.
The Math-Challenged Benefit: This is your favorite week. There is literally zero math for you to do on the course. You don't have a partner to coordinate with, and you don't have points to track. Just write down your Gross Score and wait for the "Big Reveal" on Monday morning.
The "Silent Guy" Privacy: You can play your entire round in total silence with your neighbor, your brother, or a stranger. As long as you have a witness and a scorecard, you’re in the hunt.
The Blind Draw can create some "Power Couples" or some "Train Wrecks." It’s the one week where you can’t complain about your partner, because you didn't choose him—the universe did.
Post your score, grab a whiskey, and pray the Commissioner pairs you with someone who actually found a fairway this week.