There are different ways that "half strokes" are used for tournaments. Our system can calculate "half strokes" using different methods.

It is important to understand the difference between the methods so you can apply them appropriately. In this article, we will explain how each method is used and where to apply it.
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For 9-Hole Match Play tournaments using "Half Strokes," we must understand the relationship between the course and how half strokes will fall on the scorecard. This is critical in making the right decision for your event. Below, we will look at the following scenarios:

Front 9 or Back 9:

In many cases, strokes for nine-hole matches are computed using the player's 18-Hole Playing Handicap divided by 2. For instance, if a player's 18-Hole Playing Handicap is 7, they will receive 3.5 strokes for their nine-hole match, regardless of the side they play. This is a popular format for member-guest invitationals.

Half strokes will be printed on the scorecards and viewed on the leaderboard. Jack, Sam, and Bob receive a half-stroke on the nine holes (as shown below).
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You can set up this method of half strokes for 9-hole matches by going to League/Event > League/Event Profile > Handicap Settings > Course Handicaps. (Note: If the half strokes are only used for a specific round, go to Rounds > Round Profile.) Set it to "Always use an 18-hole scorecard, if appropriate" and "Yes" for using half strokes for 9-hole matches (as shown below).
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Course Rotation: Strokes Fall Where They Lie on Original Course:

Previously, we mentioned that a player whose 18-Hole Playing Handicap is a 7 would receive 3.5 strokes on each 9-hole side of the golf course. This is no exception when using Course Rotation, and the strokes fall where they lie on the original course, even if the match covers both sides.

Below, Jack Smith is a 7 Playing Handicap for 18 holes and receives 3.5 strokes on each side of the course. On the original course, his half strokes fall on the holes with the 7 and 8 stroke index (Holes 15 and 1 on the original course), thus receiving a half stroke on the front and back nine of the original course. Since this match starts on hole 12 and covers both holes, Jack receives 2 half strokes on his 9-hole scorecard (as shown below).

Course Rotation: Strokes Fall Evenly on the Front and Back:

Previously, we mentioned that a player whose 18-Hole Playing Handicap is a 7 would receive 3.5 strokes on each 9-hole side of the golf course. There is an exception when using Course Rotation, and the strokes fall evenly on the front and back. With this method, you treat your starting hole as the 1st hole regardless of what hole you start on. So if a player starts on hole 14, holes 14-18 & 1-4 on the original course are their "front 9." In this case, the players will receive their 9-hole Playing Handicap on the lowest stroke index holes for that subset of holes played.

Below, Jack Smith is a 7 Playing Handicap for 18 holes and receives 3.5 strokes per nine holes. Since his match starts on hole 12, holes 12-18 & 1-2 on the original course are his "front 9." Jack will receive his stokes on the lowest stroke index holes for this subset of holes played. Therefore his half stroke will fall on hole 1 of the original course but his eighth hole played (as shown below).
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For more details on Course Rotations (Cross 9s), Click Here.

For non-Match Play tournaments like Stroke Play, decimal handicaps can compute a Playing Handicap by rounding to the nearest .5 after applying the Course Slope and Rating to the player's Handicap Index. This is typically used to reduce the chance of ties.

The computation below shows a player with a Handicap Index of 6.0, which converts to a 5.5 Playing Handicap after rounding to the nearest .5.
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Now take a look at this player on the leaderboard for an individual stroke play tournament.
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​​He finished with an 18-hole gross score of 91, which gives him a net score of 85.5.

To apply this type of method to a tournament, go to the advanced handicapping options in the tournament setup and select "Round to Nearest .5".
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If this method is used for Stableford tournaments, rather than computing a Playing Handicap to the nearest .5, .5 is simply added to the Stableford point total. For more details on playing Stableford tournaments with decimal handicaps, Click Here.

When this "half stroke" method is used, all full handicap strokes for a player will be converted to half strokes (Each handicap stroke per hole is reduced by 50%). This is typically used in skins tournaments to avoid, for instance, a net birdie "knocking out" a gross birdie.

Take a look at the hole-by-hole scores for a skins tournament below.
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​There are no full strokes applied anywhere in the tournament. Alyssa has a full Playing Handicap of 15, therefore she receives 15 half strokes.

To apply this method to a tournament, go to the advanced handicapping options in the tournament setup and select "Reduce each Hole Handicap Strokes by 50% (Half Shots)".
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