Side game · 2–4 players
How to play Modified Stableford
Also called: modified stableford points · Barracuda scoring
Stableford with the reward and the punishment both turned up — the scoring the PGA Tour uses at the Barracuda.
The rules
- Points per hole: hole-in-one on a par 5 is +15, an albatross is +10, an eagle is +6, a birdie is +3, a par is +1.
- A bogey is 0 and a double bogey or worse is −2.
- Each player’s total runs head-to-head against every other player.
- Differences settle at the unit value.
- Going for it pays here in a way it does not in regular Stableford, and a blow-up genuinely hurts.
A worked example
Setup. $1 a point, two players.
- A makes four birdies, an eagle, ten pars and three doubles: 12 + 6 + 10 − 6 = 22.
- B makes two birdies, fourteen pars and two bogeys: 6 + 14 + 0 = 20.
Result. A wins by 2 points and collects $2.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- The tour table is the one in the app. Some groups soften the double-bogey penalty to −1.
- Played net in the app by default, which changes which holes are pars for whom.
How it works in the app
- Add Modified Stableford at setup with a unit per point.
- Enter scores; points come off the score against par with handicap strokes applied.
- The live screen shows the running points race.
Modified Stableford FAQ
- How is this different from Stableford?
- Regular Stableford is 4/3/2/1/0 and never goes negative. This one pays much more for an eagle and takes points away for a double, so it rewards aggression instead of steadiness.
- Is a bogey really worth nothing?
- Yes — zero, not negative. Only a double or worse costs you points.