Eclectic Golf Format
Also known as: Ringers
The Eclectic is a multi-round golf format where your best score on each hole across all rounds played is used to build one ultimate scorecard. Play the same course over several rounds — whether over weeks or an entire season — and every time you improve on a hole, that better score replaces your old one. It rewards consistency and gives every player a reason to keep coming back.
At a Glance
- Type
- Individual tournament format (multi-round)
- Rounds
- 2 or more (typically played over a season)
- Scoring
- Stroke play or Stableford
- Handicaps
- Supported
- Wins
- Lowest total of best hole scores (stroke play) or highest points (Stableford)
The Rules
- All players play multiple rounds on the same course over the duration of the competition.
- After each round, compare your score on every hole to your previous best on that hole.
- If you improved on a hole, the new score replaces the old one. If not, your previous best stays.
- Your Eclectic total is the sum of your 18 best individual hole scores across all rounds played.
- The player with the lowest Eclectic total (stroke play) or highest total (Stableford) wins.
Example
A player competes in a 3-round Eclectic over the first 4 holes of a par-72 course:
| Hole 1 (Par 4) | Hole 2 (Par 3) | Hole 3 (Par 5) | Hole 4 (Par 4) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Round 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Round 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Notice that the best scores came from different rounds. Over a full 18 holes, this process produces a “dream scorecard” that improves with every round played.
Scoring Options
The Eclectic format supports two scoring methods:
Stroke Play (default)
Each hole’s best gross or net stroke count is used. The player with the lowest 18-hole Eclectic total wins. This is the most common way to run an Eclectic.
Stableford
Instead of strokes, each hole’s best Stableford point score is kept. The player with the highest Eclectic Stableford total wins. This variant rewards aggressive play, since a bad hole won’t hurt you — you simply keep the better score from another round.
Setting Up in Squabbit
To create an Eclectic competition in Squabbit:
- Create a new tournament (Eclectic is a multi-round format, so it must be a tournament rather than a casual game).
- Under format, choose Eclectic.
- Choose your scoring type: Stroke Play (default) or Stableford.
- Optionally enable handicaps if you want net scores.
- Add your first round and select the course. All subsequent rounds must use the same course.
- As you add more rounds throughout the season, the Eclectic leaderboard automatically updates — taking each player’s best score on every hole across all rounds played so far.