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Game Format

LIV Golf Format

The LIV format is a team golf game where every player plays their own ball for the entire round, and the team’s score is determined by adding together the best individual round totals. By default the top 3 scores count, but this number is fully configurable. It rewards consistent team depth while still letting every player contribute.

At a Glance

Type
Team game
Team size
2–24 players (most commonly 4)
Scoring
Stroke play, Stableford, or Quota
Handicaps
Off by default; supports Net Score and Compare With Lowest
Wins
Lowest combined score (stroke play) or highest combined points (Stableford/Quota)

The Rules
  1. Each player on the team plays their own ball for the entire round, just like a normal individual round.
  2. At the end of the round, each player’s total score is calculated.
  3. The team’s score is the sum of the best 3 individual round totals (by default).
  4. The remaining player(s) on the team still play, but their scores are dropped if they aren’t among the top 3.
  5. The team with the best combined score wins.
Configurable: The number of rounds that count toward the team total is adjustable. You can set it to use 1, 2, 3, or any number up to your full team size.

Example Round

A four-person team plays a full 18 holes using stroke play with the default “best 3 of 4” setting:

Individual Round Totals
A Player A shoots 78
B Player B shoots 82
C Player C shoots 74
D Player D shoots 91 (dropped — highest score)
Team score: 74 + 78 + 82 = 234

Player D’s 91 is the worst of the four rounds, so it is dropped. The team’s total is the sum of the remaining three scores.

Scoring Options

The LIV format supports three scoring methods for individual rounds:

Stroke Play (default)

Each player counts their total strokes. The best 3 (or configured number of) stroke totals are summed. Lowest combined total wins.

Stableford

Each player earns Stableford points per hole. The best 3 individual point totals are summed. Highest combined total wins.

Quota

Each player plays against their personal quota (based on handicap). The best 3 individual quota results are summed.

Handicap Options

Handicaps are off by default in the LIV format, but can be enabled. When turned on, each player receives 100% of their individual handicap by default.

Net Score

Each player’s net score is calculated by subtracting their handicap strokes from their gross score. The best 3 net totals are summed for the team score.

Compare With Lowest

The lowest handicap in the group is used as the baseline, and every other player receives strokes relative to that player. This means the best player plays at scratch.

Tip: Enabling handicaps is a good idea when teams have a mix of skill levels, as it prevents one high-handicap player from dragging down an otherwise strong team.

Setting Up in Squabbit

To create a LIV game in Squabbit:

  1. Create a new tournament or casual game.
  2. Under format, choose LIV.
  3. Set your team size. The default is 4 players per team.
  4. Optionally adjust the number of rounds to use (default is 3).
  5. Choose your scoring type: Stroke Play, Stableford, or Quota.
  6. Optionally enable handicaps if playing with mixed skill levels.
  7. Add players and assign them to teams.

During the round, each player enters their own scores on their own scorecard, just like any individual round. After the round, Squabbit automatically selects the best rounds and calculates the team total.