Format & Rules

Everything you need to know about how a Wolf Pack fixture is played, scored, and organised — from the match on the day through to the national final.

Team formation

  • Each player can only play for one Wolf Pack team per season, and cannot be registered to more than one team.
  • Squad size is unlimited, but only 4 players can play on any given matchday.

Match format

4

Players per side

2

Singles matches

1

Betterball matches

2

Tee times needed

Each of the 3 matches (2 singles, 1 four-ball betterball) is worth 1 point — a maximum of 3 points per fixture. If a match is halved, both teams take 0.5 points.

Handicap rules

Allowances

  • 90% handicap allowance for the betterball match.
  • 100% handicap allowance for the singles matches.

Working out playing handicaps

  • The player with the lowest playing handicap in the match plays off scratch (0).
  • Everyone else subtracts that player's handicap from their own to get their playing handicap allowance.
  • Strokes are given on the stroke index holes according to that handicap difference.

Tees and stroke index

  • All male players tee off from the closest tee marker behind the ladies' tee (usually yellow).
  • All female players play from the designated ladies' tee.
  • Where the female player is the higher handicapper in a match, her stroke holes follow the ladies' stroke index.
  • Where the male player is the higher handicapper, his stroke holes follow the men's stroke index.

On the day

  • Both singles matches are played in the same group of 4.
  • Ideally, the two groups' tee times run back-to-back on the same day.

Match play scoring

  • Each hole is won, lost, or halved.
  • The first player ahead by more holes than remain to play wins the match.

Tournament format

League stageApril – August

  • Leagues of 4 teams; everyone plays everyone once.
  • 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw or no result, 0 for a loss.
  • Top 2 teams advance to the playoffs.
  • Ties are broken by: points difference, then head-to-head, then most 3–0 wins, then most singles points won.

Playoff stageAugust – September

  • Straight knockout.
  • Same match format as the league stage.
  • Ties are settled by a single sudden-death hole, one player per team.

Regional eventSeptember

  • 4 players in each team.
  • Stableford, playing your individual ball.
  • Best 2 scores per hole from your team count.
  • Top teams go through to the National Championships.

National ChampionshipsLate September / October

  • 4 players in each team.
  • Stableford — best 2 scores per hole count.
  • Top 2 teams go through to the final that afternoon; 3rd and 4th play off.
  • Both games are played in the same match format as the league stage.

Prizes

League winners

  • ✓4 personalised Wolf Pack golf caps
  • ✓A small trophy for the winning team

Regional event

  • ✓Trophies for the winning team
  • ✓Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams

National Championships

  • ✓Individual trophies for the winning team's players
  • ✓A big team trophy
  • ✓Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams

Fixture organisation

  1. 1

    Every team has one or more appointed captains.

  2. 2

    Captains get access to the portal from sign-up, where they build their squad.

  3. 3

    All fixtures are organised through the portal — share your team's availability with the opposing captain ahead of the fixture window.

  4. 4

    Once a date is agreed, the home captain adds the tee times, date, and venue.

  5. 5

    Both captains then enter their line-up on the portal — singles player 1, singles player 2, and the betterball pair. Playing handicaps are calculated automatically.

  6. 6

    Away teams pay their own green fees; it's the home side's responsibility to book the tee times.

  7. 7

    If the home club needs green fees pre-paid, or the away players' details in advance, contact your league organiser to arrange it — there's a group chat with your league organiser for exactly this kind of thing.

  8. 8

    All players must show handicap proof via the England Golf app on the first tee. There is zero tolerance for anyone found misrepresenting their handicap.

Withdrawal rules

  • Teams may not withdraw within 7 days of the tee time — if they do, the opposition is awarded a whitewash win for the fixture.
  • If one player drops out inside the 7-day window and no replacement can be found, the fixture goes ahead with 3 players — the remaining player without a partner plays the opposition's betterball pair on their own.
  • If two players drop out, the betterball match is forfeited, but both singles matches still go ahead — so there's still a chance to take 2 of the 3 points.

Results reporting

  1. 1

    The home captain enters each match result and the fixture's overall score through the portal.

  2. 2

    This is sent to the away captain for verification.

  3. 3

    Once verified, league standings and results update automatically.

Questions about scoring or eligibility? Get in touch and we'll help directly.