How to Play a 6-Hole Match Play Challenge with a Friend

Match play is one of the most fun and competitive ways to enjoy a round with a buddy. Instead of counting every stroke, you play hole by hole — and all it takes is six holes to have a great battle. Here’s how to set it up.

What You’ll Need

• A playing partner of similar skill level, or established handicaps
• A course with at least 6 holes (a full course works great — just pick your six)
• A basic understanding of your handicaps

The Format Each hole is its own mini-contest. Win the hole, you go “up.” Lose it, you go “down.” Tie it, the hole is “halved” and the status stays the same. After six holes, whoever has won the most holes wins the match. Simple as that.

Setting Up the Match

• Agree on a starting hole and which six you’ll play
• If there’s a handicap difference between you, the higher handicapper can receive strokes on the harder holes — check the course’s handicap index on the scorecard
• Decide ahead of time whether you’re playing strict rules or a more casual game

Playing Each Hole

• Both players tee off and play their own ball into the hole
• Keep track of who’s “up” and by how much after each hole
• If one player is up by more holes than there are holes remaining, the match is over early — this is called winning “X and Y” (e.g., 2 and 1)

Conceding Putts One of the best parts of match play is the concession. If your opponent has a short tap-in, you can pick up their ball and say “that’s good.” It keeps the pace up and builds good sportsmanship. Just remember — you can only concede, not take it back!

Staying in the Match Even if you fall behind, you’re never truly out of it. In our match, I was down after losing hole 2 but clawed back to all square by hole 3. Every hole is a fresh start, which is what makes the format so exciting.

Keeping Score You don’t need to track every stroke — just the match status. A simple system works great:

• All Square = tied
• 1 Up / 1 Down = one hole ahead or behind
• 2 Up / 2 Down = two holes ahead or behind, and so on

Tips for a Fun Match

• Keep it casual and encourage each other’s good shots
• Don’t let a bad hole rattle you — the next one is a clean slate
• Avoid slow play; match play tends to move faster than stroke play since bad holes can be conceded
• Add a friendly wager if you want a little extra motivation — even just bragging rights!

Six holes is the perfect length for a match play challenge. It’s long enough to have real momentum swings, but short enough to fit into a busy schedule. Give it a try and see how competitive it gets!

My First Golf Match (Every Shot)

I recorded my first golf match! A six hole match at Bridlewood Country Club. My opponent… Ruben, my good friend and regular Wednesday playing partner.

We’re around the same handicap (~13) so this should be competitive. If it works out, we’ll keep sharing these. Let’s see if I can get the win!

Match Play Challenge at Briarwood Country Club

In this video, I take on my friend Reuben in a 6-hole match play challenge at Briarwood Country Club, a public-private course. We’re both mid-handicappers sitting around a 13–14 handicap.

How the match unfolds:

• Hole 1 (Par 4): A close battle that ends with both of us three-putting. All square.
• Hole 2 (Par 3): Reuben sticks it close and converts a birdie, going one up.
• Hole 3 (Par 4, 440 yards): A tough hole with water on the left. I card a double bogey (6), but Reuben struggles even more with an 8, giving me the hole back. All square after three.
• Hole 4 (Par 4, ~380 yards): Reuben outdrives me and makes a solid par while my short game lets me down. Reuben goes back up one.
• Hole 5: My tee shot finds a water hazard, forcing a stroke penalty. Despite a tough recovery, I end up in a bunker and can’t save the hole. Reuben extends his lead.
• Hole 6 (Final): Reuben closes it out with a strong par effort, taking the win.

Final result: Reuben wins the match. A couple of unlucky hazard balls proved costly, but we both had a great time!