Golf league format
Quota
Quota scores points on your gross score, 1 for a bogey, 2 for a par, 4 for a birdie and 8 for an eagle, and compares the total with a personal quota of 36 minus your course handicap. Beat your quota and you are plus; the highest plus wins.
- Who plays
- Individuals, any group size
- Scoring
- Gross points against a quota
- Handicap allowance
- Quota = 36 minus the course handicap (18 for nine holes)
- Best for
- Leagues that want a handicap contest that rewards birdies
The rules
- Each golfer scores points on every hole against par, using the gross score: bogey 1, par 2, birdie 4, eagle or better 8, and 0 for a double bogey or worse.
- Each golfer has a quota: 36 minus the course handicap for 18 holes, or 18 minus the nine-hole course handicap for nine holes.
- Plus or minus = total points minus quota. The highest plus or minus wins.
- A plus handicap golfer has a quota above 36. A golfer with a course handicap above 36 can have a quota of zero or less, so cap the handicap or the quota to keep it fair.
- There are no strokes on the holes in quota. The handicap works through the quota only.
Recommended handicap allowance
The default is 100% of the course handicap: quota is 36 minus it on 18 holes and 18 minus it on nine. Because the 1-2-4-8 points table pays double for each step, birdies and eagles move the result a lot, and quota rewards golfers who go low.
Some leagues set a different base or lower the allowance a little, such as 95%, to keep high handicap golfers from running away with the prize. Gimme lets a league set the base, the allowance and the point values.
Worked example: three golfers, nine holes
The same three cards as the Stableford page, scored as quota. Pat has a course handicap of 4, Lee 9 and Sam 0, so on nine holes their quotas are 18 minus those numbers.
| Hole | Par | Pat | Lee | Sam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 = 1 | 5 = 1 | 4 = 2 |
| 2 | 4 | 5 = 1 | 6 = 0 | 5 = 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 = 2 | 4 = 1 | 3 = 2 |
| 4 | 5 | 5 = 2 | 6 = 1 | 4 = 4 |
| 5 | 4 | 4 = 2 | 5 = 1 | 4 = 2 |
| 6 | 4 | 5 = 1 | 5 = 1 | 3 = 4 |
| 7 | 3 | 4 = 1 | 5 = 0 | 3 = 2 |
| 8 | 4 | 5 = 1 | 5 = 1 | 5 = 1 |
| 9 | 5 | 5 = 2 | 6 = 1 | 5 = 2 |
| Points / quota | 13 / 14 | 7 / 9 | 20 / 18 |
Quotas are Pat 14, Lee 9 and Sam 18. Their gross points are 13, 7 and 20, which makes Pat -1, Lee -2 and Sam +2. Sam wins, and the two birdies are worth 4 points each. Played from scratch with a quota of 18 for everyone, the pluses become Pat -5, Lee -11, Sam +2.
When to use quota
- A nine-hole league where scoring should reward going for birdies.
- An outing where each golfer has a personal target.
- A league night format that is easy to explain: beat your number.
- A second prize alongside net stroke play.
Common disputes and how to settle them
Write these answers into your league rules before the season. Most arguments on league night come from a rule nobody wrote down.
- What if the golfer has a very high handicap?
- A quota of zero or below is unfair. Cap the course handicap used for quota, for example at 36, or set a minimum quota. Write the cap in your rules.
- What quota does a plus handicap golfer get?
- Above 36. A plus 2 course handicap gives a quota of 38 on 18 holes. They have to beat a higher target.
- Do we use the nine-hole handicap for a nine-hole round?
- Yes. The base quota is 18 and the course handicap is the strokes for the nine. A nine-hole course handicap of 6 gives a quota of 12.
- A golfer picked up. How many points?
- Zero for that hole. A pick-up is scored the same as a double bogey or worse.
Questions
How do you calculate quota points in golf?
Score points on each gross score: bogey 1, par 2, birdie 4, eagle 8, and 0 for worse. Add them up and subtract your quota, which is 36 minus your course handicap.
What is a point quota?
It is a personal target number of points. If your course handicap is 14, your 18-hole quota is 22.
What is the difference between quota and Stableford?
Stableford applies handicap strokes to each hole and scores 0 to 5 points on the net score. Quota uses the gross score, scores 0, 1, 2, 4 or 8, and applies the handicap through the target instead.
How is quota different on nine holes?
The base quota is 18 instead of 36, and the course handicap is the nine-hole figure.
Can I change the point values?
Yes. Gimme lets you set points for an eagle, birdie, par and bogey, and the base quota for 9 and 18 holes.
Run this format in your league
Gimme scores quota for the whole league, works out each quota from the league handicap, and ranks the pluses. Your first 3 league rounds are free, no card.