Russian Stableford (Russian roulette)

Two against two, and on every hole the pair’s two stableford scores are multiplied rather than added — a nought from either man is nought for the pair.

4 players
Own ball
Pairs

How it’s scored

Everyone plays their own ball and scores stableford points as usual.
The pair’s figure on the hole is the two multiplied: a 2 and a 3 is 6, a 3 and a 3 is 9.
A blob from either partner is nought for the pair whatever the other made. That is the roulette.
Side total against side total over the round. More wins.

Worked · Ellis & Pike v Taylor & Hartley, holes 1–3

Ellis & Pike v Taylor & HartleyRound 8 · Carya · two a side · full handicap · points multiplied

1Par 4 · S.I. 7 · multipliedEllis4 −1 · net 33Pike6 −1 · net 51Taylor5 −1 · net 42Hartley5 −1 · net 423 v 4 · Sandbaggers

2Par 5 · S.I. 3 · multipliedEllis5 −1 · net 43Pike8 −2 · net 61Taylor6 −1 · net 52Hartley8 −1 · net 703 v 0 · Bogey Boys

3Par 3 · S.I. 17 · multipliedEllis3 · net 32Pike5 −1 · net 41Taylor2 · net 23Hartley4 −1 · net 322 v 6 · Sandbaggers

Bogey Boys8Sandbaggers10Sandbaggers +2 ptsthru 3

Every ball counts, so every ball is filled. The pill is the two figures multiplied.

Who plays off what · full handicap

PlayerC/HShots

Rob Ellis1010

James Taylor1212

Sam Hartley2020

Lee Pike2424

Handicaps

Full course handicap by default. A cut to either partner is scaled by the other’s score, so any reduction bites twice.

100%How handicaps are worked out

Good for

Players: Exactly four, two a side
Handicaps: Any — consistency beats fireworks
When: The day the group wants a laugh that still scores for the Cup

Set it up in score70

Set Up the Day → Russian roulette
Pick the two pairs. The allowance is prefilled at 100%

Start a trip

Free. Only the organiser signs up; everyone else opens the link.

The fine print

Russian Stableford or Russian roulette?

Same game. It is searched for as Russian Stableford and most groups call it Russian roulette; the tile on Set Up the Day is Russian roulette.

Why is a steady pair worth more than a hero?

Three times one is three; two times two is four. Ellis’s net birdie and Pike’s bogey lost the first hole to two pars.

When does a hole count?

Once all four cards are in, because a product read off one card would swing to nought the moment the other arrived.

Why exactly two a side?

A side is one pair whose two scores multiply. A third card would be a different game. If the organiser types 85% instead of 100, Pike would play off twenty and Hartley off seventeen.

Usually played alongside

All sixteen formats