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Points-based scoring. Birdie = 3 pts, Par = 2 pts, Bogey = 1 pt.
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Chicago golf game (points / quota): how points map to scores, how the quota works, and how to run it without a paper chart.
The CutJuly 31, 2026 · 1 min read
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Points-based scoring. Birdie = 3 pts, Par = 2 pts, Bogey = 1 pt.
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Total strokes for the round. Standard tournament format.
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Chicago is a points golf game - often overlapping what groups call quota or reverse Stableford variants depending on the club. The shared idea: convert each hole score into points, chase a target, and make bogeys less fatal than pure stroke play.
House charts differ. Agree on the point table before you bet.
Many groups use a table like:
| Score vs par | Points |
|---|---|
| Eagle or better | 8 |
| Birdie | 4 |
| Par | 2 |
| Bogey | 1 |
| Double or worse | 0 |
Your club may use a different ladder. The ladder is the rules.
Often each player gets a quota derived from handicap (for example, a points target for 18 holes). Beat your quota and you are having a day. Land under it and you buy the drinks. Chicago nights at clubs sometimes flip the framing - confirm whether high points win or whether you are defending a quota.
Stroke play ranks total. Chicago ranks productive holes. A double on 3 does not delete a birdie on 4. Mixed handicaps can share a pot without one player lapping the field on raw strokes.
The failure mode is looking up a paper chart with a wet pencil while the group waits. A live card that maps score → points and tracks quota remaining keeps pace intact. If your stack supports Stableford-family formats, start there and overlay the Chicago table your group actually uses - or run points as an explicit side game under golf wagers.
Chicago is the points night format: social, chart-driven, and only fair when everyone shares the same table. Publish the chart in the group chat once, then never argue about whether a bogey was worth a point again.