Golf scores (scoring an "even" in stroke play will always give a Stableford score of 36), discouraging the tendency to abandon the entire game after playing a particularly bad hole (a novice playing by strict rules may score as high as an 8 or 10 on a single difficult hole; their Stableford score for the hole would be zero, which puts them only two points behind par no matter how badly they played), and the ability to simply pick up one's ball once it is impossible to score any points for the hole, which speeds play. The USGA and R&A sanction
PowerPlay Golf flag, they earn double Stableford Points. Each golfer is compelled to take exactly three 'PowerPlays' in the first eight holes. They then have the option of a fourth 'PowerPlay' on the final hole. But if they get a net bogey or worse, they lose points from their total score. The game was first played by 16 UK golf journalists at Playgolf Northwick Park Golf Course, London, on 6 February 2007. The format expanded its reach rapildly with a pilot scheme taking in 30 countries and over 400 golf courses by the end of 2010. Played by the English Golf Union