The existing modalities are Stroke play and Match play.
Stroke play: this consists of counting the total number of strokes a player has taken to reach the end of the course.
Match play: this is a duel type of competition. Golfers compete against each other hole by hole, and the golfer who wins the most holes wins the game. A hole is won when you holed the ball in fewer strokes than your opponent. All 18 holes are played unless one of the players achieves an insurmountable lead, so the game ends early. It can also happen that the score is tied, in which case the game is played hole by hole until one of the players wins one of the holes.