You can play stroke format anytime you're ready. You can enter the free tournaments, set up a multiplayer match or just go and play alone. The tab for this is the one all the way to the left in your game browser. Not every course can be played this way-some are only Closest To The Hole, but the ones you can play have a stroke option when you chose them. After you chose stroke play you can set up your own conditions in the practice mode or you can play ranked rounds where the conditions are already set and not adjustable. Hope this helps. GL and welcome.