Up
"Up" refers to the lead in holes won in match play.
"Up" is the basic term of match play. There the total number of strokes does not count, only who has won more holes. If you lead by two holes after five holes played, you are "2 up". The opposite is Down, and when level it is called All Square. What matters is: the lead counts holes, not strokes. A hole won with seven strokes to six produces exactly the same score as one with four to three. That is how final scores like "3 and 2" come about — three holes ahead with only two left to play, the match decided.
An example from practice: after twelve holes you lead 3 up with six holes remaining. Your opponent now has to attack while you can play it safe. If you also win hole 13, you are 4 up with five holes left — that is Dormie: your opponent can only still play for a halved match. If you halve the next hole, the match is over. So the up logic steers the tactics of both players on the closing holes.
The most common misconception of those used to stroke play: they count strokes instead of holes. After a 9:5 on hole 7 you are not "four strokes behind" but only 1 down — everything is still open. Conversely, the steadier total stroke count is of no use if the opponent takes the holes. Anyone who has internalised match-play thinking plays head-to-head differently: risk when down, control when up.
FAQ
In match play, does the stroke lead or the hole lead count?
Only holes won count, never the stroke count. If you win a hole with seven strokes to six, that produces the same score as four to three. That is why after a 9:5 disaster on a hole you are only 1 down and not "four strokes behind". This way of thinking is the biggest adjustment for match-play newcomers.
When is a match decided early?
As soon as your lead is greater than the number of holes remaining. If you lead 3 up with only two holes left, the result "3 and 2" is fixed and the match ends immediately. If you reach a lead equal to the remaining holes, that is dormie — your opponent can then only play for a halved match.
How does the up score change your tactics on the closing holes?
Considerably, because it turns risk thinking upside down. When you lead, you play controlled and safe, because your opponent has to win the holes. When you are down, the aggressive play at the flag pays off, because a halved hole brings you nothing. Anyone who has internalised this once plays the match head-to-head completely differently.