Golf leagues use three main formats. Stroke play ranks on total or average strokes, lowest first. Match play awards points for holes or nines won against an opponent. Stableford, defined in Rule 21.1 of the Rules of Golf, awards points per hole against a fixed score: 0 for double bogey or worse, 1 for bogey, 2 for par, 3 for birdie, 4 for eagle, 5 for albatross.
Most leagues play off handicap, so scores are net: a player receives strokes on the hardest holes according to their handicap. In Stableford, a net par on every hole scores 36 points, which is why 36 means playing to your handicap.
Season standings add up weekly points, or rank on average. Points formats have the advantage that a disaster hole costs you at most a couple of points, not the whole night.