Four-Ball Stroke
Also called Better Ball. Every player plays their own ball; the team's hole score is the lower of the two partners. Tally the team totals across 18 holes — lowest wins. The Ryder Cup format in stroke-play clothes.
- Players
- Two 2-player teams
- Net scoring
- Supported
How it works
The mechanics, hole by hole.
- 1Each player on a 2-player team plays their own ball.
- 2Team's hole score = the LOWER of the two partners' scores.
- 3Sum the team totals across 18 holes. Lowest team total wins.
- 4Net option deducts each player's handicap strokes before picking the lower ball.
When to play it
Best fit.
When you have an even number of 2-player teams and want a head-to-head feel without match-play closeouts confusing the leaderboard. Common in member-guest practice rounds. Both partners stay engaged because either ball can be the team's score on any hole.
Worked example
3 holes, with the math shown.
| Player / Team | H1 (par 4) | H2 (par 5) | H3 (par 3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike (Team A) | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Tom (Team A) | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Team A best ball | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Austin (Team B) | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Luke (Team B) | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Team B best ball | 4 | 5 | 3 |
Each team's hole score is the lower of the two partners'. Team A: 4 + 4 + 3 = 11. Team B: 4 + 5 + 3 = 12.
Other head-to-head (2 vs 2) formats
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