Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose better ball when each golfer should play their own ball and the side can rely on the lower score, especially for a direct two-versus-two match. Choose Chapman when you want both partners involved in the second shot, then a selected ball and alternate-shot finish.
better ball in brief
Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole.
Chapman in brief
Two partners swap second shots, choose one ball, then finish with alternate shots.
Table
| Comparison | better ball | Chapman |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole. | Two partners swap second shots, choose one ball, then finish with alternate shots. |
| Players | Minimum 4 for head-to-head play: two sides of two; ideal 4 for a direct match or 4+ for a field event. It is a partner format, not an individual contest. | Two players per side. A single pair can enter a stroke-play field; four players, in two pairs, make a head-to-head contest. Ideal: four in a playing group, or a larger event made up of two-player sides. |
| Scoring unit | Match play: holes won, lost or tied using the side's lower score. Stroke play: the lower gross or net partner score on each hole contributes to the side's total. | Strokes per hole and total team strokes; the lowest net total wins in stroke play. A club may instead specify a match-play or side-bet settlement, but that is a competition choice. |
| Handicap method | For a WHS handicap competition, use the Terms of Competition and the applicable format allowance. The recommended allowance is 90% for four-ball match play, with the lowest Playing Handicap set to zero relative to the others; it is 85% for four-ball stroke play. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap, rather than directly to Handicap Index. | For standard Chapman/Pinehurst stroke play, use the WHS recommended team allowance of 60% of the lower Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher Course Handicap. Apply the percentages to each player's unrounded Course Handicap before rounding the resulting team Playing Handicap. The Committee or competition Terms should state the allowance; do not automatically reuse this stroke-play recommendation for an unstandardised match-play version. |
| Money settles how | No money settlement is inherent in better ball. If players agree a side game, settle by the agreed unit, such as a fixed amount per hole won in match play or a round total in stroke play; write the stake and tie rule before starting. | No inherent money settlement. If Alex and Ben play Chris and Dana for an agreed dollar stake, the Terms should state whether the stake is settled on the winning net total, each hole, or another agreed side game; Chapman itself does not prescribe betting. |
| Pace | Same to slightly slower than individual stroke play as a qualified tendency: four players still play separate balls, although a side can usually stop once its partner's lower score is secure and may choose an efficient order of play. | Usually slower than ordinary four-ball and potentially similar to foursomes, because all four players hit a tee shot, then each plays the partner's ball before the team selects one ball and continues with alternate shots. This is an editorial tendency, not a measured rule or timing claim. |
| Best for | Pairs who want teamwork without alternate shot, especially a two-versus-two match where each player retains their own ball and a poor hole can be covered by a partner. | A four-player team competition where partners want both players involved on every tee shot and an alternate-shot finish that rewards joint decisions. It suits a club day or friendly event with written Terms covering handicaps, ties and any stakes. |
| Weakness | A weaker partner may contribute little when the other partner repeatedly supplies the counting score, and an informal money game can become unclear unless the scoring unit, handicap allowance and ties are agreed. | The format can feel slow and awkward at the second-shot selection: both partners must play the partner's ball, and the team then loses one of the two balls before alternating to the hole. Uneven team handicaps or unwritten house rules can also cause disputes. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. For a defined two-versus-two lower-ball hole, Alex 4 and Ben 5 give their side 4; Chris 5 and Dana 6 give the other side 5. The first side wins a scratch hole. Confirm casual naming and format terms. Alex and Ben both tee off, swap balls for their second shots, select one and alternate to finish in 4; Chris and Dana finish in 5. The event must specify the scoring and handicap terms.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23 (Four-Ball); WHS Appendix C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do better ball and Chapman score differently?
For better ball: Match play: holes won, lost or tied using the side's lower score. Stroke play: the lower gross or net partner score on each hole contributes to the side's total. For Chapman: Strokes per hole and total team strokes; the lowest net total wins in stroke play. A club may instead specify a match-play or side-bet settlement, but that is a competition choice.
How do handicaps apply in better ball vs Chapman?
better ball: For a WHS handicap competition, use the Terms of Competition and the applicable format allowance. The recommended allowance is 90% for four-ball match play, with the lowest Playing Handicap set to zero relative to the others; it is 85% for four-ball stroke play. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap, rather than directly to Handicap Index. Chapman: For standard Chapman/Pinehurst stroke play, use the WHS recommended team allowance of 60% of the lower Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher Course Handicap. Apply the percentages to each player's unrounded Course Handicap before rounding the resulting team Playing Handicap. The Committee or competition Terms should state the allowance; do not automatically reuse this stroke-play recommendation for an unstandardised match-play version.
When should I choose better ball instead of Chapman?
Choose better ball when each golfer should play their own ball and the side can rely on the lower score, especially for a direct two-versus-two match. Choose Chapman when you want both partners involved in the second shot, then a selected ball and alternate-shot finish.