Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose better ball when two-person sides should compete on each hole, with each partner contributing a separate score and the lower score counting. Choose round robin when three or more players or sides need repeated head-to-head matches, a published points table, and everyone meeting opponents rather than immediate elimination.
better ball in brief
Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole.
round robin in brief
A schedule where each player or side meets the others in separate head-to-head matches.
Table
| Comparison | better ball | round robin |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole. | A schedule where each player or side meets the others in separate head-to-head matches. |
| 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. | Minimum 3 competitors or sides for a meaningful schedule; ideal 4-8, with each participant playing the others in turn. This is an individual field or a field of sides, not one group playing every hole together. |
| 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. | Each match is scored hole by hole as match play; the overall table uses agreed match points, wins, halves or another competition countback. |
| 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 individual handicap match play, use the competition's stated allowance; WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of the unrounded Course Handicap for individual match play. After Playing Handicaps are calculated, the lowest plays off zero and each opponent receives the difference. A round robin involving teams or another form must not automatically inherit this allowance: the Committee should state the allowance and stroke-index method in the Terms of Competition. |
| 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. | Only if stakes are agreed: settle after the round-robin table, using the announced value for each match point, win or final placing. The Rules of Golf do not set a round-robin payout or betting convention. |
| 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. | Slower overall than one stroke-play round for the same field is the usual tendency, because a round robin requires multiple head-to-head matches and scheduling; this is an editorial planning judgement, not a measured statistic. |
| 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. | Club leagues, social groups and small competitions that want everyone to meet several opponents rather than be eliminated after one loss. |
| 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. | It needs more match slots than a knockout and can create tie-break disputes or uneven schedules when players withdraw, so the Committee must publish the draw, points and tie procedure. |
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. Four entrants Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana in an all-play-all schedule need 6 pairings. That schedule is different from the rotating six-hole partner game sometimes given the same name.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf 2023, Rules 3.2 and 23; WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C; Committee Procedures, Section 5A(3)-(4)
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.golf.org.au , www.randa.org
Common questions
How do better ball and round robin 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 round robin: Each match is scored hole by hole as match play; the overall table uses agreed match points, wins, halves or another competition countback.
How do handicaps apply in better ball vs round robin?
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. round robin: For individual handicap match play, use the competition's stated allowance; WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of the unrounded Course Handicap for individual match play. After Playing Handicaps are calculated, the lowest plays off zero and each opponent receives the difference. A round robin involving teams or another form must not automatically inherit this allowance: the Committee should state the allowance and stroke-index method in the Terms of Competition.
When should I choose better ball instead of round robin?
Choose better ball when two-person sides should compete on each hole, with each partner contributing a separate score and the lower score counting. Choose round robin when three or more players or sides need repeated head-to-head matches, a published points table, and everyone meeting opponents rather than immediate elimination.