Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose better ball when four golfers want a partner format, with each player keeping their own ball and the lower score deciding each hole. Choose Snake when three or four players want an informal putting side bet, with its stake and three-putt conventions agreed as house rules.
better ball in brief
Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole.
Snake in brief
A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot.
Table
| Comparison | better ball | Snake |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole. | A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot. |
| 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 2 players; ideal 3-4 players in an individual field. It can run alongside a head-to-head match, but Snake itself is not a match-play competition. |
| 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. | Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser. |
| 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. | No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage. |
| 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. | Agree a fixed dollar amount per three-putt before play. Add that amount to the pot each time, then have the final snake holder pay the pot to the other players; agree in advance whether the amount doubles, how unfinished rounds are handled and how any tie is resolved. |
| 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 the same as ordinary stroke play when everyone holes out in turn, but it can be slower if players debate whether a putt counts or add a separate token-and-settlement routine. |
| 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. | Three or four players who want a simple putting-focused side bet alongside their normal round or another agreed game, with clear stakes and no gimmes unless the group agrees otherwise. |
| 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 final loss can depend on one late three-putt rather than overall scoring, and informal conventions differ on putts from the fringe, conceded putts, doubling and the payout. |
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. Under a chosen last-three-putt Snake rule, Alex holds the Snake at the end and pays $2 to each of Ben, Chris and Dana: net −$6 for Alex and +$2 for each other player. Agree the trigger before play.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23 (Four-Ball); Rule 3.2 (Match Play); WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C. Snake has no governing Rules of Golf format or WHS allowance.
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.golfdigest.com
Common questions
How do better ball and Snake 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 Snake: Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser.
How do handicaps apply in better ball vs Snake?
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. Snake: No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage.
When should I choose better ball instead of Snake?
Choose better ball when four golfers want a partner format, with each player keeping their own ball and the lower score deciding each hole. Choose Snake when three or four players want an informal putting side bet, with its stake and three-putt conventions agreed as house rules.