Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose better ball when four golfers want a direct two-versus-two match, each retaining an individual ball and the lower partner score counting on each hole. Choose Texas scramble when a four-player team event should share every shot, select one position, and finish with one team stroke total.
better ball in brief
Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole.
Texas scramble in brief
A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots.
Table
| Comparison | better ball | Texas scramble |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners play their own balls; the side counts the lower score on each hole. | A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee 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. | Minimum: 4 for the standard Texas scramble; ideal: a four-player team, with multiple teams in the field. It is a team stroke-play arrangement rather than an individual or inherently head-to-head format. |
| 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. | Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms. |
| 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 a four-player scramble, WHS Appendix C recommends 25% of the lowest Course Handicap, 20% of the second, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest, applied to unrounded Course Handicaps as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap. Texas-specific terms may set a different allowance, and the committee should publish it; do not substitute Handicap Indexes directly. |
| 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. | There is no built-in stake. If players agree to money, settle it at the end of the round from the final team result or from a separately stated side game; record the amount and tie-break terms before play. |
| 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 individual stroke play for the same number of golfers because every team member hits each shot and the team must select and mark the chosen ball, although the shared continuation ball can reduce walking and searching. |
| 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 charity days, social team competitions and groups wanting repeated chances to contribute a drive, approach or putt while still producing one team score. |
| 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 name does not fix the operational rules: drive minimums, tee and ball-placement limits, handicap allowance, and tie-break method vary by Terms of the Competition, so an unclear brief can create 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. In this explicitly selected Texas scramble event, Alex's side selects a shot at each stage and records 4; Ben's side records 5. The team sizes, selected-shot procedures and gross or net contest are event terms.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23 (Four-Ball); Rule 3.2 (Match Play); WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C; R&A Official Guide, Committee Procedures Section 9C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
How do better ball and Texas scramble 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 Texas scramble: Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms.
How do handicaps apply in better ball vs Texas scramble?
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. Texas scramble: For a four-player scramble, WHS Appendix C recommends 25% of the lowest Course Handicap, 20% of the second, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest, applied to unrounded Course Handicaps as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap. Texas-specific terms may set a different allowance, and the committee should publish it; do not substitute Handicap Indexes directly.
When should I choose better ball instead of Texas scramble?
Choose better ball when four golfers want a direct two-versus-two match, each retaining an individual ball and the lower partner score counting on each hole. Choose Texas scramble when a four-player team event should share every shot, select one position, and finish with one team stroke total.