Page type: Regional rules guide
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Regional conventions and their limits
In USGA handicapping guidance, Chapman is called Chapman or Pinehurst. Two partners both tee off, then each plays the partner's ball for the second shot. The side chooses which ball to continue with after those second shots, and the partners then play that ball alternately until holed. The USGA's recommended allowance for Pinehurst/Chapman is 60% of the lower Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher Course Handicap. Apply the percentages to unrounded Course Handicaps and round the combined result only at the end; the Southern California Golf Association describes .5 or more as rounding upward. In a match, the side with the higher resulting handicap receives the difference between the sides and the lower side plays from scratch. A committee should state the allowance and other terms in the Terms of the Competition. Chapman is a format convention rather than a separately named format in the Rules of Golf; its alternate-shot finish should not be confused with ordinary foursomes, where partners alternate from the tee and throughout the hole. This record found no authoritative US-wide drive-minimum convention, so any such requirement is a competition or club term, not a national rule.
Table
| Item | Regional reference |
|---|---|
| Format | Chapman |
| Region | USA |
| Local name | Chapman or Pinehurst in USGA materials; the same format is commonly presented elsewhere as Pinehurst/Chapman, but this record does not treat other labels as universal regional rules. |
| Rules context | WHS Appendix C; Rules of Golf Rule 22 for foursomes/alternate shot only, not as a claim that Chapman is itself a Rule 22 format |
Worked example
Illustrative only: Alex has an unrounded Course Handicap of 8.3 and Ben 14.7. The Chapman team calculation is (8.3 × 60%) + (14.7 × 40%) = 10.86, which rounds to an 11 Playing Handicap under the cited US convention. A committee would state the competition's rounding and match-play settlement terms.
Rule reference: WHS Appendix C; Rules of Golf Rule 22 for foursomes/alternate shot only, not as a claim that Chapman is itself a Rule 22 format
Sources: www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.scga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
Is Chapman the same as Pinehurst in the United States?
USGA materials label the format “Chapman or Pinehurst”, so those names refer to the same sequence in this context. Clubs and competitions should still publish their own Terms of the Competition.
What handicap allowance does USGA Appendix C recommend for Chapman?
The recommended Pinehurst/Chapman allowance is 60% of the lower Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher Course Handicap. The calculation uses unrounded Course Handicaps before the combined result is rounded.
Does Chapman require a minimum number of drives from each partner?
No US-wide minimum-drive convention was established by the authoritative sources checked for this record. A club or event may add a drive requirement in its Terms of the Competition, but that is a local competition condition rather than a national Chapman rule.
How is a Chapman match handicap settled?
After the allowance is applied, the higher-handicap side receives the difference between the two side handicaps and the lower-handicap side plays from scratch, subject to the committee's published terms.
Is Chapman the same as foursomes?
They share an alternate-shot finish, but they are not the same sequence. In Chapman both partners tee off and play each other's second shot before choosing one ball; ordinary foursomes uses one ball from the start and alternates tee shots and strokes.
Are these Chapman numbers official results?
No. Alex and Ben and the calculation are an illustrative worked example, not historical player data or a reported competition result.