Format type: A formal partner format under Rule 23 of the Rules of Golf. Commonly called better ball, four-ball better ball or simply fourball.
Free tool: Four-ball handicap calculator (90% allowance, strokes by hole) →
How four-ball works
- Two sides of two. Four players, two partners on each side. Four-ball between two sides is the usual game, but a four-ball side can also play stroke play against any number of other sides.
- Everyone plays their own ball. Each partner plays the hole with their own ball from the tee until it is holed, or until they pick up.
- The lower score counts. On each hole, the side's score is the lower of the two partners' scores. The higher score is simply ignored.
- Only one partner needs to finish. If one partner holes out, that score is the side's score and the other partner may pick up. If one partner is already safely in for a 4, there is no reason for the other to keep putting for a 5.
- Partners can help each other. Partners may give each other advice, choose their own order of play, and mark, lift, replace or drop each other's ball.
The Rules of Golf put it in one sentence: "Four-Ball is a form of play where partners compete as a side, each playing their own ball, and a side's score for a hole is the lower score of the two partners on that hole."
Rules source: The R&A — Rules of Golf, Rule 23: Four-Ball. The USGA publishes the same rule and a plain-language four-ball rules guide.
Four-ball match play vs four-ball stroke play
The side's score on each hole is worked out the same way in both forms. What changes is what you do with it.
- Four-ball match play. Two sides play each other hole by hole. The side with the lower better-ball score wins the hole, equal scores halve it, and the match is scored in holes up: 1 up, 2 up, all square. The match ends when one side is more holes up than there are holes left (3&2, 2&1, and so on). This is the Ryder Cup version and the one most groups play at the weekend. See how match-play scoring works.
- Four-ball stroke play. Each side records its lower score on every hole and adds them up. The lowest 18-hole total, gross or net, wins. It is the common club "better-ball" competition format, and also runs as better-ball Stableford, where the side takes the higher points on each hole.
In stroke play the scorecard must show which partner made each score, and at least one partner's score must be entered on every hole. Only one partner needs to certify the card.
A worked hole
Blue (Alex and Sam) play Red (Jordan and Casey) in four-ball match play on a par 4 that is stroke index 5. After the 90% allowance, Alex and Casey each receive a stroke here; Sam and Jordan do not.
| Player | Gross | Strokes | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex (Blue) | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Sam (Blue) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Jordan (Red) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Casey (Red) | 6 | 1 | 5 |
Blue's better ball is net 4 (both partners). Red's better ball is Jordan's net 4. The hole is halved. Had Casey made a 5 instead of a 6, Red's better ball would still have been Jordan's net 4, so nothing changes: in four-ball only the lower score on each side matters, and the other partner's score never hurts the side.
Now suppose Sam three-putts for a 5. Blue's better ball is still Alex's net 4, because Alex's stroke turns a gross 5 into a net 4. That is the whole appeal of the format: a partner having a bad hole costs the side nothing as long as the other partner holds it together.
Let the group see the same game.
MatchPlay is being built to put the format, the live result and the final settlement in one group conversation.
Four-ball rules that catch people out
Picking up and not holing out
Picking up is encouraged for pace of play, but one partner must complete each hole. If neither partner holes out (and the hole was not already conceded or won), the side loses the hole in match play; in stroke play the side is disqualified unless it corrects the error before starting the next hole, or on the last hole before returning the scorecard (Rules 23.2a and 3.3c).
Order of play
Partners may play in the order the side considers best. If it is Alex's turn to play, Sam may play instead, which is how a side gets its safer player to the green first or lets a partner show the line of a putt. One exception: a player whose next stroke has been conceded must not play on if doing so would help the partner, for instance by putting out to show the line (Rule 23.6).
Concessions
In match play a side can concede an opponent's next stroke, a hole or the match, exactly as in singles. Once a partner's stroke is conceded, their score for the hole is fixed and the only remaining question is whether the other partner can beat it.
One partner can play alone
A side may be represented by one partner for all or part of the round; the other does not have to be present or to play every hole. A late partner can join only between holes: in match play before any player in the match has started the hole, in stroke play before their own partner has started it. Arrive mid-hole and you wait for the next tee, though you may give advice straight away (Rule 23.4).
Standing behind your partner
A player must not stand on or close to the extension of the line of play behind their partner's ball while the partner makes a stroke, in order to learn something for their own shot (Rule 23.8). Read the putt from the side instead.
Sharing clubs and penalties
Partners may share clubs provided the two bags together hold no more than 14 (Rule 23.7). Most penalties apply only to the partner who breached the rule, with three exceptions where both partners are penalised: a breach of the 14-club rule, a breach that helps the partner's play, and in match play a breach that hurts the opponents' play (Rule 23.9).
Four-ball handicap allowance
Because a side only ever counts its better score, four-ball does not use full handicaps. The World Handicap System's Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C, recommend the allowances below. Multiply each Course Handicap by the allowance and round to get the Playing Handicap.
| Format | Recommended allowance | How strokes are given |
|---|---|---|
| Four-ball match play | 90% of Course Handicap | Lowest Playing Handicap plays off scratch; the other three receive the difference |
| Four-ball stroke play | 85% of Course Handicap | Each player uses their own Playing Handicap |
Worked example (match play). Course Handicaps of 8, 12, 18 and 24. At 90%: 8 × 0.9 = 7.2 → 7; 12 × 0.9 = 10.8 → 11; 18 × 0.9 = 16.2 → 16; 24 × 0.9 = 21.6 → 22. The lowest Playing Handicap is 7, so that player plays off scratch and the others receive 11 − 7 = 4, 16 − 7 = 9 and 22 − 7 = 15 strokes, taken at the holes with stroke index 1 to 4, 1 to 9 and 1 to 15 respectively. Each player's strokes are their own: a partner's stroke on a hole does not transfer to the other partner.
The match play handicap calculator does this for any four Course Handicaps and, if you enter the stroke index, lists exactly which holes each player gets a stroke on. For a better-ball stroke play or Stableford competition, switch it to stroke play and it applies 85% instead.
Allowances source: Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C: Handicap Allowances, which states that in match play "the player with the lowest Playing Handicap plays off zero strokes relative to the other player(s). The other player(s) receive(s) the difference between their own Playing Handicap and that of the player with the lowest Playing Handicap."
Four-ball as a betting game
Four-ball match play is the base game for most two-on-two money matches. The common ways to play it for something:
- A straight match. One stake on the 18-hole result, settled at the end. Simple, but a match that ends 5&4 leaves four dead holes.
- A Nassau. Three bets: front nine, back nine and the overall 18, each scored as a four-ball match, with presses to reopen a lost nine. The Nassau calculator tracks all three and the presses.
- Better-ball skins. Each side's better ball competes for a skin on every hole; ties carry over. The skins calculator settles the carryovers.
Whatever the game, agree the handicap allowance, the stake and the press rules on the first tee. More ideas in the golf betting games guide.
Related golf formats
Explore the complete golf match-play format library, or compare foursomes (one ball, alternate shot), better ball (the same format by its club name), individual match play, scramble, Nassau and skins.
Common questions
What is four-ball in golf?
Four-ball is a format where two partners form a side, each plays their own ball, and the side's score for a hole is the lower of the two partners' scores. It is Rule 23 of the Rules of Golf and can be played as match play or stroke play.
How does 4 ball work in golf?
All four players play their own ball on every hole. On each hole, each two-person side takes its lower score. In match play the side with the lower score wins the hole; in stroke play the side's lower scores are added up over the round.
Is four-ball the same as better ball?
Yes. Better ball, four-ball better ball and fourball all describe the same format. Four-ball is the name used in the Rules of Golf (Rule 23).
What is the difference between four-ball and foursomes?
In four-ball each partner plays their own ball and the better score counts. In foursomes the two partners play one ball and take alternate shots. Four-ball is Rule 23; foursomes is Rule 22.
What is the handicap allowance for four-ball match play?
The Rules of Handicapping (Appendix C) recommend 90% of Course Handicap for four-ball match play and 85% for four-ball stroke play. In match play the player with the lowest Playing Handicap plays off scratch and the other three receive the difference. The free match play handicap calculator on MatchPlay.co works it out and lists the holes.
Do both partners have to hole out in four-ball?
No. If one partner holes out, that score is the side's score and the other partner can pick up. If neither partner holes out, the side loses the hole in match play and in stroke play is disqualified unless the mistake is corrected in time.
Can one player play alone in four-ball?
Yes. A side may be represented by one partner for all or any part of the round. A partner who arrives late can only join between holes: in match play before anyone in the match has started the hole, in stroke play before their own partner has started it.
Who plays first in four-ball?
Partners may play in whatever order the side thinks best, so when it is one partner's turn, either of them may play. The one exception: after a partner's next stroke has been conceded, that partner must not play on if doing so would help their partner.
Can partners share clubs in four-ball?
Yes. Rule 23.7 lets partners share clubs as long as the two of them together carry no more than 14.
Is four-ball played at the Ryder Cup?
Yes. Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup sessions are split between four-ball and foursomes, all scored as match play.