Page type: Regional rules guide
Free tool: Open the calculator →
Regional conventions and their limits
Australian club competitions commonly use 4BBB for four-ball better-ball. Golf Australia describes a 4BBB competition as a two-person team event. Under Rule 23, two partners form a side, each plays a separate ball, and the side uses its lower score on each hole. A head-to-head four-ball match normally has two sides of two. The Committee must specify whether scoring is gross or net and which handicap method applies. WHS Appendix C recommends a 90% allowance for four-ball match play, applied to each player's unrounded Course Handicap to calculate Playing Handicap. Its general match-play procedure then sets the lowest Playing Handicap to zero and gives the other players the differences from that figure. Do not assume that every Australian 4BBB day has identical conditions or uses the same authorised calculation procedure. Event terms may specify divisions, tees, match length and tie procedures. A club's conditions are not universal Australian rules.
Table
| Item | Regional reference |
|---|---|
| Format | four-ball |
| Region | Australia |
| Local name | In Australia this is commonly labelled 4BBB (four-ball better-ball) in club and event material; elsewhere it may be called four-ball or better ball. The 4BBB label is a local naming convention, not a different Rules of Golf format. |
| Rules context | Rules of Golf Rule 23; WHS Appendix C |
Worked example
Illustrative only: Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana have unrounded Course Handicaps of 10, 20, 20 and 30. Applying an adopted 90% allowance gives Playing Handicaps of 9, 18, 18 and 27. Relative to Alex's 9, the strokes received are 0, 9, 9 and 18. On a hole, the lower net score of Alex and Ben counts against the lower net score of Chris and Dana.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23; WHS Appendix C
Sources: archive.golf.org.au , www.randa.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
What does 4BBB mean in Australia?
4BBB is common Australian shorthand for four-ball better-ball: two partners each play their own ball and the side uses the lower score on each hole. It is a naming convention for the Rules of Golf four-ball format, not a separate official format.
What handicap allowance is recommended for Australian four-ball match play?
WHS Appendix C recommends 90% for four-ball match play. Its general procedure applies the allowance to unrounded Course Handicap to calculate each Playing Handicap, then gives strokes relative to the lowest Playing Handicap. Check the authorised national method and the event's terms, including rounding.
Does the better score always count in four-ball?
The side’s lower score for the hole counts when both partners complete it under the Rules. In match play, a side that has no score for a hole normally loses it, subject to the situations covered by Rule 23.2a and any applicable concession or earlier result.