Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose four-ball when four players want each partner to play an own ball, with the lower partner score protecting a side on each hole. Choose greensomes when pairs prefer two tee-shot options followed by alternate shots, making tee selection and shared execution central to the match.
four-ball in brief
Partners each play their own ball; the side’s lower score counts on every hole.
greensomes in brief
A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots.
Table
| Comparison | four-ball | greensomes |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners each play their own ball; the side’s lower score counts on every hole. | A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots. |
| Players | Minimum: 4 players in two sides; ideal: 4 for head-to-head match play. It can also be used as a wider four-ball field, but this record covers the match-play version. | Minimum 2 players as one pair; ideal 4 players as two pairs in head-to-head match play or a two-pair stroke-play field. Larger fields can run multiple pairs under the Committee's terms. |
| Scoring unit | holes; each side's lower score on a hole is compared with the opponents' lower score | Strokes per hole, normally totalled as gross or net stroke play; the same pair-versus-pair structure can be used for match play if the competition terms say so. |
| Handicap method | For four-ball match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 90% of each player's unrounded Course Handicap to produce a Playing Handicap. After the allowance and required rounding, the lowest Playing Handicap plays from zero; each other player receives the difference from that lowest value. The Committee or national association sets the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, so confirm the event conditions. | For a team handicap, apply the recommended WHS allowance of 60% of the lower player's unrounded Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher player's unrounded Course Handicap, then follow the applicable Playing Handicap and competition terms. In match play, the lowest team Playing Handicap generally plays off zero and the other team receives the difference, but the Committee sets the allowance and terms. |
| Money settles how | If stakes are agreed, settle by the match result or by an agreed per-hole amount; the Rules of Golf do not set betting terms. Write down whether a halved hole carries, and how ties or extra holes settle, before starting. | Only by prior agreement: settle a match stake at the end of the match, or settle a stroke-play pool after the final net scores. Greensomes itself does not prescribe money, stakes, or a payout method. |
| Pace | Usually faster than individual stroke play for a four-player group, because a side can stop once its partner's score cannot improve the side's hole score; actual pace depends on walking, searching and local procedures. | Usually slower than ordinary four-ball stroke play because each hole starts with two tee shots and the chosen ball is then played alternately; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured timing claim. |
| Best for | Four players who want a strategic team match with partner support and the chance for one strong score to cover an errant hole. It suits a head-to-head day when players agree the handicap allowance and any stakes in advance. | Pairs who want shared decisions and alternate-shot pressure while keeping both players involved from every tee. It suits a four-player head-to-head match or a small pairs competition with clear Committee terms. |
| Weakness | A partner's poor hole may never matter, which can leave a player feeling less involved; handicap rounding, stroke allocation and unclear side-bet rules can also cause disputes. | A poor tee-shot choice can leave the partner an awkward second shot, and alternate play means one mistake can affect the whole pair. Minimum tee-shot quotas, tie procedures, and whether the event is stroke play or match play must be settled in advance. |
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. Alex and Ben both tee off, select Alex's drive, and Ben plays the second shot before alternate play finishes in 4. Chris and Dana finish in 5, so the first side wins this defined scratch hole.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23 (Four-Ball); WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix C
Sources: www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org , englandigolf.co.uk
Common questions
How do four-ball and greensomes score differently?
For four-ball: holes; each side's lower score on a hole is compared with the opponents' lower score For greensomes: Strokes per hole, normally totalled as gross or net stroke play; the same pair-versus-pair structure can be used for match play if the competition terms say so.
How do handicaps apply in four-ball vs greensomes?
four-ball: For four-ball match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 90% of each player's unrounded Course Handicap to produce a Playing Handicap. After the allowance and required rounding, the lowest Playing Handicap plays from zero; each other player receives the difference from that lowest value. The Committee or national association sets the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, so confirm the event conditions. greensomes: For a team handicap, apply the recommended WHS allowance of 60% of the lower player's unrounded Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher player's unrounded Course Handicap, then follow the applicable Playing Handicap and competition terms. In match play, the lowest team Playing Handicap generally plays off zero and the other team receives the difference, but the Committee sets the allowance and terms.
When should I choose four-ball instead of greensomes?
Choose four-ball when four players want each partner to play an own ball, with the lower partner score protecting a side on each hole. Choose greensomes when pairs prefer two tee-shot options followed by alternate shots, making tee selection and shared execution central to the match.