Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose four-ball when four players want a head-to-head team match where a partner's lower hole score can cover an errant result and strategic support matters. Choose stroke play when an individual field should be ranked by each player's complete gross or net total.
four-ball in brief
Partners each play their own ball; the side’s lower score counts on every hole.
stroke play in brief
Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes.
Table
| Comparison | four-ball | stroke play |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners each play their own ball; the side’s lower score counts on every hole. | Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes. |
| 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 competitors; ideal for an individual field of 4 or more; two players can compare totals, but it is not head-to-head match play. |
| Scoring unit | holes; each side's lower score on a hole is compared with the opponents' lower score | Strokes: add each player's hole scores, including penalty strokes, for the round or rounds; use gross scores without handicap strokes or net scores after handicap strokes. |
| 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 an individual stroke-play net competition, the WHS recommended allowance is 95%. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then use that Playing Handicap for the competition. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, and field size or composition can justify an adjustment. |
| 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. | Stroke play has no built-in money settlement. If a group agrees stakes, settle at the end of the round or event from the final agreed gross or net ranking; write the pot, ties and payment rules before play. |
| 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. | Same as the stroke-play baseline: every player completes the round and records a total, so there is no inherent hole-by-hole concession to shorten play. Actual pace depends on field size, grouping and course conditions, not the format label alone. |
| 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. | An individual competition that should reward the lowest total over the whole round, with gross or handicap-adjusted net results that can rank the whole field. |
| 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. | One poor hole remains in the total unless the Terms of the Competition use a different authorised form such as maximum score; a large field can also make the round feel less direct than match play. |
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. Across three illustrative holes, Alex records 4, 5 and 3 for 12; Ben records 5, 4 and 4 for 13. Alex has the lower aggregate by 1 stroke.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23; Rules of Golf Rule 3.1a(1) and Rule 3.3a; WHS Appendix C
Sources: www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.golfcanada.ca
Common questions
How do four-ball and stroke play score differently?
For four-ball: holes; each side's lower score on a hole is compared with the opponents' lower score For stroke play: Strokes: add each player's hole scores, including penalty strokes, for the round or rounds; use gross scores without handicap strokes or net scores after handicap strokes.
How do handicaps apply in four-ball vs stroke play?
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. stroke play: For an individual stroke-play net competition, the WHS recommended allowance is 95%. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then use that Playing Handicap for the competition. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, and field size or composition can justify an adjustment.
When should I choose four-ball instead of stroke play?
Choose four-ball when four players want a head-to-head team match where a partner's lower hole score can cover an errant result and strategic support matters. Choose stroke play when an individual field should be ranked by each player's complete gross or net total.