Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose four-ball when four players want a recognised partner match where each plays a ball and the lower side score counts, with WHS 90% guidance. Choose Vegas when a foursome wants a casual, volatile points-and-money game and will agree paired scoring, flips, handicaps and settlement rules first.
four-ball in brief
Partners each play their own ball; the side’s lower score counts on every hole.
Vegas in brief
A two-team game pairing each side's hole scores into a two-digit number.
Table
| Comparison | four-ball | Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners each play their own ball; the side’s lower score counts on every hole. | A two-team game pairing each side's hole scores into a two-digit number. |
| 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 4: two teams of two; ideal 4 in one foursome. It is a head-to-head team game, not an individual field format. |
| Scoring unit | holes; each side's lower score on a hole is compared with the opponents' lower score | Points per hole, calculated as the difference between the two teams' paired two-digit scores; the agreed dollar value per point converts the running total to money. |
| 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. | Vegas has no demonstrated Vegas-specific WHS allowance. If the group uses net hole scores, state that house rule before play. A defensible option for a structured two-team match is the WHS four-ball match-play recommendation: apply 90% to the difference between each player's unrounded Course Handicap and the lowest player's unrounded Course Handicap, then round to Playing Handicaps. This is an adopted four-ball benchmark, not an official rule for the casual Vegas game. |
| 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. | Agree a value per point before teeing off. Add each hole's point difference to a running team total and settle the final difference at the end; presses, birdie or eagle multipliers and payment splits are optional house rules and must be agreed first. |
| 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. | Slower than ordinary stroke play in practice because each hole requires two-digit pairing, possible score flips and point arithmetic; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured statistic. |
| 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. | A balanced foursome that enjoys a volatile team betting game, accepts large swings and is willing to write down house rules before starting. |
| 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 single birdie flip or high score can create a very large swing, and different groups use different rules for handicaps, 10-plus scores, eagles and presses. |
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. Under a selected no-flip Vegas rule, Alex 4 and Ben 5 form 45; Chris 5 and Dana 6 form 56. At $1 per point per side, the 11-point difference pays $11 from the second side to the first. Agree caps and multi-digit-score handling.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 23 (four-ball context); WHS Appendix C (four-ball match-play recommendation only; not an official Vegas allowance)
Sources: www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.golfcanada.ca , www.golfmonthly.com , golf.com , www.thefriedegg.com
Common questions
How do four-ball and Vegas score differently?
For four-ball: holes; each side's lower score on a hole is compared with the opponents' lower score For Vegas: Points per hole, calculated as the difference between the two teams' paired two-digit scores; the agreed dollar value per point converts the running total to money.
How do handicaps apply in four-ball vs Vegas?
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. Vegas: Vegas has no demonstrated Vegas-specific WHS allowance. If the group uses net hole scores, state that house rule before play. A defensible option for a structured two-team match is the WHS four-ball match-play recommendation: apply 90% to the difference between each player's unrounded Course Handicap and the lowest player's unrounded Course Handicap, then round to Playing Handicaps. This is an adopted four-ball benchmark, not an official rule for the casual Vegas game.
When should I choose four-ball instead of Vegas?
Choose four-ball when four players want a recognised partner match where each plays a ball and the lower side score counts, with WHS 90% guidance. Choose Vegas when a foursome wants a casual, volatile points-and-money game and will agree paired scoring, flips, handicaps and settlement rules first.