Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose foursomes when four golfers want a genuine two-sided team match in which partners share one ball and alternating shots make every decision collective. Choose Hammer when players want ordinary match play with a negotiated, escalating stake and are prepared to agree acceptance, carryover and caps beforehand.
foursomes in brief
Partners share one ball and alternate shots, including alternating who tees off on each hole.
Hammer in brief
A match-play side game where players can call a hammer to double the current hole’s agreed stake.
Table
| Comparison | foursomes | Hammer |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners share one ball and alternate shots, including alternating who tees off on each hole. | A match-play side game where players can call a hammer to double the current hole’s agreed stake. |
| Players | Minimum: 4 for a head-to-head match (two sides of two); ideal: 4. A two-player side can also play foursomes in a stroke-play field, but two people alone cannot create a head-to-head match. | Minimum 2; ideal 2 head-to-head or 4 as two sides. A three-player version is a house arrangement, not covered here. |
| Scoring unit | Holes in match play; total strokes in stroke play. | The hole, with a dollar stake attached; the hole winner receives the agreed current stake. A halved hole and carryover treatment must be agreed before play. |
| Handicap method | WHS Appendix C recommends 50% of the combined team Course Handicaps for foursomes. The allowance is applied to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap; the Committee or relevant national association sets the competition terms. Illustrative calculation: Alex 10 plus Ben 18 gives a combined 28, and 50% gives a team Playing Handicap of 14 before any competition-specific rounding or conditions. | Hammer has no separate WHS allowance. If the underlying game is individual match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of each player’s unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap; the lowest Playing Handicap normally plays off zero and others receive the difference. For four-ball match play, Appendix C recommends 90%. Confirm the Committee or group’s Terms because Hammer is an informal overlay. |
| Money settles how | No money settlement is part of the Rules of Golf. If stakes are agreed, partners can settle a match bet at the end of the match, or use an agreed per-hole side bet; write the house terms down before starting. | Set a base stake before teeing off, such as $1 per hole. A valid hammer doubles the current stake; agree whether it is automatic or may be declined, whether halved-hole stakes carry forward, and whether the stake resets after a won hole. Settle net amounts at the end, not by treating a casual side game as an official Rules competition. |
| Pace | Often faster than individual stroke play because a side plays one ball, but not guaranteed: alternating turns and partner decisions can create delays. Treat this as an editorial tendency, not a measured rule or promise. | Usually the same as match play or slower than ordinary stroke play, as each hole still uses match-play scoring but calling, accepting and recording doubles adds decisions. This is an editorial tendency, not a measured timing claim. |
| Best for | Four players who want a genuine team match with shared responsibility for every shot. It suits a head-to-head contest where communication and a fixed teeing order matter as much as individual ball-striking. | Two golfers who want head-to-head match play with a negotiated money side game, or four golfers already comfortable with two-sided match play and clear pre-round limits. It suits players who enjoy risk decisions and can keep the stake modest. |
| Weakness | One poor shot belongs to the side and can leave the partner an awkward next shot, so the format can feel unforgiving and less suitable when players want independent scores. | The stake can escalate quickly, and unclear choices about acceptance, carryovers, timing, concessions or four-ball sides can create arguments. The group must agree a cap or stop rule if players do not want an unexpected liability. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. Alex and Ben alternate strokes at one ball and complete the hole in 4; Chris and Dana complete it in 5. The first side wins a scratch foursomes hole. For an accepted single hammer on an agreed $2 hole stake, the stake becomes $4. If Alex wins the hole, Ben pays Alex $4 under that expressly chosen house rule.
Rule reference: Rule 22 (foursomes); Rule 3.2 (underlying match play); WHS Appendix C; Hammer has no separate Rules of Golf rule.
Sources: www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.golfdigest.com
Common questions
How do foursomes and Hammer score differently?
For foursomes: Holes in match play; total strokes in stroke play. For Hammer: The hole, with a dollar stake attached; the hole winner receives the agreed current stake. A halved hole and carryover treatment must be agreed before play.
How do handicaps apply in foursomes vs Hammer?
foursomes: WHS Appendix C recommends 50% of the combined team Course Handicaps for foursomes. The allowance is applied to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap; the Committee or relevant national association sets the competition terms. Illustrative calculation: Alex 10 plus Ben 18 gives a combined 28, and 50% gives a team Playing Handicap of 14 before any competition-specific rounding or conditions. Hammer: Hammer has no separate WHS allowance. If the underlying game is individual match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of each player’s unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap; the lowest Playing Handicap normally plays off zero and others receive the difference. For four-ball match play, Appendix C recommends 90%. Confirm the Committee or group’s Terms because Hammer is an informal overlay.
When should I choose foursomes instead of Hammer?
Choose foursomes when four golfers want a genuine two-sided team match in which partners share one ball and alternating shots make every decision collective. Choose Hammer when players want ordinary match play with a negotiated, escalating stake and are prepared to agree acceptance, carryover and caps beforehand.