Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose foursomes when exactly four players want a head-to-head team match in which partners share one ball and alternate shots, making partnership decisions central to every hole. Choose modified Stableford when players prefer an individual points contest with a published event-specific table that rewards aggressive scoring and can suit a field.
foursomes in brief
Partners share one ball and alternate shots, including alternating who tees off on each hole.
modified Stableford in brief
A points contest that rewards strong holes and penalises poor ones more sharply than ordinary Stableford.
Table
| Comparison | foursomes | modified Stableford |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Partners share one ball and alternate shots, including alternating who tees off on each hole. | A points contest that rewards strong holes and penalises poor ones more sharply than ordinary Stableford. |
| 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 for an individual field; ideal for 3+ players in a field. It can also be run head-to-head, but it is not intrinsically a match-play format. |
| Scoring unit | Holes in match play; total strokes in stroke play. | Points awarded on each hole, then totalled for the round; the highest total wins. |
| 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. | There is no single universal WHS allowance specifically named for modified Stableford. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of Competition. If the event is administered as an individual Stableford handicap competition, WHS Appendix C recommends 95% of each player's unrounded Course Handicap as the Playing Handicap; confirm that treatment with the relevant national association because modified Stableford is an adapted form with committee-set scoring. Apply strokes by the published stroke index and do not present 95% as automatic for every modified Stableford event. |
| 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. | Only if players agree stakes: settle after the round on the final points totals, or use a separately agreed per-point amount. The format itself creates no required betting or payout method. |
| 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. | Often faster than ordinary stroke play when the Terms of Competition allow a player to stop once no points can be scored on a hole; otherwise pace is broadly similar. This is a practical tendency, not a measured rule or guarantee. |
| 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. | Groups wanting an individual points game with a clear risk-and-reward emphasis, especially a competition that wants birdies and eagles to matter more than in ordinary Stableford. |
| 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 points table is not universal, so players can dispute results unless the Committee publishes the target score, points for each result, handicap treatment, tie-break and pick-up procedure beforehand. |
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. Under an explicitly selected modified points table of par 0, bogey −1 and birdie +2, Alex's 4, 5 and 3 on par-4 holes total 1 point; Ben's 5, 4 and 4 total -1. The Committee must specify the actual table.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 22 (Foursomes); Rule 21.1 (Stableford); Official Guide to the Rules of Golf, Committee Procedures Section 9A; WHS Appendix C
Sources: www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.pgatour.com
Common questions
How do foursomes and modified Stableford score differently?
For foursomes: Holes in match play; total strokes in stroke play. For modified Stableford: Points awarded on each hole, then totalled for the round; the highest total wins.
How do handicaps apply in foursomes vs modified Stableford?
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. modified Stableford: There is no single universal WHS allowance specifically named for modified Stableford. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of Competition. If the event is administered as an individual Stableford handicap competition, WHS Appendix C recommends 95% of each player's unrounded Course Handicap as the Playing Handicap; confirm that treatment with the relevant national association because modified Stableford is an adapted form with committee-set scoring. Apply strokes by the published stroke index and do not present 95% as automatic for every modified Stableford event.
When should I choose foursomes instead of modified Stableford?
Choose foursomes when exactly four players want a head-to-head team match in which partners share one ball and alternate shots, making partnership decisions central to every hole. Choose modified Stableford when players prefer an individual points contest with a published event-specific table that rewards aggressive scoring and can suit a field.