Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose greensomes when two-player teams should share each hole from tee shots through alternate play, with a head-to-head or team-result focus. Choose modified Stableford when an individual or field competition should reward aggressive scoring through a published, event-specific points table rather than compare team totals hole by hole.
greensomes in brief
A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots.
modified Stableford in brief
A points contest that rewards strong holes and penalises poor ones more sharply than ordinary Stableford.
Table
| Comparison | greensomes | modified Stableford |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots. | A points contest that rewards strong holes and penalises poor ones more sharply than ordinary Stableford. |
| Players | 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. | 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 | 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. | Points awarded on each hole, then totalled for the round; the highest total wins. |
| Handicap method | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 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. 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: WHS Appendix C; Rules of Golf Rule 21.1; Official Guide to the Rules of Golf, Committee Procedures Section 9A
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.pgatour.com
Common questions
How do greensomes and modified Stableford score differently?
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. For modified Stableford: Points awarded on each hole, then totalled for the round; the highest total wins.
How do handicaps apply in greensomes vs modified Stableford?
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. 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 greensomes instead of modified Stableford?
Choose greensomes when two-player teams should share each hole from tee shots through alternate play, with a head-to-head or team-result focus. Choose modified Stableford when an individual or field competition should reward aggressive scoring through a published, event-specific points table rather than compare team totals hole by hole.