Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
Free tool: Open the calculator →
When each fits
Choose greensomes when two-player teams want both partners teeing off, one selected drive and alternate-shot pressure, with the pair sharing every subsequent shot. Choose shamble when teams want the best drive selected but each player to play an individual ball afterwards, preserving individual approaches and putts.
greensomes in brief
A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots.
shamble in brief
Teams select the best tee shot, then play individual balls and count the lowest score.
Table
| Comparison | greensomes | shamble |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A pair chooses one of two tee shots, then plays that ball in alternate shots. | Teams select the best tee shot, then play individual balls and count the lowest score. |
| 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 players forming one team; ideal: 4 players for one team, or 8+ players for head-to-head teams or a field. |
| 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. | Strokes: after the selected drive, each player completes the hole with their own ball; the lowest team score is the hole's team score. |
| 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. | Use the Competition Committee's Terms of Competition. The USGA shamble guidance suggests 75% of each player's Course Handicap for a two-person team and 65% of each player's Course Handicap for a four-person team; apply the percentage to the unrounded Course Handicap, then calculate Playing Handicap. These are shamble guidance figures, not a universal WHS allowance, and other team sizes or formats need a stated house method. |
| 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. | Shamble has no inherent money settlement. If stakes are agreed, settle on the final team totals or on separately agreed per-hole or match bets; write the payment and tie rules before play. |
| 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. | Usually slower than ordinary stroke play for one group because everyone tees off and then plays an individual ball, although it can be quicker than a scramble after the drive because players do not repeatedly choose and replay one team ball. |
| 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 that want the teamwork of a selected-drive game while keeping every player's approach shots and putting in play; it suits a four-person team event or a small head-to-head competition with clear Committee conditions. |
| 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 format is not fully standardised: drive-selection limits, team size, scoring, handicap treatment and tie procedures can vary, so an event without written conditions can produce disputes. |
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. Alex and Ben select a preferred drive then play separate balls, scoring 4 and 5. If the event counts one best score, their side records 4; another counting rule would require a different result.
Rule reference: WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C; Rule 3.1 for the general individual-or-side and gross-or-net framework; neither greensomes nor shamble is a standalone stroke-play or match-play form in the Rules of Golf.
Sources: www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , englandigolf.co.uk
Common questions
How do greensomes and shamble 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 shamble: Strokes: after the selected drive, each player completes the hole with their own ball; the lowest team score is the hole's team score.
How do handicaps apply in greensomes vs shamble?
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. shamble: Use the Competition Committee's Terms of Competition. The USGA shamble guidance suggests 75% of each player's Course Handicap for a two-person team and 65% of each player's Course Handicap for a four-person team; apply the percentage to the unrounded Course Handicap, then calculate Playing Handicap. These are shamble guidance figures, not a universal WHS allowance, and other team sizes or formats need a stated house method.
When should I choose greensomes instead of shamble?
Choose greensomes when two-player teams want both partners teeing off, one selected drive and alternate-shot pressure, with the pair sharing every subsequent shot. Choose shamble when teams want the best drive selected but each player to play an individual ball afterwards, preserving individual approaches and putts.