Page type: Glossary / definition
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Meaning
Am-Am is a team event for amateur golfers rather than professional-amateur pairings. The name does not fix team size, scoring or handicaps. Organisers must state those terms; one published example uses four players and counts the two lowest net scores per hole.
How it matters in match play
Am-Am is normally a team stroke-play or points event, not a defined match-play format. It can be adapted into team match play, but the committee would need to state how teams win holes, how handicap strokes are applied and how ties are settled. The label alone does not supply those match conditions.
Table
| Quick reference | Detail |
|---|---|
| Term | Am-Am |
| Category | general |
| Applicable rule | WHS Appendix C; Rules of Golf, Committee Procedures 5A |
| Related concepts | Team Competition, Four-Ball, Best Ball, Handicap Competition, Stroke Play |
Worked example
In an illustrative four-player Am-Am using the stated two-low-net convention, Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana return net hole scores of 5, 4, 6 and 5; the team score for that hole is 9, the total of 4 and 5.
Rule reference: WHS Appendix C; Rules of Golf, Committee Procedures 5A
Sources: www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.standrewsgolfweek.com , www.liveabout.com
Common questions
Does Am-Am always mean four players?
No. Four players is a documented event convention, but Am-Am has no single universal team size. The Terms of the Competition should state the number of players and what happens if a team is incomplete.
What scores count in an Am-Am?
There is no universal answer. A published St Andrews Golf Week Am-Am counts the two lowest net scores on each hole, while another event could use a different count or points system. Read that event's terms rather than assuming a standard.
Is there a standard Am-Am handicap allowance?
Not for the label alone. WHS Appendix C lists recommended allowances for named formats, including four-ball, foursomes and scramble, but not a generic Am-Am. The committee must specify the applicable format and allowance in the Terms of the Competition.