Page type: Glossary / definition
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Meaning
Chapman is a two-player team format. Both partners tee off, each plays the other partner's ball for the second shot, then the team chooses one ball and completes the hole with alternate strokes. It is also commonly called Pinehurst, although clubs may set their own competition conditions.
How it matters in match play
Chapman is normally a team stroke-play arrangement, not a standalone Rules of Golf match-play format. If a committee runs Chapman as Team Match Play, the match result is settled by the team score on each hole under the stated Terms of the Competition. For a handicap event, WHS Appendix C recommends 60% of the lower player's Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher player's, applied to unrounded Course Handicaps before the team total is rounded.
Table
| Quick reference | Detail |
|---|---|
| Term | Chapman |
| Category | general |
| Applicable rule | WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C; Rules 6.1 and 6.2 |
| Related concepts | Greensomes, Foursomes, Team Competition, Handicap Allowance, Playing Handicap |
Worked example
Alex has a Course Handicap of 8 and Ben has 14, so an illustrative Chapman team handicap is 60% × 8 + 40% × 14 = 10.4, rounded to 10; on a hole, both tee off, Alex plays Ben's tee ball and Ben plays Alex's, then they select one ball and alternate strokes to hole out.
Rule reference: WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C; Rules 6.1 and 6.2
Sources: www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
Is Chapman the same as Pinehurst?
Chapman and Pinehurst are commonly used as names for the same two-player format: both players tee off, swap balls for the second shots, choose one ball, and then play alternate strokes. The committee should still publish its local Terms of the Competition.
How is a Chapman handicap calculated?
The WHS Appendix C recommendation is 60% of the lower player's Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher player's. Apply those percentages to each player's unrounded Course Handicap, combine the results, and round only the final team Playing Handicap; a competition committee may specify different terms.
Can Chapman be played as Match Play?
It can be arranged as a team Match Play competition if the committee states how teams' hole scores are compared and how handicaps and any extra holes are handled. That is a competition arrangement, not evidence that Chapman is a separate format defined in the Rules of Golf.