Page type: Glossary / definition
Free tool: Open the calculator →
Meaning
Eliminator is a casual team game in which each player plays their own ball, but the lowest eligible score supplies the team score on each hole. The player whose score counts is then temporarily eliminated from supplying the next hole's score, creating a rotating best-ball sequence.
How it matters in match play
Eliminator is not conventional match play: it is normally a team stroke-scoring game where a combined total is compared with another team or the field. If a group adapts it for a match, the sides should agree in advance how each hole's Eliminator team score wins, loses or is halved; that betting arrangement is a house rule, not a special Rules of Golf format.
Table
| Quick reference | Detail |
|---|---|
| Term | Eliminator |
| Category | betting |
| Applicable rule | No dedicated official rule established |
| Related concepts | Best Ball, Stroke Play, Team Competition, Scorecard |
Worked example
In Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana's four-player house version, their first-hole scores are 5, 4, 6 and 5, so Ben's 4 is the team score and Ben cannot supply the team score on Hole 2; after the four-hole rotation, all four become eligible again.
Sources: www.golfcompendium.com , legendsccstephenville.com , www.randa.org
Common questions
How many players usually play Eliminator?
The commonly described version uses four players on one team. A group can agree another number, but the rotation, reset point and treatment of ties should be written down before play because the format has no single governing standard.
Is Eliminator an official Rules of Golf format?
No named Eliminator procedure is supplied here as an official Rules of Golf format. The Rules distinguish match play from stroke play and define official scoring principles, while Eliminator descriptions are casual competition instructions. Apply the ordinary Rules to each player's strokes, then use the agreed house scoring method.
How do you settle an Eliminator bet?
Agree the settlement before teeing off. For example, a group might compare the two teams' 18-hole Eliminator totals and have the lower total win an agreed $5 per player; that dollar amount and any tie or playoff treatment are illustrative house terms, not a standard Eliminator rule.
What happens if scores tie for low on a hole?
There is no single standard answer in the sources checked. Put the tie method in the house rules, such as eliminating all tied low scorers or declaring the hole's eligibility unchanged; do not assume one convention applies everywhere.
Does Eliminator use handicaps?
The descriptions checked do not establish a universal handicap allowance. If handicaps are used, the organisers should state whether each individual score is gross or net and how the team score is selected, then have the Handicap Committee or event terms approve the method.
Is Eliminator the same as Best Ball?
It uses a best-ball idea because a low individual score can supply the team score, but the elimination rotation changes who is eligible on later holes. Best Ball by itself does not imply Eliminator's rotating ineligibility rule.