Page type: Glossary / definition
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Meaning
Yellow Ball is a team game in which a designated player's score must count on each hole. A common version adds the best score from the other players. Clubs use different scoring arrangements, so the competition terms must specify the rotation and scores counted.
How it matters in match play
Yellow Ball is normally a team scoring or betting game, not a separate form of Match Play under the Rules of Golf. It can be combined with Match Play only if the organisers define sides, the hole-by-hole result and any handicap treatment in advance; the Yellow Ball rotation itself does not create a Match Play result.
Table
| Quick reference | Detail |
|---|---|
| Term | Yellow Ball |
| Category | betting |
| Applicable rule | No dedicated official rule established |
| Related concepts | Best Ball, Stableford, Team Competition, Scorecard, Handicap Competition |
Worked example
In an illustrative four-player hole, Alex has the Yellow Ball and scores 5, while Ben, Chris and Dana score 4, 6 and 5; under the common two-score version, Alex's 5 plus Ben's best other score of 4 gives the team a Hole Score of 9.
Sources: www.golfmonthly.com , www.liveabout.com , www.randa.org
Common questions
Does Yellow Ball require an actual yellow golf ball?
No. A club can use a marked or coloured ball, or identify the designated player on the Scorecard. The ball is a practical marker for the house format, not a requirement created by the Rules of Golf.
How is a Yellow Ball team score usually calculated?
In one common version, the designated player's score is compulsory and the lowest score among the other players is added to it. Other clubs use Stableford points, a different number of counting scores or a bonus prize, so confirm the competition instructions first.
Is Yellow Ball an official Rules of Golf format?
No separate Yellow Ball procedure is identified in the R&A's Rule 3 overview of match play, stroke play, individual or side play, and gross or net scoring. Treat Yellow Ball as an organiser-defined team game played under agreed Terms of the Competition.
How does the Yellow Ball rotation work?
The designated player normally changes from hole to hole in a fixed cycle. For example, a three-player team might assign Alex on the first hole, Ben on the second and Chris on the third, then repeat; the organiser should state how the cycle starts and handles an incomplete round.
What handicap allowance should a Yellow Ball game use?
There is no universal Yellow Ball allowance. A committee should publish the handicap method and any allowance before play, rather than borrowing a percentage from a different format. The World Handicap System allowance tables apply to specified authorised formats, not automatically to every casual game.
Can Yellow Ball be played with three players?
Yes, some published versions use teams of three, while other versions use four. The organiser must state how many scores count, how the rotation repeats and how any absent or lost player is handled; those are house rules rather than universal Yellow Ball rules.