Best Ball (Four-Ball)
Game Formats
Explained Simply
Each player plays their own ball throughout the hole. The lowest score among your team counts as the team's score for that hole.
Example
“You make a 6, your partner makes a 4. Your team's score for that hole is 4.”
Why it matters
Best ball is forgiving — your good holes help the team, bad holes are absorbed by a partner. Great intro format.
Common beginner mistake
Giving up on a hole thinking your partner has it — your score might end up being the best on the team.
Related
beginner
Game Formats
Related
- ScrambleA team format where everyone tees off, you pick the best shot, everyone plays from there, repeat until the hole is done.
- Stroke PlayThe most common format — every stroke counts for the entire round. Lowest total score wins.
- Match PlayA format where you compete hole-by-hole. Win a hole, go 1-up. Lose it, go 1-down. Most holes won = winner.