Team formats · 4 (two pairs) players
Four Ball (Better Ball): how to play
Also known as Better ball, Best ball, Fourball
Everyone plays their own ball; the best score in each pair counts.
Four Ball, usually called better ball in the UK, is the standard pairs game. All four players play their own ball from tee to green, and on each hole the better score in each pair is the team's score. It is the format of the Ryder Cup's Friday and Saturday mornings and most club pairs competitions.
It can be played as match play (the better score wins the hole) or as a better-ball Stableford or stroke play. Because only one score counts per pair, a partner's blow-up never hurts you, which keeps the pace of play up and the banter flowing.
Score Four Ball (Better Ball) in Golf Daddy
Pick Four Ball (Better Ball) on the first tee and the app applies the strokes, keeps the live leaderboard and settles the points for the whole group. Free on iPhone and Android.
Four Ball (Better Ball) rules
- 1.Two teams of two; every player plays their own ball throughout.
- 2.On each hole, the lower score in each pair is that team's score.
- 3.In match play, the team with the lower better-ball score wins the hole; equal scores halve it.
- 4.In better-ball Stableford, the higher points score in the pair counts on each hole.
- 5.A player who is out of the hole can pick up once their partner has a better score in.
How handicaps work
World Handicap System allowances are 85% of course handicap for better-ball stroke play or Stableford and 90% for better-ball match play, with strokes taken off the lowest player. Golf Daddy applies the allowances and marks each player's shot holes, and individual scores are still recorded for your handicap.
Worked example
Hole 5, par 4: you make a net 5 and your partner a net 4; the opposition make net 4 and net 6. Each side's best is a 4, so the hole is halved.
Tips and variations
- Decide who plays first on each shot: the safer player usually goes first so the other can attack.
- Better-ball Stableford is the easiest way for a fourball to compete when the standards vary widely.
- Add a Nassau or Skins alongside the match for a bit of extra interest.
Four Ball (Better Ball) FAQs
What is the difference between Four Ball and Foursomes?
In Four Ball everyone plays their own ball and the better score in each pair counts. In Foursomes each pair shares one ball and hits alternate shots.
What is the handicap allowance for better ball?
Under the WHS: 85% of course handicap for stroke play and Stableford, 90% for match play. Golf Daddy applies it automatically.
Does a Four Ball round count towards my handicap?
Yes, as long as you hole out on every hole, because your individual score is still recorded. Picked-up holes count as net double bogey.
Related formats
All golf formats and games →Play Four Ball (Better Ball) this weekend
Download Golf Daddy and let the app do the maths while you do the talking. Guests who haven't got the app can play too.