Alternate shot
Two partners share one ball and take turns hitting it until it's in the hole.
How it works
One partner tees off on the odd holes and the other on the even ones.
The team has one score per hole, and the partners alternate shots until the ball is in.
As stroke play, the lowest team total wins. The team plays off half of the partners' combined handicaps.
Good to know
- Also called foursomes.
- Ties: split hole by hole from the hardest, net in a net game.
- A picked-up hole means no total for the round, or a lost hole in a match. A team down to one partner has no total for the round, or loses each hole from there on in a match.
A worked round
Stroke play, each team playing off half of the partners' combined handicaps.
The momentTeam A shot 78, two fewer than Team B, and won by three after strokes.
- Team A: Kasper 12 and Sam 8, so 10 strokes.
- Team B: Jordan 14 and Ike 4, so 9 strokes.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 72 |
| Team A | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team B | 80 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| Team A | ||||||||||
| Team B |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 72 |
| Team A | 78 | |||||||||
| Team B | 80 |
| Hole | Par | Team A | Team B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | ||
| 2 | 4 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 5 | ||
| 5 | 4 | ||
| 6 | 3 | ||
| 7 | 4 | ||
| 8 | 5 | ||
| 9 | 4 | ||
| 10 | 4 | ||
| 11 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 5 | ||
| 14 | 4 | ||
| 15 | 4 | ||
| 16 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 4 | ||
| 18 | 5 | ||
| Gross | 72 | 78 | 80 |
One team ball, one score per hole, before strokes. A circle marks a birdie and a square a bogey. The team's strokes come off across the holes, so the net total is the gross total less the team's strokes.
Handicaps
The team plays off half of the partners' combined handicaps. The host can change the percentage when setting up.
Why that number? Each format has its own usual handicap allowance, set so a 20 and a 5 both have a fair shot.
House variations
Other ways to play it.
- Alternate shot match play: choose it under More options on the Game step when you have exactly four players. Stroke play is the default.
- Extra holes in an alternate shot match: turn on Extra holes if all square under More options on the Game step, and the host adds each extra hole from the scoring screen.
- A session of foursomes in a team cup: choose Foursomes as the session's format when you set up the cup.