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Glossary

Four-ball Better Ball

Four-ball better ball is a pairs game where both players play, but only the better score counts for the team.

Big idea

Two players, one team score per hole.

At a glance

Score type

Best partner score

Usually played

Pairs

Best for

Team play where both players stay involved

In plain English

You and your partner each play your own ball. On each hole, compare your scores and keep the better one as the team score.

How to win

In points or strokeplay, have the best team total. In matchplay, win more holes than the other pair.

Example

Player A Net 5, Player B Net 4 -> Team score Net 4
Hand-drawn equation showing Player A Net 5 and Player B Net 4 gives team score Net 4.

Remember this

  • Both partners can help on every hole.
  • If your partner has a great score, yours may not need to count.
  • Net scores are often used, so handicap strokes can matter a lot.

Things to be aware of

Four-ball strokeplay and Stableford commonly use an 85% allowance. Four-ball matchplay commonly uses a 90% allowance.