Men's Club Tournament Formats

Palm Valley CC Men’s Club
Tournament Formats¹

Foursomes (Including Variations) -- (USGA Rule 22)²

Foursomes (also known as Alternate Shot) is a form of play in which partners (in either match play or stroke play) compete as a side, playing one ball in alternating order on each hole. There are several variations of this format. In all variations, once a ball is chosen, it may not be substituted except where allowed in the Rules of Golf, e.g., lost or damaged ball.

Foursomes: (The Men’s Club generally does not use this format.) It is an alternate shot format, where players alternate tee shots. The partners decide which partner will tee off on the even-numbered holes and which partner will tee off on the odd-numbered holes. After the tee shot, each shot is alternated between partners until the ball is holed. This is the format used in tournaments such as the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competitions.

Scotch Foursomes: The Scotch Foursomes golf format (also known as Greensomes, Modified Scottish Foursomes or Scotch Ball) is a two-person team competition where each player hits a tee shot. Then the team selects which ball to play for the remainder of the hole, alternating shots until the ball is holed.

Tee Shots: Both players on the team hit tee shots.
Choosing the Ball: The team decides which of the two tee shots to play for the rest of the hole.
Alternate Shot: The player whose tee shot was not chosen hits the next shot. The players then alternate hitting shots until the ball is holed.

Chapman: The Chapman golf format (also known as Pinehurst or American Foursomes) is a two-person team competition where each player hits a tee shot, and then the players switch balls and hit the second shot. The team then selects which ball to play for the remainder of the hole, alternating shots until the ball is holed.

Tee off: Both players tee off on each hole.
Switch balls: Players switch balls and hit their partner's drive for their second shot.
Select the best ball: The team chooses the better-positioned ball after both second shots.
Alternate shots: Players take alternating shots until the ball is holed.

Four-Ball -- (USGA Rule 23)²

Four-Ball is a form of play (in either match play or stroke play) involving partners where:

Two partners compete together as a side, with each player playing their own ball, and
A side's score for a hole is the lower score of the two partners on that hole.
This is the Match Play format used in the Men's Club Memorial Partners' Cup and "The 45" and others.

Stableford — (USGA Rule 21)²

Stableford (also known as Point Par) is a form of stroke play where:

A player's or side's score for a hole is based on points awarded by comparing the player's or side's number of strokes (including strokes made and penalty strokes) on the hole to a fixed target score for the hole set by the Committee, and
The competition is won by the player or side who completes all rounds with the most points.
Many people confuse the PGA Tournament Stableford with a normal Stableford. The USGA Stableford does not award negative points for Double Bogey or worse. That is only in PGA tournaments. (The chart below is from the Rules of Golf², Rule 21).

Scoring in Stableford:
How Points Are Awarded. Points are given to a player for each hole by comparing the player's score to the fixed target score for the hole, which is par unless the Committee sets a different fixed score.

A player who does not hole out under the Rules for any reason gets zero points for the hole.
To help pace of play, players are encouraged to stop playing a hole when their score will result in zero points.
The hole is completed when the player holes out, chooses not to do so or when their score will result in zero points.

Scramble

In the scramble golf format, a team selects their best shot on each stroke, and all team members play their subsequent shots from that location. This continues until the ball is holed, with the team using one aggregate score for the hole, making it a popular option for players of varying skill levels and for fundraising events. This format can be used with 2, 3 or 4 person teams. Note: Normally, there will be a minimum number of tee shots required per player and optionally a maximum number per player. Although there are other formula, Team handicaps are normally calculated (USGA Recommended³) as:

4 Players (25%/20%/15%/10% from the lowest to highest handicap)
3 Players (30%/20%/10% from the lowest to highest handicap)
2 Players (35% low/15% high)

How it works:

Team members tee off: Each player on the team hits a tee shot from the tee box.
Select the best shot: The team chooses the best-performing shot from the tee.
Play from that spot: All team members move their balls to the spot of the selected shot.
Repeat until holed: They play their second shots from this new location, again selecting the best shot, and repeat the process for the third, fourth, and subsequent shots until the ball is in the hole.
One score per hole: The team records a single score for the hole, which is typically the lowest score achieved.

Step-Aside Scramble

A Step Aside Scramble (also known as a Florida Scramble) is a golf format where teams of four players compete. After each shot, the player whose ball was selected as the best shot for the previous stroke "steps aside" and does not play the next shot. This means the remaining team members play from that selected spot. Normally, there will be a minimum number of tee shots required per player and optionally a maximum number per player. Although there are other formula, Team handicaps are normally calculated (USGA Recommended³) as 25%/20%/15%/10% from the lowest to highest handicap.
How it works:

Tee Shots: All players on a team hit their tee shots.
Select the Best Shot: The team selects the best shot from the tee box.
Step Aside: The player who hit that selected tee shot does not play the next shot.
Play the Next Shot: The remaining team members play their second shots from the spot of the chosen tee shot.
Repeat: This process continues for each subsequent shot (approach shots, chips, putts) until the ball is holed. The player whose shot is selected sits out the next shot.

Shamble

In a shamble golf format, team members first tee off, then select the best drive from the group, and from that chosen spot, each player plays their own ball independently to the hole. The team's score for the hole is determined by the best individual score among the players on the hole (Gross or Net as defined by the tournament committee). Normally this format is one Best Ball; however, it can also be played as two Best balls. Note: Optionally, there will be a minimum number of tee shots required per player and optionally a maximum number per player.
How to Play a Shamble:

Tee Off: All players on a team (usually 2-4) hit their drives from the tee box.
Select the Best Drive: The team selects the best drive from the group, considering factors like position or line into the green.
Play from a Common Spot: Each player then places their own ball within a club-length of the chosen best drive.
Individual Play to the Hole: From that common spot, each player plays out the remainder of the hole with their own ball, as in a standard game of golf.
Best Score Wins: The team's score for that hole is the lowest individual score achieved by any member of the team.
Repeat: This process is repeated for every hole.

Best Ball

There is no single "best" best ball format; the best one depends on the golfers and the event. The most common variation is four-ball (or best ball) where each player plays their own ball, and the team records the lowest score for each hole. Other versions include two-person best ball, where the team score is the better of two players' scores, and 2- or 3-best ball, where the team records the two or three lowest scores on the hole. Best Ball can be a Net or Gross Score format.
How Best Ball is Played:

A team can consist of 2 or more players.
Individual Effort: Each player on a team plays their own ball for the entire hole.
Team Score: For each hole, the team's score is the best score among the players.
- Teams of 2: Single best ball of the two
- Teams of 3: One or two best balls on each hole
- Teams of 4: One, Two or Three best balls on each hole

Eclectic (Ringers)

In golf, a "ringer" score (also known as an eclectic score) is your best score on each hole over a set period, resulting in an ideal scorecard for the season. Handicaps determine how a player's actual scores are adjusted to reflect their playing ability, and in a ringer competition, your score on each hole is tracked, and the best score on that hole, whether gross or net, is kept for the final ringer score. Although the terms eclectic and ringer are used interchangeably, they mean different things when handicaps are involved. Then, 'ringer' refers to gross scores while 'eclectic' refers to net scores.
How a Ringer Score is Calculated:

Establish a Baseline: Your first eligible round(s) create a baseline score for each hole.
Update with Improvement: As you play more rounds, your score for each hole is updated with your improved score.
Final Ringer Score: Your ringer score at the end of the season is a compilation of your best score on every hole from all your eligible rounds.

Footnotes:
[1] Unless otherwise noted, the information contained herein was extracted from extensive Google searches
[2] "USGA Rules of Golf, Effective January 2023", 2022, R&A Rules Limited and The United States Golf Association
[3] "Rules of Handicapping, Effective January 2024", 2023, R&A Rules Limited and The United States Golf Association