Best ball is a team format where every player plays their own ball from tee to hole, and the team counts only the lowest score among its players on each hole. In the official Rules of Golf, the two-player version is called four-ball, and it is covered by Rule 23.
How does best ball work?
Say you and a partner play a par 4. You make 5 and your partner makes 4. Your team scores 4 on that hole. On the next hole you make a birdie 3 and your partner makes a double, so the team scores 3. Add those team scores up over 18 holes in stroke play, or compare them hole by hole against the other team in match play.
Because only one score counts, a bad hole from one player doesn't hurt the team as long as the partner holds it together. That makes best ball one of the friendliest formats for mixed-ability groups.
What is the difference between best ball and a scramble?
In a scramble, everyone hits, the team picks the best shot, and everyone plays the next shot from that spot. In best ball, nobody moves to a partner's ball. Each player finishes the hole with their own ball, and only the final scores are compared. Scrambles produce lower scores; best ball keeps everyone playing their own game.
What do the Rules of Golf say about four-ball?
- The side's score is the lower score of the two partners. If both finish, the lower one counts.
- Your partner can pick up. If one partner has holed out, the other doesn't need to finish the hole.
- If neither partner finishes, the side loses the hole in match play. In stroke play the side is disqualified unless the mistake is corrected in time.
- Play in any order. Partners may play in whatever order the side thinks is best.
- One partner can play alone. A side can be represented by one player for all or part of the round. A late partner can join only between holes.
- Scorecards need names. In stroke play, each gross score must be clearly identified as a specific partner's score, not just the team's.
How do handicaps work in best ball?
Under the World Handicap System, the recommended handicap allowance is 85% of each player's course handicap for four-ball stroke play and 90% for four-ball match play. Your committee can set its own allowance, so check the event's terms. If you need a refresher on how handicaps are figured, see what is a handicap in golf.
Best ball strategy
- Let one player go first and play safe. Once your partner is in the fairway or on the green, you can take a more aggressive line.
- Use the order rule on the green. Let the player with the longer putt go first so the other sees the break, or let the player with the safer par putt go first so the other can run a birdie putt at the hole.
- Don't pick up too early. In handicap events, a net par from the higher handicap partner can beat a gross par.
- Know the match play basics. Terms like dormie and conceded putts show up a lot in best ball matches. Read stroke play vs match play and what is a gimme.
Where does the term come from?
Older editions of the Rules of Golf used both words, with different meanings. "Best-ball" described a match where one player played against the better ball of two or three other players, while "four-ball" described two players against two. In everyday golf, "best ball" became the common name for any format where a team counts its lowest score, and today the Rules use four-ball for the two-person version. We could not find a documented first use of the phrase, so we won't guess at one.
FAQ
Is best ball the same as four-ball?
For two-person teams, yes. Four-ball is the official name in the Rules of Golf, and best ball is what most golfers call it.
Do both players have to finish every hole?
No. Once one partner holes out, the other can pick up.
Can you play best ball with four-person teams?
Yes, as a casual or event format. Many outings count the best one or two scores out of four on each hole. The committee sets those terms.
Is best ball good for beginners?
Yes. A beginner can play their own ball without the pressure of every shot counting, which is why it is popular at member events and outings. A sandbagger can spoil it, though.
More golf words in our golf terms glossary. Getting ready for a team event? Shop used wedges and used putters, the clubs that save pars when your partner needs you.
