Alternate shot: one ball, two partners
Understand foursomes, alternating strokes, and how it differs from a scramble or best ball.
By Fore Alarm · Updated October 31, 2026
How the team plays
In foursomes, two partners play one ball and alternate strokes. They also alternate teeing off: one partner starts the odd-numbered holes and the other the even-numbered holes.
A quick example
Alex tees off on the first hole, Sam hits the second stroke, and Alex plays the third. Sam tees off on the second hole regardless of who holed the putt on the first.
Common confusion
A penalty stroke does not change whose turn it is to play. A scramble lets the team choose between shots; foursomes does not. Check the official rule for wrong-order mistakes and their correction.
Progress stays in this browser.
Put your knowledge to the test →Keep learning
All lessons →Stableford · points instead of a running stroke total
Each hole earns points against a target score set by the Committee. With par as the target, a bogey earns 1 point, par 2, birdie 3 and eagle 4; double bogey or worse earns 0. The highest points total wins.
Read lesson Golf Formats · 2 minMatch play · win the hole, then start fresh
Compete hole by hole. The lower score wins the hole; equal scores tie it. Being “2 up” means you have won two more holes than your opponent. The match ends when your lead exceeds the holes remaining.
Read lesson Golf Formats · 2 minBest ball vs. scramble: understand four-ball
Two partners each play their own ball. The side’s score for a hole is the lower of the two scores. It can be played as match play or stroke play.
Read lesson