Golf Glossary
Foursomes (Alternate Shot)
In short
Foursomes is a format for teams of two. Both partners play one ball together and take alternate shots. One partner tees off on the odd-numbered holes, the other on the even-numbered holes. Foursomes is covered by Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf and can be played as match play or stroke play.
What is foursomes in golf?
In foursomes two players form a side. The side plays only one ball, and the partners alternate on every stroke: first player A, then player B, then A again, until the ball is holed.
The name often causes confusion. In a foursomes match two sides of two players compete, so four people are involved. In stroke play a side can also be scored on its own. In the Rules of Golf foursomes means exactly this format. In everyday American usage, however, a group of four golfers playing together is also called a foursome. That simply means a playing group, not a format.
In German it is often called the classic Vierer to set it apart from variations such as greensomes or the Chapman. In classic foursomes there is no choice between two balls. Every stroke counts and every mistake has to be dealt with by your partner. That makes it the most demanding of the foursome formats.
Rule 22: who plays when
Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf sets out the order of play.
- Tee shots: one partner tees off on all odd-numbered holes, 1, 3, 5 and so on. The other partner tees off on all even-numbered holes, regardless of who finished the previous hole.
- During the hole: after the tee shot the partners alternate on every stroke until the ball is holed.
- Penalty strokes: they do not change the order. If the side incurs a penalty stroke, the partner whose turn it is still plays next.
- Provisional ball: it is played by the partner whose turn it is next.
In addition, either partner may act for the side, for example marking, lifting or taking relief. Partners may give each other advice, and they may share clubs as long as they have no more than 14 clubs between them.
Penalties for playing in the wrong order
The most common mistake in foursomes is a stroke played in the wrong order. It happens, for example, when a partner tees off on an even hole out of habit, although they were assigned the odd holes.
The penalty is the general penalty.
- In match play the side loses the hole.
- In stroke play the side gets two penalty strokes. The stroke played in the wrong order and any further strokes do not count. The side must correct the mistake and continue in the correct order from where it happened.
Important in stroke play: the correction must be made before the side tees off on the next hole, or on the final hole before the scorecard is returned. Otherwise the side is disqualified.
A simple trick helps: decide before the round who tees off on hole 1 and write it on the scorecard. Then the question is quickly settled on every tee.
Worked example: two holes of foursomes
Clara and David play foursomes together. Clara tees off on the odd holes, David on the even holes.
- Hole 1, par 4: Clara drives onto the fairway. David hits the second shot onto the green, six metres from the flag. Clara putts to half a metre and David holes out. That is 4 strokes, a par, and David played the last stroke.
- Hole 2, par 3: now David tees off, because hole 2 is an even hole. It does not matter that he finished hole 1. His ball goes into the water and the side takes a penalty stroke. Clara plays the next stroke, the third, from the dropping zone onto the green. David putts and leaves it short. Clara holes out with the fifth stroke.
The side records a par and a double bogey. The example shows that the penalty stroke did not change the order: it was Clara’s turn anyway after David’s tee shot.
Foursomes handicap allowance
Because the side plays only one ball, it does not receive the sum of both handicaps. The competition terms set how the handicap is calculated. For foursomes stroke play, the World Handicap System recommends 50 per cent of the partners’ combined handicaps in Appendix C.
Example: Clara plays off 14 and David off 22. Combined that is 36, so the side plays off 18.
In match play the calculation is usually based on the difference between the sides: the side with the higher combined handicap receives half of the difference as handicap strokes.
Foursomes does not count towards your personal handicap. The World Handicap System only accepts rounds in which each player plays all strokes with their own ball, which is not the case in foursomes.
Tips for a strong foursomes team
In foursomes the team with the two best individual players rarely wins. The team that works together best usually does.
- Split the tee shots wisely: look at the scorecard before the round. If the hardest par 3s are on odd holes, let the more reliable iron player tee off on those.
- Leave your partner a good lie: play safely to the fairway rather than chasing distance. Your partner has to play from wherever you leave the ball.
- Move on from mistakes: everyone hits a bad shot sometimes. A short word of encouragement helps more than any analysis.
- Talk it through: discuss club selection and target together. Advice between partners is explicitly allowed.
- Keep the pace: the partner who plays next walks ahead to where the ball will be.
Many couples play foursomes as a mixed pair, one woman and one man. Mixed foursomes is a classic at club competitions.
Foursomes vs greensomes, Chapman and four-ball
The foursome formats differ mainly in how many balls are in play at the start.
- Classic foursomes: one ball from the start, alternate shots, a fixed tee order.
- Greensomes: both partners tee off, the team chooses one drive and then plays alternate shots.
- Chapman: both tee off, both play a second shot with the partner’s ball, then the team chooses.
- Four-ball better ball: each player plays their own ball into the hole and the better score counts. This is covered by Rule 23.
In professional golf, foursomes is best known from the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup. There are dedicated foursomes sessions on the first two days, in which two players from each team face each other in match play. Many spectators find these matches the most exciting, because a single mistake immediately affects both partners.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can try foursomes in a relaxed setting on the Red 6-hole short course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg in Moorfleet. No Platzreife (course permit) is needed, and a round typically takes under an hour. Up to four players can book together, which is exactly two teams of two. In winter, from January to March, the short course becomes a 9-hole winter course that is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Frequently asked questions
What is foursomes in golf?
In foursomes two partners play one ball together and take alternate shots. One partner tees off on the odd-numbered holes, the other on the even-numbered holes. The side records one score per hole. The rules are in Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf, and it can be played as match play or stroke play.
What does foursome mean in golf?
In the Rules of Golf, foursomes is the alternate shot format: two partners, one ball, alternate strokes. In everyday American usage a foursome can also mean a group of four golfers playing a round together. In that case it describes a playing group rather than a format.
Who tees off on which hole in foursomes?
One partner tees off on all odd-numbered holes and the other on all even-numbered holes, regardless of who holed out on the previous hole. Agree before the round who starts on hole 1. Teeing off in the wrong order costs two penalty strokes in stroke play and the hole in match play.
What handicap does a foursomes team get?
For foursomes stroke play, the World Handicap System recommends half of the partners’ combined handicaps. With handicaps of 14 and 22 that is 18 strokes. The competition terms always take precedence. Foursomes does not count towards your personal handicap.
As of: October 2026