Golf Games Explained is exactly what it sounds like. You want to mix it up and try something new for once? Well, someone has to do the thankless work of playing different golf formats and telling you if it’s worth it. You can thank me later.
Chances are if you are playing this weekend with your standard foursome, you will be playing a 2v2 best-ball match. It’s the most standard game because it’s generally the most fair one, and the simplest one to understand and keep track of. But it still has its negatives, too.
The biggest one? When one guy or gal is not contributing. A classic case of getting an A+ on the group project and doing nothing. There is absolutely nothing worse than losing to the team where only one of the two players holed out all day while you and your partner grinded out pars and bogeys to no avail. But hey, that’s why they call it best ball, right?
Of course, if it happens time and time again with the same group and the same friend, it may be time for a change to the format. The easiest fix is a game called “best to next,” which is still a team best-ball match that’s actually a team best-ball match.
Here’s how to play.
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Number of players required: Four. This game is a 2v2 match.
Best for: Groups with a wide variety of skill levels. People who like everyone pulling their weight. Salty folks who hate losing to lesser golfers.
How to play: This is a simple one. It’s your normal best-ball match, otherwise known as four-ball, with a major twist. Normally, each team of two would just go with their low score on each hole, but in best-to-next a team’s high score counts, too. This variation is employed to avoid lots of ties/pushes and to reward teammates who both make a low score.
For example, if Team 1 goes 5-5 and Team 2 goes 5-6, assuming no shots are involved, normally this would be a push because both teams made a low score of 5. But in best to next, the tie/push would be broken by whichever team had the highest score of the four players. In this case, Team 2 had a high score of 6, so Team 1 making 5-5 would earn them a victory on that hole. Of course, if the player who made 6 was getting a shot for a 6-for-5, it would still be a tie/push.
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If you have any golf games or variations of golf games we haven’t covered and you’d like to explain, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X @Cpowers14.
MORE GOLF GAMES EXPLAINED
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How to play ‘Vegas’: A basic guide to a golf betting game where every shot counts
How to play ‘Skins’: A basic guide to one of golf’s best money games
What is ‘Swat’? How to play one of golf’s most fun betting games
How to play ‘Snake’: A basic guide to golf’s most toxic putting game
How to play ‘Wad’: The golf gambling game that rewards making putts
How to play ‘5-3-1’: A guide to the perfect game for when your fourth inevitably bails
How to play ‘Umbrella’: A guide to golf’s ultimate ‘side-action’ game
How to play ‘Pinehurst’: The alternate-shot game that isn’t quite alternate shot
How to play ‘Chicago’: A fun twist on the Stableford format
How to play ‘Hammer’: The match-play game where the money can add up quickly
How to play ‘Heads-Tails’: A fun 2 v 1 or 1 v 1 game depending on a coin flip
How to play ‘Banker’: The game that requires you to carry cash, a lot of cash
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
