Group Best Ball Rules & scoring

Group Best Ball (also known as Four-Ball when played in a foursome) is a staple of team golf competitions. In Best Ball, partners work together to record a single team score on each hole. Because only the best score on each hole counts, players can play aggressively without worrying about one blow-up hole ruining their team's scorecard.

Core Rules: The Best Score Counts

In a Best Ball match, every player in the group plays their own ball from the tee to the cup, just as they would in an individual stroke play round. At the end of each hole, partners compare their scores. **Only the lowest single score among the partners is recorded as the team's score on that hole.**

For example, if Partner A cards a 5 and Partner B cards a 4 on a hole, the team's score for that hole is 4. Opponent scores are tallied in the same way, and the two team scores are compared to determine who wins the hole (in match play) or who has the lowest cumulative score (in stroke play).

Team Formats in Settle the Card

Group Best Ball matches can be configured in several player structures depending on your group size:

• 2 vs 2 Best Ball: The classic four-player match. Two teams of two compete head-to-head.
• 1 vs 2 Best Ball: A three-player format where a single low-handicap player takes on a two-player team. The single player must beat the best score of the team on each hole.
• 2 vs 3 Best Ball: A five-player format where a two-player team plays against a three-player team, comparing best scores.

Net vs. Gross Best Ball

Like most golf games, Best Ball can be played gross or net. In **Net Best Ball**, course handicaps are applied before comparing partners' scores:

1. Each golfer's course handicap determines which holes they receive strokes on (marked by handicap ratings on the card).
2. For example, if Partner A receives a stroke on Hole 3 and scores a gross 5, their net score is a 4. If Partner B has no stroke and gets a gross 4, their net is a 4. The team net score is 4.
3. If Partner A gets a net 3, that would be the best ball score used for the team.

Handicap allowances in team best ball tournaments often apply a percentage (typically 85% for men and 90% for women of course handicaps) to ensure equitable matches. Settle the Card allows you to toggle Net or Gross scoring with ease.

Best Ball within Nassau

In Settle the Card, Best Ball is frequently played as a scoring format within a Nassau match. This combines team Best Ball scoring with the Front 9 / Back 9 / Overall 18-hole split, giving players multiple ways to win segments and leverage automatic presses.