FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Know the Rules
Home›Know the Rules›What is Four-Ball and How Does It Affect the Rules?

What is Four-Ball and How Does It Affect the Rules?

By Jimmy Becker
January 1, 2015
13702
0
Share:
four ball

In 2015, the USGA will hold its first editions of the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships, and the SCGA will conduct its first set of qualifiers for the Championships.  The Championship will be played utilizing Four-Ball Stroke Play and Four-Ball Match Play formats.  Clubs, state/regional golf associations and other golf organizations have conducted Four-Ball competitions for numerous years and this format of play is especially popular amongst the general public.

What is Four-Ball and why is it called “Four-Ball”

Four-Ball comes in two forms: match play and stroke play.  Four-Ball Match Play (Rule 30) is a match in which two players play their better ball (lowest score on the hole) against the better ball of two other players.  In four-ball stroke play (Rule 31), two competitors play as partners, each playing their own ball.  The lower score of the partners is the score for the hole.  In both forms of play, if one partner fails to complete the hole, there is no penalty so long as his/her partner returns a score for the hole.

Where did Four-Ball get its name?  The name first appeared in the 1908 R&A’s Rule Book, and came from the fact that there were four balls in play at one time in a match, thus the name Four-Ball.  Four-Ball Stroke Play did not appear in the Rules until 1952.

Key Points about Four-Ball Match Play and Four-Ball Stroke Play

  • The definition of a “side” under the Rules of Golf is a player, or two or more players, who are partners.  This definition was introduced into the Rules of Golf in 2012.
  • In Four-Ball Match Play and Four-Ball Stroke Play, a side only has to be represented by one partner for all or any part of a match or stipulated round in stroke play.
  • Balls belonging to the same side may be played in the order the side considers best.
  • In Four-Ball Stroke Play, the gross score to count must be individually identifiable (right score attributed to right player on each hole) on the score card.

How are penalties administered in Four-Ball Match Play Four-Ball Stroke Play?

In both forms of play, penalties are broken down into categories.  The first category is when the entire side is penalized for a breach by any partner on the side.  An example of this is when one of the partners in four-ball stroke play starts his/her round with more than 14 clubs.  Each player would be penalized two strokes plus two strokes on a subsequent hole.

The second category involves disqualification penalties.  These are broken down into two subsets under the Rules: (i) a breach by one partner and (ii) a breach by both partners.  In subset (i) an example would be when either partner agrees to wave a Rule of Golf (e.g. agreement to concede short putts in stroke play).  In subset (ii) an example of a breach by both partners would be in stroke play when both players arrive to the first tee more than five minutes after their scheduled starting time.  It should be noted that in all other cases where a breach of a Rule is disqualification and not specified under these two rules, the competitor is disqualified only for the hole at which the breach occurred.

The third category is the effect of other penalties.  Unless the breach of a rule by a player assists their partner or adversely affects an opponent or fellow-competitor, there is no penalty applied to the partner.  Decision 31-8/1 is a great example of this.  Player A lifts a large loose impediment lying in the bunker 10 feet away from his partner’s ball.  Player A is penalized two strokes in stroke play or is disqualified from the hole in match play, but since his action did not assist Player B in any way, Player B does not incur a penalty.

Whether someone is participating in a Four-Ball match or in a Four-Ball stroke play competition at their club, it is important to know the rules of these forms of play and how they differ in match play versus stroke play.

Previous Article

A Look Back: The Colorful History of ...

Next Article

Coachella Valley Classic: La Quinta Resort & ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Jimmy Becker

Jimmy's career in golf administration began in 2004 as an intern with the SCGA and spent some time at the NCGA from 2005-2011. Since rejoining the SCGA in 2011, he helps administer SCGA, CGA and USGA qualifiers/championships, and is featured in the Rules Crew video series, teaching the Rules of Golf to SCGA members and its clubs. He is also in charge of the site procurement process for the Championships & Golf Operations department along with managing the exemption and Player of the Year programs. He has served as a Rules Official at numerous USGA National Championships and has achieved the highest level of rating on the PGA/USGA Rules Exam. A native Southern Californian, in his free time he enjoys hanging out with friends, playing sports and going to the beach.

Related articles More from author

  • bunker
    Know the RulesSummer 2016

    Day at the Beach: Know Your Bunkers

    July 1, 2016
    By Jimmy Becker
  • Rules Book
    Know the Rules

    Bring Your Smartphone: In the Decisions for 2014, more devices can now be used on the course

    January 1, 2014
    By Jeff Ninnemann
  • Fall 2018Know the Rules

    Modernizing The Rules: Behind-the-Scenes

    October 22, 2018
    By Jeff Ninnemann
  • match play
    Know the Rules

    A Different Challenge: Match Play Format is Plenty Different, Starting with your Opponent…

    October 1, 2014
    By Jimmy Becker
  • know the rules
    Know the RulesSpring 2015

    Helpful Rules: If you think the rules exist to penalize, think again

    April 1, 2015
    By Jimmy Becker
  • Fall 2022Know the Rules

    Cut! Rulings Hollywood Got Wrong

    October 25, 2022
    By Jeff Ninnemann

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • 19th HoleFeaturedWinter 2023

    Best Ball Bar & Grill: Woodley Lakes GC Gets a Big Culinary Upgrade

  • FeaturedProfilesWinter 2023

    Unbreakable Spirit: The Amazing Journey of Tracy Drake

  • FeaturedProfilesWinter 2023

    A Steady Hand at the Helm: A Fond Farewell to SCGA Stalwart Kevin Heaney

  • Classic CourseFeaturedWinter 2023

    A Return to SoCal: The U.S. Open at LACC is the Start of Something Big

  • FeaturedSustainabilityWinter 2023

    Sun Spot: Indian Wells Golf Resort Goes Solar

FOLLOW US

Facebook 0Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Changing of the Guard: New Galleri Classic Set to Debut in the Desert

    By Judd Spicer
    February 7, 2023
  • New Year’s Daze: Looking Forward and Looking Back at your Handicap

    By Kevin O'Connor
    February 7, 2023
  • Grass by Design: Pure Research Yields New Strains of Drought-Tolerant Grass

    By Craig Kessler
    February 7, 2023
  • Best Ball Bar & Grill: Woodley Lakes GC Gets a Big Culinary Upgrade

    By David Weiss
    February 7, 2023
  • Making a Future in Golf a Reality: Skylar Graham and the Pathways Internship

    By Ken Van Vechten
    February 7, 2023
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Julie
    on
    November 13, 2022

    The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”

    Thanks for this. I ...
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...
  • Judy Carls
    on
    November 15, 2018

    The Gilded One: Eldorado CC

    Excellent magazine..thank you Judy Carls LPGA ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Julie on The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”
  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Judy Carls on The Gilded One: Eldorado CC
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise