OT-Alt shot(foursomes) why?

[Tim Leahy]

Why do they play alt shot competitions in international matches? Does anyone play alt shot in home matches? I can't say I have ever seen a USGA alt shot tournament. Does anyone enjoy this format?

[Tom_Doak]

I think it's a great format for a team match, to have two guys actually have to play as a team, and partly depend on what the other guy is doing.


It's also a great social game.


Most Americans can't abide it because they don't get to post a score at the end of the round.  That's yet another reason to like it.

[William_G]

I think it's a great format for a team match, to have two guys actually have to play as a team, and partly depend on what the other guy is doing.


It's also a great social game.


Most Americans can't abide it because they don't get to post a score at the end of the round.  That's yet another reason to like it.

yep just another way Americans have fffd up golf

[Michael Wolf]

No better day in golf than foursomes at a Rye, Muirfield or Sandwich...with a nice lunch in the middle.

[Michael Felton]

I played a twosome at RSG one day and we played in about 2 hours and 40 minutes and had to let two groups through as we played. They do not mess around playing foursomes. It's a fantastic game and my favourite tournament I play in each year (the Halford Hewitt) is foursomes. It's fairly popular in the UK although I think as time goes by it's becoming more restricted to the traditional older clubs (like the Open venues for example).


It's the purest form of the game. There's no hiding place. You have to play your shots and your partner could be the best player in the world and you still have to hold your own. I love it.

[Ken Moum]

Why do they play alt shot competitions in international matches? Does anyone play alt shot in home matches? I can't say I have ever seen a USGA alt shot tournament. Does anyone enjoy this format?

He'll, I got married so I could play in the SD State Husband and Wife Championship.


My wife and I love playing it, and watching it.


No form of competitive golf is more demanding, IMHO. ESPECIALLY if you're sleeping with your partner.


Everything you do wrong has to be handled by your partner, and you have to accept what they do and play the next shot.


It's possible to go several holes without hitting a putt of any length.


And the fact that clubs like Muirfield amd Luffness New play it for fun makes it even more appealing.

[Michael Wolf]

I believe the couples club championship at Moraine is decided with 18 holes of foursomes. Not for the faint of heart.


Michael

[David_Elvins]

It's a great way to play your second round of the day. 


Which is what will happen tomorrow. 


Would recommend watching tomorrow and watching the different strategies off the tee between 4 ball and foursomes.  The different strategies will highlight  the architecture very well. 

[Ryan Carey]

Tim, alt shot is an incredible team format. If you’ve never played it, please seek out an event that does it and I’m quite confident you will “get” it. There’s simply nothing like the pressure of not wanting to put your partner in a bad spot.

And imagine if your partner was Tiger Woods....

[Matthew Rose]

I've only done it once, but I had an absolute blast.

[Pete_Pittock]

Tradition. History.
The Walker Cup, nearly a century ago set up the competition, with each side choosing (what I assume was) their favourite format.
The only way foursome play will be eliminated is by the Europeans ceding to the Americans. Not a likely scenario.

[Matt_Cohn]

It's a great way to play your second round of the day. 

YES. Four ball in the morning, alternate shot in the afternoon.

[Jason Topp]

I also think it provides a vastly superior television viewing experience.  Play moves more quickly and bad shots have more significant consequences.

[Thomas Dai]

Not sure if they’ve ever played it in the Pressie Cup but in the Ryder Cup once upon a time they also used to play Greensomes format ..... ie pairs where both players tee off and then one of the balls is selected and it’s alternate shot for the rest of the hole. Cool format. Quite a bit of strategy and tactics. Wish they still played it.
Atb

[Adrian_Stiff]

Not sure if they’ve ever played it in the Pressie Cup but in the Ryder Cup once upon a time they also used to play Greensomes format ..... ie pairs where both players tee off and then one of the balls is selected and it’s alternate shot for the rest of the hole. Cool format. Quite a bit of strategy and tactics. Wish they still played it.
Atb

The formats been changed a few times but I did not know they have ever strayed away from Singles, Fourball or Foursome.
We play a Bluesome, both players play two shots then decide who plays the third, then alternate.

[Kyle Harris]

Purest? No. No game in the sport has that designation.


Fun? Absolutely!


However, it's the purview of club play. I'm not playing in foursomes at a daily fee course unless it's one I've played several dozen times or as a second throw for the day.

[Dan Boerger]

We have a one day M/G each year where teams of two play 27 holes. 9 of best ball, 9 of add-em-up (carnage at times) and, then after lunch and teams are seeded, 9 of alternate shot. Very fun day and the last 9 goes quickly as mentioned here.

[John Mayhugh]

I also think it provides a vastly superior television viewing experience.  Play moves more quickly and bad shots have more significant consequences.

Not sure how watching it on tv doesn't make more people intrigued enough to give it a try. Same benefits.
I much prefer foursomes to greensomes as long as lost balls from the tee are reasonably avoidable.

[Jason Topp]

I also think it provides a vastly superior television viewing experience.  Play moves more quickly and bad shots have more significant consequences.

Not sure how watching it on tv doesn't make more people intrigued enough to give it a try. Same benefits.
I much prefer foursomes to greensomes as long as lost balls from the tee are reasonably avoidable.

Agree and I think the game is even better at our level of play.  You are never out of a hole.

[Mark Pearce]

My home club has two major knock-out competitions.  One is foursomes.  We also have two foursomes medals each year.


Elie has two significant annual foursomes competitions.


A standard day with a member at Muirfield is singles in the morning, lunch, foursomes in the afternoon.


We play two rounds of five as foursomes at BUDA, and I think people would object strongly if we changed that.


I have an annual spring trip with friends where the second round every day is foursomes.


I love the format for all the reasons people have mentioned above.  If you haven't played foursomes or don't enjoy it I feel a bit sorry for you.

[jeffwarne]

I think it's a great format for a team match, to have two guys actually have to play as a team, and partly depend on what the other guy is doing.


It's also a great social game.


Most Americans can't abide it because they don't get to post a score at the end of the round.  That's yet another reason to like it.

a regular part of my UK trips-have never heard a complaint
Particularly enjoyable on a multi day/course  trip or when time is short (for example in November we were able to drive from Portsmouth, play a 2 1/2 hour foursomes match at Royal Ashdown Forest and comfortably catch an afternoon flight from Gatwick)
I've never laughed so hard as when my opponent's partner topped it off the tee on the sharply uphill 7th(leaving him to walk well back down the hill he had just climbed)...,,,...until my partner did the exact same

[Jeff Schley]

I played foursomes probably 10 or so times this year and it really grew on me.  Several reasons:
1. you play at least 1 or 1 1/2 hours quicker than normal fourball matches.2. you are waiting in the fairway for your partner to hit or up at the green of par 3's which makes for a leisurely walk and perspective with your opponent in tow.3. it takes less energy as others have mentioned and quite an easy 2nd round of a day.
Sans the handicap score reporting I believe it would be a nice format for many clubs to utilize with regularity as what is the biggest complaint of golf?  The time it takes! Perhaps we don't have to reinvent the wheel only rethink what the norm should be, which is already prevalent across the pond.

[John Mayhugh]

I've never laughed so hard as when my opponent's partner topped it off the tee on the sharply uphill 7th(leaving him to walk well back down the hill he had just climbed)...,,,...until my partner did the exact same

The risk of walking ahead, but that's really the only way to do it time-wise. A fun aspect of foursomes is how you spend less time with your partner than you do your competition. Very sociable way to play.

[Mark Smolens]

I was invited to join the competition between the Deal group and Flossmoor a few years back (thanks again Chappers). Four ball in the morning and foursomes in the afternoon, followed by a post dinner introduction to Kümmel (sp?) — the only real difficulty was having been over served a multitude of gin and tonics at the Chicago Club the night before. Foursomes for the second round of the day was great fun.  Loved making a 15 footer for birdie on #12 before my partner had even reached the green.


Straight alternate shot (“sorry partner”) is something I’d play at any opportunity

[Mark Chaplin]

Mark would you believe that was 10 years ago!


I’ve slightly reduced my foursomes play, it’s probably 75% of my golf, the rest is two ball and probably 5 fourball games a year, all away from home.


People over estimate how much foursomes golf is played in the UK, there are very few two ball only clubs, maybe 30 in the UK.