OT-Alt shot(foursomes) why?

[Dan Gallaway]

Great for a second round of the day or non-daily fee play.....but requires everyone on the course to be playing foursomes.  Tough to accomplish at Chambers Bay on a Saturday afternoon.

[Anthony Gholz]

My wife and my first trip to Scotland we stayed at Greywalls and sat on the bench along the 9th and watched the members come up.  First time I had seen foursomes in "real" life (non TV).  Once the ball was off the tee the motion never stopped.  If you weren't actually the one hitting the ball you were moving forward with trolleys not caddies.  They must have played in under 3 hours. 


Anthony

[Padraig Dooley]

Would Foursomes be more popular if the green fee was per ball? 2 balls in play but 4 players. Same charge as if there was 2 singles?

[John McCarthy]

It is great for a second 18 for middle aged dudes like me.  Fewer swings - and I take a lot of swings.

[David_Tepper]

From the website of the Senior Golfer's Society (UK):

"One of the guiding principles of the Society is that Foursomes is the finest form of golf known to man.  All our matches are played as foursomes and we encourage our visitors from overseas to discover the delights of the format."

https://www.seniorgolferssociety.com/

[Tom_Doak]

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.

Mark:


I did not realize there were even that many.


The only ones I know of for sure are Rye and Brancaster.  Maybe Royal Worlington & Newmarket and New Zealand ?  I never asked at Swinley Forest, but have only played in a twosome there.


What are some of the others?

[Daryl David]

From the FineGolf website.


For those who prefer playing quickly and the sociablity of foursomes, I have drawn up a list of clubs where foursomes is the favoured game. It is interesting to note that they nearly all also welcome dogs as well as being some of the ‘finest’ golf clubs in the UK!
[/color]Royal West Norfolk at Brancaster, Aldeburgh, Swinley Forest, Muirfield, Rye, West Sussex, Royal Ashdown, Royal Worlington and Newmarket, Ganton, New Zealand, Woking, Royal St Georges, Royal Cinque Ports at Deal, Prestwick, Huntercombe, Littlestone.[/size]
[/color]The Berkshire, Sunningdale,  Walton Heath and Frilford Heath, rotate their two/three courses between 2 and 4 ballplay.[/size]
[/color]Royal County Down , Hunstanton, and Piltdown I am told reserve a decent amount of Tee-time for 2-ball matches.[/size]

[Mark Pearce]

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.

Mark:


I did not realize there were even that many.


The only ones I know of for sure are Rye and Brancaster.  Maybe Royal Worlington & Newmarket and New Zealand ?  I never asked at Swinley Forest, but have only played in a twosome there.


What are some of the others?

Errr...


HCEG.  Royal St George's.  Royal Cinque Ports.  You knew these if you thought for a moment.

[Tim Martin]

I love to watch the foursomes whether it’s Walker Cup, Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. Always an exciting format with players at that level.

[David Harshbarger]

Would Foursomes be more popular if the green fee was per ball? 2 balls in play but 4 players. Same charge as if there was 2 singles?

If you think like a indoor simulator operator....then yes! 


The challenge would be getting people to abide by the rules.  That's where the club culture is so important.  In the states you'd have to have armed Marshalls enforcing the two-ball limit. (You would have a waiting list for that job in some areas :0)

[Jeff Schley]

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.

Mark:


I did not realize there were even that many.


The only ones I know of for sure are Rye and Brancaster.  Maybe Royal Worlington & Newmarket and New Zealand ?  I never asked at Swinley Forest, but have only played in a twosome there.


What are some of the others?

Errr...


HCEG.  Royal St George's.  Royal Cinque Ports.  You knew these if you thought for a moment.

I think West Sussex and Royal Worlington & Newmarket can be included.

[Sean_A]

There are reasons 4somes isn't overly popular.  First, the course needs to be set for 2ball play.  For publics, that is not gonna happen.  For privates, the entire culture of the club needs to be changed.  Second, many courses aren't routed well for 4somes. Third, many people don't want to walk a course twice to play "all the shots".  Contrary to what some people think, a 4ball on the same type of private courses will play faster than two rounds of 4somes...and it should be by quite a decent amount of time...and that is assuming no break between 4somes games.

I like 4somes once in a while if it is a guaranteed quick game...which isn't always the case even at 2ball courses.  If there is any doubt about the pace, I far prefer Greensomes because everybody gets to hit a drive, and its actually a more strategic game than 4somes.  I have actually played a combo of the two when it was easy for players to split in terms of two players getting ahead. Where 4somes really shines is when bad weather is coming in and the game needs to be a quickie.

Happy Hockey

[Tony_Muldoon]

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.

Mark:


I did not realize there were even that many.


The only ones I know of for sure are Rye and Brancaster.  Maybe Royal Worlington & Newmarket and New Zealand ?  I never asked at Swinley Forest, but have only played in a twosome there.


What are some of the others?

Errr...


HCEG.  Royal St George's.  Royal Cinque Ports.  You knew these if you thought for a moment.

I think West Sussex and Royal Worlington & Newmarket can be included.

Whilst not as strictly two ball clubs I would be very surprised if all the Open rota courses (bar Turnberry) shouldn't be on the list as frequent players of foursomes.


I would be flabber ghasted if not regularly played at. Troon, Prestwick, Hoylake, RCD.


I also believe I've heard tell it is common at Littlestone, Porthcawl, Aldeburgh. RMS and one of the two courses at Walton Heath is normally reserved for two ball play.

[Adam Lawrence]

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.

Mark:


I did not realize there were even that many.


The only ones I know of for sure are Rye and Brancaster.  Maybe Royal Worlington & Newmarket and New Zealand ?  I never asked at Swinley Forest, but have only played in a twosome there.


What are some of the others?

Huntercombe is rigorous, but most of the old line clubs have restrictions on fourball play. Woking is basically a two ball course, I'm surprised you didn't remember that!

[Jim Franklin]

I love it. We have a weekly game here.

[Mark Pearce]

Tony,


I know that Prestwick (like HCEG) allows fourballs on visitor day mornings but foursomes int the afternoon.  I assume members are strictly 2 ball.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Would Foursomes be more popular if the green fee was per ball? 2 balls in play but 4 players. Same charge as if there was 2 singles?

Very much doubt it.  At the club's where it's played, vfm isn't the main usp.  The members don't pay per round.  They also realise the game is more intense AND more social, making it a preferred use of their time.


If you were trying to have an Open day to attract more first timers to see the course it is debatable as to its appeal, even at "half price".

[Sean_A]

The only club I know of which encourages 4some play with cheaper greenfees is Brancaster. Last I checked, it was cheaper to play 36 holes of 4somes than it was for 18 holes as singles. It makes sense to me.

Happy Hockey

[Michael Felton]

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.

Mark:


I did not realize there were even that many.


The only ones I know of for sure are Rye and Brancaster.  Maybe Royal Worlington & Newmarket and New Zealand ?  I never asked at Swinley Forest, but have only played in a twosome there.


What are some of the others?

Errr...


HCEG.  Royal St George's.  Royal Cinque Ports.  You knew these if you thought for a moment.

I think West Sussex and Royal Worlington & Newmarket can be included.

Whilst not as strictly two ball clubs I would be very surprised if all the Open rota courses (bar Turnberry) shouldn't be on the list as frequent players of foursomes.


I would be flabber ghasted if not regularly played at. Troon, Prestwick, Hoylake, RCD.


I also believe I've heard tell it is common at Littlestone, Porthcawl, Aldeburgh. RMS and one of the two courses at Walton Heath is normally reserved for two ball play.

Walton has a 2 ball course and a 3/4 ball course at any given time. It switches up which is which by morning or afternoon most days. Sometimes it's all day one way. That said, the majority of the games on the 2 ball course at 2-balls. There are foursomes events (I think a lot of clubs in the UK have a winter foursomes knockout style event). RSG is a 2-ball course. A lot of people go out and play foursomes there. There will be some 2-balls, but I think not the majority.

[Tony_Muldoon]

(I think a lot of clubs in the UK have a winter foursomes knockout style event).

Yes indeed good point,  I'd overlooked this. Once again the advantage is more sociability and less time on the course (when its often cold and Narsty).




If you allow this as counting towards Clubs where Foursomes is 'regularly played', the total no shoots right up. I'd say more than doubling, at least 60-100 clubs in UK have such a comp? (pure guesswork).


The majority of these clubs will play their Summer pair(team) comp., as 4 ball.

[Thomas Dai]

From Hunstanton GC’s website -


“While predominantly a two-ball course for singles and foursomes play, four-balls may be played throughout the year on Tuesdays from 9.00am and after 1pm on Sundays in the summertime”


Atb