Not being familiar with

[Sean_A]

how shots are handled during many GCA, it seems to me that they tend to be without shots and trying to pair equally.  I have not played too much American fourball better ball, but when I did, it was always with full handicap difference.  I get the impression that GCA folks pair sometimes pair low with high cappers with no shots or some kind of combined shot difference.  

When I played with Scott B. and Brian G. at TR they came up with some kind of system for shots that I couldn't get my head around.  The gist of it was that high cappers lost most of their shots because of the pairing.  I am completely baffled.  How does this system work?

In the UK it is nearly always 3/4 the difference off the low capper.  So the low capper plays off scratch and the other three go from there.

Ciao

Sean

[ed_getka]

Sean,
   We cheat on this side of the pond.

[Jim Sweeney]

USGA Handicap system sugggests that competitors in four ball matches get 90% of their course handicaps. Once those are calculated, the three higher handicaps would receive the difference between their 'caps and the lowest 'cap, just as you described.

[Jim Sweeney]

The USGA Handicap System four ball handicap allowance is a recommendation. My experience is that one of two thinga actuall happen: 1. all players take all their strokes, or 2. there is some negotiation before the round.

There two ways to look at the issue. Either it's too bad that most people don't folow the USGA recommendation because it is based on research and found to be most equitable, or, since so few people actually keep handicaps properly, the recommendation makes no sense.

I am not aware of any other formal system for four ball handicap allowance. I suspecgt some clubs have systems which have developed over time and become traditional.