Foursomes - have you ever played?

[Tony_Muldoon]

I was lucky to be there last week and I noticed something that I'd not picked up when watching on TV.  I've never played this format I think because I feel I'd be getting less golf for my time and money.  However as events showed last week it's a much faster game to play and should be encouraged because it's also a fun format.

What I noticed that I'd failed to pickup before, with TV cutting back and forth between various matches, is that it's really 3 games at once.  To illustrate, last Saturday afternoon I followed Donald/Garcia and Toms/Mickleson over holes 11 to 15 (due to bottlenecks I didn't see 14 up close).  Because of the numbers we had to choose which bits of the holes we could position ourselves to see. This sequence has pars of 4,3,4,3,4, and what became apparent to me was on all those holes there was a contest between Sergio and Phil to hit the shot onto the green.  Luke and Davis were having a driving and putting contest against each other and the other two were trading iron shots.  It was fascinating stuff, we saw the approach shots and (from memory) the only time Phil was inside Sergio was on 12 - Luke had 3 makeable birdie putts (and made 2?).

Foursomes has the score match of partners going on  then two more contests where very specific skills are tested mano a mano.  Maybe I'm dim not to have picked this up before but it's left me aching to give it a go.  

I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who was there, what else surprised them and also from those who have played this format if they found it a particularly testing format.

[Mike Policano]

Tony,

I have played foursomes a few times.  Each time we played in carts after we walked 18.  It is a blast and gives you a little extra when 18 isn't enough, but 36 is too much.

[Darren_Kilfara]

Funny you should mention that, Tony - I just got picked to play for Dunbar in our opening match in the East Lothian Winter League (which was today against Royal Musselburgh), and much to my surprise I discovered on the first tee that all of the matches are at foursomes, which I'd never played before! I was particularly pleased to have a crack at foursomes in a team format so soon after watching the Ryder Cup on TV...

I have to say, it was a *lot* of fun. I think my span of concentration is only just about good enough for half a round's worth of shots anyway, but it really gets you hooked up with your partner in a way that better-ball doesn't, particularly in a match which means something. I made a couple of long-ish putts early on, which helped a lot; I think if you hit a bad shot or putt early on and then that part of your game gets frozen out for a while (e.g. in my match today I didn't hit a full-length approach shot into a green until the 7th hole), it can be really difficult to get back into the swing of it. I'd imagine it can also be really deflating if one of you is constantly putting your partner into trouble. But on the flip side, if you do something well, you really feel like you've done something for your partner and not just yourself - and when you both get in a good groove (which happened to us today), you can keep each other going more than you can when you're just fighting for yourself.

There's a fair amount of foursomes golf over here in the UK, actually, so I'm sure there are others with much more experience than I have, but I'm really keen to get out there and play in the league again!

Cheers,
Darren

[John Kavanaugh]

I try to play foresomes (alternate shot) any time we are stuck with cart path only on the second 18 of the day.

[John Foley]

Tony,

Started last year. Twice a year, three freinds & I have a two day throw down 36 a day grudge match. Lots of woofin, some wagering and much fun.  What made it so much more interesting is when we started playing the second 18 each day as foursomes and we have had a ball. It's just a ton of fun w/ the strategy & the comraderie it breeds.

[Tim Bert]

I have never played, but I've talked to a few friends about giving it a whirl because I think it would be good fun.  The problem is you need four guys that want to do it.  Most of my big golf trips end up being two or three, so I guess my biggest barrier is that I need more friends.

I have played a 2-man, 6 better ball, 6 scramble, 6 alternate shot format and that was fun.

The next time I'm in Oregon, I think my third free round is going to be alternate shot if I've got three agreeable partners.  Not sure why we didn't think of that last time we were there.  We were too busy trying to hit as many shots as possible for our bucks during our 54 hole marathons.

Maybe the Reverse Jans should give this format a try!

[Sean Leary]

I play in a flighted foursomes tournament each year at Diablo CC in the Bay Area. Great fun..

[James Bennett]

My club's father and son day is 'foursomes'.  Absolutely pure foursomes.  Dads hit off the first (I think) and sons from the second.  For the dads, it is the most important championship at the club.  For the sons, it is the second most important!  A bbq lunch follows the golf (I think some of you call it a 'cook-out').  We also used to play this (when it was really popular) as a three ball with six players.  Then, with a blind draw, it didn't matter as much who you were drawn with.

Tony, further to your initial post, I agree with your comment about the separate contests, between the odds tee shot players and the evens players.  I hadn't consciously thought about it, but you are right.  In foursomes you spend so much time walking as a two (either ahead of the tee shot players, or trying to catch up with the second shot players after the tee shot) that there is quite a bit of competitive pressure between your direct opponent.

Foursomes can be an incredibly quick game, 2 hours 40 minutes is achievable if you do it 'right'.

James B

[Steve_ Shaffer]

At my former club, we played a  Chapman format for the couples championship and played a select drive-alternate shot format for 9 holes of 27 in our version of the Ryder Cup.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I played a foursome match in a ryder Cup event in Belgium betwen our city and a sister region in Belgium. It was fun but very difficult to do so paired with someone I had never played with before. I also found it difficult to get a flow or rythem to the round.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Tony,
I enjoy it, well suited to my lazy side. First time for me was in a tournament with the Pro I eventually took over from at Hotchkiss. He was in his late 60s at the time and his words to me on the first tee were: "Jimmie, get ready to hit from places on this course that you've never been before". This was at Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington, Ma., and he was right, although we did beat it back and forth for a one over day, and I can't say that I've ever had more fun since.

I get out a couple of evenings with some of the players here and I can usually persuade them to play foursomes once in awhile. It's like pulling teeth to get them to do it but they always seem to enjoy it.

Too bad that public golf courses in the U.S. don't offer four for two green fees at particular times of the day to promote this format. It could add a few dollars to the coffers and bring a few more people onto the course.

[Mark Pearce]

My club has two major matchplay competitions, one singles and one foursomes.  I have a regular partner and always play in the foursomes.  We also have two or three foursomes medals a season and a mixed foursomes league.

When touring with friends we will always try to get at least one game of foursomes in, if numbers allow.  I also play in a society where the afternoon round is a foursomes Stableford.

Foursomes is a great game.  There is, undoubtedly more pressure on each shot because you are hitting fewer and you won't be playing the recovery if you screw up.  It is the fastest form of golf (perhaps why it is so popular at Muirfield).  I have to say that I far prefer it to Greensomes which is slower and,IMHO, less of a true test of golf and strategy.

[John Kavanaugh]

I just remembered...Played Pacific Dunes once and it was foursomes.  First round at the resort and the first tee time of the day....Pinehurst format so not as pure as it should have been...note: Not gonna explain format...look it up.

[wsmorrison]

My club has several foursomes events.  Like James, the Father-Junior event is played as alternate shot, ours for 9 holes.  My oldest son, David, and I won the tournament this year.  We have another event, the Legacy, which is a foursomes match with the team members from the same family at least one generation apart and the other family member doesn't have to be a member.  One of the bigger events on the club calendar is the Bobby Jones Tournament which is played in the foursomes format.  That's a lot of fun with a luncheon, golf, cocktails in tuxedos, a walk out on the golf course for a toast to Mr. Jones and then a sumptuous dinner of filet of beef or 3ib lobsters.  I go for the lobsters.

[Keith Durrant]

Are some courses better "tests" for foursomes? Has this been a design consideration on some courses? Should this be a major factor for routing plans?

For example, if all the par 3s (or par 5s) fall on the odd or even holes exclusively, wouldnt this 'unbalance' a match, where one team with a single player being a 'tiger of the tee' or expert iron player having a clear advantage before even teeing off?

[wsmorrison]

Keith,

Interesting you say that.  I know one course, Merion East, where all the par 3s are odd holes (3,9,13 and 17) and the two par 5s are on even holes (2 and 4).  

Given the constrained acreage, I think it just fell into place that way and was not a planned outcome.  If there is a foursomes pairing with a wide discrepency in handicaps, the lower handicapper usually plays the odd holes.

[Darren_Kilfara]

Are some courses better "tests" for foursomes? Has this been a design consideration on some courses? Should this be a major factor for routing plans?

For example, if all the par 3s (or par 5s) fall on the odd or even holes exclusively, wouldnt this 'unbalance' a match, where one team with a single player being a 'tiger of the tee' or expert iron player having a clear advantage before even teeing off?

I can't imagine that foursomes play is a design concern for anyone nowadays, and I'd rather doubt that it was in the past. But it is very interesting to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each player in a foursomes pair and then match them to the golf course before you begin play - in many cases it won't matter, but take my round at Dunbar yesterday. I teed off on the even holes, and here are the full shots I had to play on the front nine:

1: second shot - par 5 (fairway wood)
2: drive - par 5 (then pitch from just short of the green)
3: (none - par 3)
4: drive - par 4
5: (none - par 3)
6: drive - par 4
7: approach - par 4
8: drive - par 4
9: second shot - par 5 (fairway wood)

So on the front nine, I hit only one normal iron shot to approach a green - which as it happened suited us very well, because my partner's iron game was better than mine and I managed to both drive and putt competently. (I had more of the approaches on the back nine, although the distribution was more even.)

Cheers,
Darren

[Kevin Pallier]

It's a game that certainly tests friendships  

I find it's best played with players of similar abilities - sets the level of expectations so to speak...

[John Kavanaugh]

Cuscowilla foursomes group...We played out of one set of hickories as each group teed off at once.  The best part was when we had to let a group go through and one of the guys took this pic..

[Ally Mcintosh]

i've played a fair bit of foursomes and as someone said above, it is quite often used as a format in the UK and Ireland, especially in Scotland... in fact, there was a time when you could almost only get a visitor's time at Muirfield if you went out in a foursome...

however, i'm in agreement with sean arble on the merits of greensomes... you should all give that one a go (although it can make for a rather long round if you have an equally analytical partner - so much tactical discussion to be had)

[Johnny_Browne]

There is a lot of foursomes played in UK.  I have recently played 36 holes foursomes matches at Royal Portrush, Royal Co Down and am due to play the same at Muirfield this week. It is quick but puts quite a strain on your game - the key is to try to play your own game rather than changing to suit your partner. There is an all Ireland foursomes scratch inter club competition played annually (called the Barton Shield) which almost every club in Ireland enters.  There are also several other similar competitions for different handicap levels.
One other interesting facet here which should make all GCAers sit up and take notice is that there is a lot of mixed foursomes played all over the UK - this frequently puts quite a strain on some marriages as many husbands and wives play together and of course it leads to many (often true) jokes and stories.  It is definitely worth trying
Johnny Browne

[Tommy Williamsen]

Years ago the colub where my wife and I were members had  an annual "Scotch Foursome".  But it was true foursome format.  Whoever holed out the partner teed off on the next hole.  It was alternate shot from the opening tee shot till the final putt was holed on 18.  

[Glenn Spencer]

I have played it several times and I love it. I also think it produced one of the great rounds in junior golf history. In 1991, I played for Ohio in the Tri-State matches against Indiana and Kentucky at Firestone North. In the morning 70 was low for the best ball. In the afternoon, Matt Beckett and Kevin Lynch from Ohio shot a 67 from the back tees, for two 16-year old kids, I don't know how you could expect a finer round of golf in foursomes, nobody could believe the score. The wind was up and the golf course playing long and tough. These two shoot a 67 that was just beyond description. They shot 72 in the best ball, I believe.

[Dan Moore]

I will be playing for the first time next Sunday.

I'm curious from those who have played the format before, is it better to match players of similar or disimilar ability?  

Like Merion on the course we are playing all par 3s are odd numbered (3,5,7,11,17) and the 3 par fives are even numbered (2,4,12).  Interesting.  

[Johnny_Browne]

Dan,
Generally felt the stronger player should play the par 3s
Johnny