Do you ever play foursomes?

[Kalen Braley]

I think the reason for the change is no more complex than what we see now....everyone wants to do what the pros do.

And 99% of what you see them do on the telly, for the last 1/2 century or so, is medal play...

P.S.  Here in the states at least, there is an extra wrinkle of: "I paid my green fee, I want to get the full value out of it and hit every shot"  And I can't disagree with that...

[Matt_Cohn]

I enjoy it the once each year I get to play it. That said, I would be unhappy if it were my only round at a cool course. I don't want to skip hitting half of the shots.


A 36 hole foursomes day would be great—tee off the evens one round and the odds the other.

[John Kavanaugh]

My first round at Pacific Dunes was foursomes. Didn’t miss a thing.

[Brent Carlson]

It's my favorite format.  I wish it were more prevalent in the states.  My local club has turned the annual alternate shot tournament into a shamble.  I prefer true alternate shot as there's more pressure.  Great format.

[John Kavanaugh]

I hate shamble gloat. Recently had a guy getting 22 strokes ask why we had used my score only on one hole.

[George Pazin]

I can't imagine a worse fate for anyone than to be paired with me in foursomes. It's one thing for me to have to play my shots, it's another for anyone else to......


The only time I did so was about 15 years ago with another amazing poster on here in the Pensacola area, no prizes for guessing, we all love and miss him. Alas, he and I weren't paired together, another suffered the unkind fate, for 6 holes anyway. I've never seen anyone so happy to trade partners.



I guess it depends on one's make up. I tend to feel guilty for any bad shot. I don't mind others', I'm used to playing mine, after all. I just get the feeling others don't feel the same.

[George Pazin]

Sorry, don't know what went wrong there. Doesn't matter, wasn't interesting.


Have a nice weekend, all.

[John Kavanaugh]

Only in foursomes can you try a heroic recovery without the shame. I love it when my partner hits a bad shot. House money.

[Garland Bayley]

I think the reason for the change is no more complex than what we see now....everyone wants to do what the pros do.

And 99% of what you see them do on the telly, for the last 1/2 century or so, is medal play...

P.S.  Here in the states at least, there is an extra wrinkle of: "I paid my green fee, I want to get the full value out of it and hit every shot"  And I can't disagree with that...

My impression is that at least at some UK clubs you get a discount for playing alternate shot. Is that correct? Might it just be for couples to play alternate shot?

[Richard Fisher]

To Garland's point, yes, it certainly used to be the case at clubs like Huntercombe and Woking that visiting societies or parties playing foursomes got a reduced green fee.


And many thanks both to Adam and to Niall for their v interesting comments on foursomes and 'posh'. It's also undeniably true that there has been a certain amount of 'invented tradition' at some of the now '2-ball' clubs: I well recall the late Bobby Furber saying that at many of these places in the 1940s and 1950s you could play pretty much any format you wanted, for the simple reason that there was hardly anyone about a lot of the time. That said, when I was a child there was a notice on the first tee at Harlech which stated that 'Fourball matches are permitted. but have no standing on the course'. That really is a vanished world.

[Tommy Williamsen]

When a buddy and I played Sunningdale, I was told that the New Course was the two-ball course and the Old was the four-ball course that day. We played the New, had lunch, and waited til about 3 pm when it was ok to play the Old. For clubs with two courses, it is an excellent way to go. The same was true at Walton Heath when we played it.

[Garland Bayley]

I've said it before, and perhaps its time to say again.  But why is everyone (who plays 4 somes at least) in such a damn rush to get the golf over with?  Why not enjoy the views and the architecture?

Perhaps if you weren't so busy enjoying the views and the architecture you could get out of bunkers Sandman.

[Ally Mcintosh]

When a buddy and I played Sunningdale, I was told that the New Course was the two-ball course and the Old was the four-ball course that day. We played the New, had lunch, and waited til about 3 pm when it was ok to play the Old. For clubs with two courses, it is an excellent way to go. The same was true at Walton Heath when we played it.

Tommy,


I think a lot of clubs also have visitor times as two-ball only for first hour or two in the morning to keep the speed of the course up through the day (not clog it up with fourballs right from the off)…


Like the comment on invented tradition by Richard. That has to be true.


Without reading the whole thread, assume someone has mentioned foursomes only works properly when the whole course is playing and understands it? The format should be significantly quicker than twoball singles with proper foursomes paths.


Has anyone then mentioned that it is designed more for better players; or at least those who haven’t topped a tee-shot for a number of years?

[Tony_Muldoon]

Is there the same debate in Tennis circles re doubles?
It has many of the things people don't like about foursomes. Only hit half the time...pressure of letting your partner down...
And it has many of the things I like about foursomes. More sociable...pressure of not letting your partner down adds interest to me.
Anyway both offer ways of keeping the game interesting and I do like variety.

[Adam Lawrence]

Interesting article by John Morrison (Colt's partner) on foursomes that I just found. I hope it is readable.

[Richard Fisher]

To Ally's point, it is the perfect Category Two winter game (in UK terms - handicaps 6ish to 10ish).


The Dinner Match Society (one of the great redoubts of foursomes in the USA, of which our founder Ran M is a member) has just completed its Autumn Meeting at Essex County with the usual welter of 36-hole foursome matches, off scratch, and, apparently, a (very) long lunch...

[MCirba]

Just played a modified alternate shot (both drive, select best one) during an afternoon round at Pacific Dunes with a partner who is a 24 and a really nice guy.


I wouldn't recommend it.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Just for fun, I played it at Musgrove Mill a bunch of years ago when I took three guys. I played from places I never knew existed. I have to admit it was fun, but then I was good friends with the other players. We played a "true" alternate shot. Whoever putted out the partner hit the tee ball. That is the way I grew up playing foursomes.

[David Ober]

Greensomes, ie where both players drive-off and they then pick which ball to play alternate shot with for the rest of the hole, is a format that isn’t played enough imo. Can be pretty tactical and strategic.
It used to be played in the Ryder Cup. Wish it still was.
Atb

Lots of clubs in SoCal are using a similar format in Invitationals and Member-Guests, etc.. What we call a "Shamble." Both players tee off, choose the best drive, and both players play in from their. Scoring can be either better ball of partners or aggregate. Great format and really speeds up play since there's almost always one ball in play off the tee. As the final day of a three day tournament, it's a blast.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Coincidentally, I’ve a 36 hole foursomes match this Saturday against a fellow Irish club.


That’s another aspect of the game in GB&I. Friendly, social club matches are often foursomes.

[Sean_A]

Greensomes, ie where both players drive-off and they then pick which ball to play alternate shot with for the rest of the hole, is a format that isn’t played enough imo. Can be pretty tactical and strategic.
It used to be played in the Ryder Cup. Wish it still was.
Atb

Lots of clubs in SoCal are using a similar format in Invitationals and Member-Guests, etc.. What we call a "Shamble." Both players tee off, choose the best drive, and both players play in from their. Scoring can be either better ball of partners or aggregate. Great format and really speeds up play since there's almost always one ball in play off the tee. As the final day of a three day tournament, it's a blast.

Another interesting format I like is


1st Both hit a drive
2nd Hit your partner's drive
3 Choose one 2nd shot and play alternate shot for the rest of the hole.


Ciao

[Tim Martin]

Greensomes, ie where both players drive-off and they then pick which ball to play alternate shot with for the rest of the hole, is a format that isn’t played enough imo. Can be pretty tactical and strategic.
It used to be played in the Ryder Cup. Wish it still was.
Atb

Lots of clubs in SoCal are using a similar format in Invitationals and Member-Guests, etc.. What we call a "Shamble." Both players tee off, choose the best drive, and both players play in from their. Scoring can be either better ball of partners or aggregate. Great format and really speeds up play since there's almost always one ball in play off the tee. As the final day of a three day tournament, it's a blast.

Another interesting format I like is


1st Both hit a drive
2nd Hit your partner's drive
3 Choose one 2nd shot and play alternate shot for the rest of the hole.


Ciao

That sounds fun!!!

[Daryl David]

"Chapman System" is the name of a 2-person team competition format for golfers that works like this: Both golfers on the side hit drives; Each plays the other's ball for the second shots;The best of the second shots is selected, and from there the two partners play alternate shot into the hole[/size].
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https://www.liveabout.com/chapman-system-golf-format-1560796

[Ken Moum]

Foursomes, Greensomes and Chapman are all fun.  The latter two being much less pressure than the former in that you don't have that one ball off the tee thing to deal with.


Chapman is only slightly less pressure than Greensomes.


As I said before, I've played hundreds of rounds of these formats in mixed competitions with my wife both here and in Scotland.  TBH, foursomes is also a lot of fun if you use Stableford scoring, especially on a links course where disaster can always be lurking around the corner.

[JohnVDB]

"Chapman System" is the name of a 2-person team competition format for golfers that works like this: Both golfers on the side hit drives; Each plays the other's ball for the second shots;The best of the second shots is selected, and from there the two partners play alternate shot into the hole.


https://www.liveabout.com/chapman-system-golf-format-1560796

That is also called Pinehurst in some places.  The West Penn GA had two events that used that format.  They were their Brothers and Father-Son events.