Better Ball
Better ball is a golf format in which two players form a team, each plays their own ball throughout the hole, and the team’s score for that hole is the lower of the two partners’ scores.
What is better ball?
Better ball is a team format for two players who compete as a single side. Both partners play their own ball from the tee until it drops in the cup, exactly as they would in a normal round. Once the hole is finished, only the better of their two scores counts for the team. If one partner makes a 4 and the other makes a 6, the team writes down a 4 and moves on.
The format exists to blend individual golf with team play. Each golfer still plays a full hole and owns their result, yet a bad hole from one partner does little damage as long as the other posts a solid number. The USGA governs it under Rule 23 of the Rules of Golf, where it appears under the official name four-ball. It can be played as stroke play or match play, and scores can be counted gross or net depending on whether handicaps are in use.
One detail trips up newcomers: only one partner has to hole out. If a player is already out of a hole, they can pick up their ball once their partner has posted a good score, which keeps play moving.
How better ball scoring works
The scoring is simple once the lower-score-counts rule is clear. On each hole, both partners record their own strokes, and the smaller number becomes the team score. Those hole-by-hole team scores are added up across the round, and the side with the lowest total wins.
Take a par-4 as an example. Player A cards a 5 and Player B cards a 3. The team score for that hole is 3, and Player A’s 5 is set aside. On the next hole, A makes a 4 while B struggles to a 7, so the team takes A’s 4. After two holes, the running total is 7. The same logic repeats over all 18 holes.
Match play works differently. Instead of a running stroke total, the comparison happens hole by hole. The team with the lower better-ball score wins the hole, and whichever side is ahead when no more holes remain wins the match. This is the version seen in most televised team golf.
Better ball vs. other team formats
Most people searching for better ball are trying to tell it apart from the other team formats, which sound alike and get mixed up constantly. The table below lays out the differences.
| Format | Players per team | How the ball is played | Team score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better ball | 2 | Each player plays their own ball for the whole hole | Lower of the two partners’ scores |
| Best ball | 2, 3, or 4 | Each player plays their own ball for the whole hole | Lowest single score on the team |
| Scramble | 2 to 4 | Everyone hits, the best shot is chosen, and all play from that spot | One combined team score |
| Foursomes | 2 | Partners share one ball and alternate shots | The single score on that ball |
The closest relative is best ball. The two terms describe the same basic idea, and many golfers use them interchangeably. In practice, better ball almost always means a two-person team, which is what the USGA formally recognizes as four-ball. Best ball is the looser word, often applied when three or four players make up a side, a setup common at charity outings but not written into a specific USGA rule.
Scramble is the format people confuse with better ball most often, yet it plays differently. In a scramble, the team picks the single best shot after every stroke and everyone plays their next shot from that spot, so there is only ever one ball in play for the team. Better ball keeps every golfer on their own ball for the whole hole. Foursomes is different again: partners share one ball and take turns hitting it.
Where better ball is played
From weekend games with friends to the biggest events in the sport, the format turns up across a huge range of settings. At club level it anchors member-guest tournaments and league nights, largely because it lets players of different abilities pair up without one rough hole sinking the team.
At the professional level, the format is a fixture of team competition. The Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, and Solheim Cup all use four-ball match play as one of their session types. On the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has paired players in a team event since 2017, alternating four-ball with foursomes. The USGA also runs two national championships built entirely on the format, the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, both first played in 2015.
A quick note on names. When the format is played as match play, especially at the professional level, it is usually called four-ball. When it is played as stroke play at club events, better ball is the more common label. The game underneath is the same.
Related Golf Terms
- Stipulated round — The set of holes to be played in the correct order.
- Air shot — A swing that misses the ball entirely but still counts as a stroke.
- Handicap allowance — The percentage of full handicap applied for a given format.
- Anchoring — The banned technique of bracing a putter against the body.
- Double hit — Accidentally striking the ball more than once in a single stroke.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called four-ball?
Because four balls are in play at once. In the standard match-play version, two teams of two face each other, and all four golfers play their own ball throughout the hole.
How many players are on a better ball team?
Two. That is the defining feature of better ball and of the USGA’s four-ball format. Formats with three or four players to a side are usually called best ball instead.
Is better ball the same as best ball?
Almost. The scoring rule is identical, as the lowest score on the team counts. Better ball specifically means a two-person team, while best ball can refer to teams of two, three, or four.
Do both partners have to finish the hole?
No. Only one partner needs to hole out. Once a good score is on the board, the other can pick up, which speeds up the round.
Can better ball be played with handicaps?
Yes. It can be played gross or net. For net play, each golfer applies a handicap allowance set by the committee before the lower score is taken, which lets players of different levels compete fairly.
Sources
- USGA. “Rules Guide to Four-Ball.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/articles/2024/05/rules-guide-four-ball.html - USGA. “Rules of Golf, Rule 23: Four-Ball.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-clarifications/rules-and-clarifications.html#!ruletype=fr§ion=rule&rulenum=23 - Wikipedia. “Four-ball golf.” Accessed July 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-ball_golf - PGA of America. “What is Best Ball Golf vs. Scramble?” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.pga.com/story/what-is-best-ball-golf-vs-scramble - USGA. “U.S. Amateur Four-Ball” championship information. Accessed July 2026.
https://championships.usga.org/usamateurfourball.html - USGA. “U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball” championship information. Accessed July 2026.
https://championships.usga.org/uswomensamateurfourball.html
