Chapman
The Chapman format is a two-person team golf game in which both partners tee off, switch balls for their second shots, then pick the better ball and play it alternately until it is holed.
What is the Chapman format?
A Chapman pairs two golfers into a single team that produces one score per hole. It was designed to let players of different abilities compete together fairly, which is why it turns up so often at club competitions and charity outings.
The game borrows from two older formats. The opening resembles four-ball, because everyone drives and the team gets to choose between two balls. The finish resembles foursomes, or alternate shot, where the pair plays a single ball in turn until the hole is done. That blend is what gives the format its character.
It also answers to several other names. Many clubs list it as the Pinehurst System or Pinehurst Foursomes, after the North Carolina resort where it first caught on. Others call it American Foursomes or Chapman Foursomes. A Chapman can be scored as stroke play or as match play, so it fits both large field events and a simple pairs match.
How the Chapman format works
Play begins with both partners hitting drives from the tee. Then comes the twist that gives the format its name: each golfer walks to the other partner’s ball and plays it for the second shot. The longer hitter takes on the shorter drive, and the shorter hitter gets the longer one.
After both second shots are struck, the pair compares them and keeps whichever sits in the better spot. The other ball is picked up. From that point the hole becomes alternate shot, played with the chosen ball until it drops.
One detail trips up more Chapman players than any other. The partner whose second shot was not selected is the one who hits the third. If the team keeps Player A’s ball, Player B plays next, and the two then alternate to the hole. The outcome is a single team score for that hole.
Par 3s work the same way, just compressed. Both players hit tee shots, then each plays the partner’s ball, and the pair keeps the better of the two before finishing in turn. On a good par 3 both balls might already sit on the green, which can leave the team two looks at a birdie before one is chosen.
There is a quiet strategic layer here too. Choosing which second shot to keep also decides which partner plays the next shot, so a team will sometimes keep the slightly worse-positioned ball to put its stronger player over the following stroke.
Chapman vs. other two-person formats
Most people searching for the Chapman arrive because they have mixed it up with another pairs format. The differences come down to when a team chooses its ball and how many balls stay in play.
| Format | Tee shots | Ball selection | Rest of the hole | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman | Both partners drive | Swap balls for the second shot, then keep the better second shot | Alternate shot to the hole | Pairs of differing ability |
| Greensomes (Scotch foursomes) | Both partners drive | Keep the better drive right away | Alternate shot from the second shot | Pairs wanting a gentler alternate shot |
| Foursomes (alternate shot) | One partner drives, taking turns by hole | No choice, one ball throughout | Alternate shot the whole hole | Experienced or evenly matched pairs |
| Scramble | All players drive | Keep the best shot after every stroke | Everyone plays from the chosen spot each time | Beginners and casual outings |
The sharpest confusion is with greensomes, sometimes called Scotch foursomes. Both formats start with two drives, but greensomes picks the best drive right away and never swaps balls. The Chapman keeps both balls one shot longer and forces the swap, which is the single thing that sets it apart. Against a scramble the gap is wider still, since a scramble lets every player hit every shot while the Chapman hands the pair only one ball from the third stroke on.
Handicaps in the Chapman format
Because the format is built for uneven pairings, handicapping matters. Under the World Handicap System, a Chapman team takes 60% of the lower partner’s Course Handicap and adds 40% of the higher partner’s. The two figures are combined into one team allowance that comes off the gross score.
A short example shows the effect. If one partner plays off 8 and the other off 20, the team allowance is (0.6 x 8) plus (0.4 x 20), which works out to 4.8 plus 8.0, or roughly a 13-shot allowance for the round. The same 60/40 split is used for greensomes, so many club scorecards treat the two together.
Older references sometimes mention a flat 50% of the combined handicaps, a method the USGA applied in earlier decades. The 60/40 allowance is the current recommendation, though individual clubs may round differently under their own terms of competition.
Why it’s called the Chapman format
The name comes from Dick and Eloise Chapman, a golfing couple who devised the game at Pinehurst in the late 1940s. According to the USGA, the idea took shape in March 1947, when the Chapmans tried out “selected seconds” during two rounds against another couple and found it evened out the sides. Dick Chapman liked it enough to donate two trophies to Pinehurst, and the resort has run Chapman tournaments since 1947.
Chapman was a formidable amateur in his own right. He won the 1940 U.S. Amateur and the 1951 British Amateur. He also played on three winning Walker Cup teams and appeared in the Masters 19 times. Time magazine once called him “the Ben Hogan of amateur golf.” His link to Pinehurst is why the format still carries both names today.
Related Golf Terms
- Greensome — A format where both partners tee off, then alternate shots with the chosen ball.
- Lawn dart — Slang for a high shot that plugs into soft turf on landing.
- Buzzard — Slang in some regions for a bogey or worse.
- Tin cup — Slang for stubbornly going for a heroic shot against the odds.
- Snake — Slang for a long, winding putt that finds the hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Chapman format the same as Pinehurst?
Yes. Pinehurst System and Pinehurst Foursomes are alternate names for the Chapman, and the rules are identical. The label on the entry form is the only thing that changes.
How many players are on a Chapman team?
Two. A group of four splits into two pairs, and larger fields play as multiple two-person teams scored against one another.
Who plays the third shot in a Chapman?
The partner whose second shot was not chosen. If the team keeps one player’s second shot, the other player hits next, and they alternate from there.
Is the Chapman played as stroke play or match play?
Either works. Large events usually run as stroke play, while a single pairs contest often suits match play.
What handicap allowance does the Chapman use?
Under the World Handicap System, 60% of the lower Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher, combined into one team figure.
Sources
- United States Golf Association (USGA). “Handicap Allowances.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/handicapallowances-detailed.pdf - The R&A. “Rules of Golf, Rule 22: Foursomes (Alternate Shot).” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.randa.org/en/rog/the-rules-of-golf/rule-22 - Golf Compendium. “The Chapman System Golf Format Explained.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfcompendium.com/2022/08/chapman-system-golf-format.html - Golf Digest. “Rules of Golf Review: Foursomes, Alternate Shot and the Provisional Ball.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rules-of-golf-review-foursomes-alternate-shot-provisional-ball-who-hits-order-of-play - Wikipedia. “Foursomes.” Accessed July 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foursomes
