Greensome
A greensome is a two-player team format in which both partners tee off, the pair keeps the better of their two drives, and they then play alternate shots with that ball until the ball is holed.
What is a greensome?
A greensome is a team format built around a single shared ball, with one twist that sets it apart from other pairs games: both partners hit a drive on every hole. Once the two tee shots come to rest, the team chooses the one it prefers, lifts the other ball, and alternates strokes from the chosen spot to the hole.
The format sits between the freedom of individual golf and the strictness of foursomes, the traditional alternate-shot game. It is the forgiving one. A pair always has a second tee shot to fall back on, so a single wayward drive rarely does much damage to the hole. Golfers meet it most often at club competitions and society days, where the sociable feel suits a relaxed round.
A greensome can be scored as stroke play, match play or Stableford, and it suits mixed pairings as readily as single-gender teams. The name is a clue to its roots: greensomes is a close cousin of foursomes, and in several places it goes by names that spell out that family link.
How greensomes works
Play starts with both members of a team driving from the tee. The partners compare where the two balls finished and keep whichever one leaves them better placed. The player whose drive was not chosen then plays the next shot, and from there the two alternate until the ball is holed.
A short example makes the running order clear. Say Player A and Player B both drive, and the team likes Player A’s tee shot best. Player B plays next. From there the pair alternates to the hole, and the discarded drive still counts as the team’s first stroke even though two balls were struck.
Scoring then follows whichever format the pair is playing. In a stroke play round, the team writes down a gross score on each hole and takes off its handicap allowance at the end. Some competitions also require each partner’s drive to be used a set minimum number of times over the 18 holes, which stops a team from leaning on one strong driver all day.
Greensomes vs foursomes
The confusion between these two nearly always comes down to the tee shot, and that is the one line separating them. In foursomes, only one partner drives on each hole, with the players taking the odd and even holes between them. In greensomes, both partners drive every time and then pick the better ball.
| Feature | Greensomes | Foursomes |
|---|---|---|
| Tee shots | Both partners drive every hole | One partner drives per hole, alternating |
| Ball selection | Team keeps the better of two drives | No choice; the single drive is played |
| After the tee | Alternate shots to the hole | Alternate shots to the hole |
| Handicap allowance (WHS) | 60% low + 40% high | 50% of combined |
| General feel | More forgiving, sociable | Less forgiving, more exacting |
Because a team can throw out a poor drive, greensomes is the gentler of the two games. A single tee shot lost out of bounds rarely wrecks a hole, since the partner’s ball is usually in play. Foursomes has no such safety net, which is part of why it carries a reputation as one of the hardest formats to score in. Fourball is a different game again: there, each golfer plays their own ball throughout and the better of the two scores counts for the team.
How the greensomes handicap allowance works
Under the World Handicap System, the recommended greensomes allowance is 60% of the lower-handicapped player’s Course Handicap plus 40% of the higher-handicapped player’s, with the two figures added together. According to the USGA, that 60/40 split is the published allowance for the format. The lower handicapper carries the larger share because the right to select the better of two drives already tilts the odds in the team’s favour.
Here is the arithmetic on a sample pairing. If one partner has a Course Handicap of 10 and the other 20, the team plays off (10 x 0.6) + (20 x 0.4), which comes to 6 + 8, or 14 in total. When both partners hold the same handicap, the team simply halves the shared figure.
Match play starts from the same point. Each side works out its own allowance, and the lower total is subtracted from the higher to find how many shots pass between the teams. A difference of 3.2, for example, rounds to 3 shots. The same 60/40 allowance also covers closely related formats such as Canadian Greensomes and Chapman or Pinehurst.
Other names and variations
Greensomes travels under a surprising number of aliases, which is a big reason the format trips up newcomers. Depending on the club or country, the same game can appear on a scorecard as Scotch Foursomes, Canadian Foursomes, Foursomes with Select Drive, or Alternate Shot with Select Drive.
A few genuine variations change the mechanics rather than only the name:
- Pinehurst or Chapman: both partners drive, then each plays a second shot with the other partner’s ball. The team picks the better of those two balls and plays alternate shots from there.
- St Andrews (or Chinese) greensomes: the pair decides before the round who plays the second shot on the odd holes and who takes the evens, so both still drive, but the running order is fixed in advance.
- Gruesomes (or bloodsomes): the cruel inversion. Both partners drive, but the opposing team chooses which ball you must play, and they will pick the worse one. It shows up more as a betting game than a serious tournament format.
Mixed greensomes keeps the standard rules while pairing one man and one woman per side, a common setup at club mixed events.
Related Golf Terms
- Tin cup — Slang for stubbornly going for a heroic shot against the odds.
- Buzzard — Slang in some regions for a bogey or worse.
- Lawn dart — Slang for a high shot that plugs into soft turf on landing.
- Frosty — Slang for a round played in cold, frosted conditions.
- Snake — Slang for a long, winding putt that finds the hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which player hits the second shot in greensomes?
The partner whose drive was not selected. If the team keeps Player A’s tee shot, Player B plays the second, and the pair alternates from there.
Is greensomes played on professional tours?
No. The closest professional equivalent is foursomes, used at the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. Greensomes lives mainly in club and society golf.
What is the difference between greensomes and a scramble?
In a scramble, every player hits each shot and the team keeps the best ball each time. In greensomes, only the drive is chosen, and after that a single ball is played alternately.
Is greensomes easier than foursomes?
Off the tee, usually yes, because the team keeps the better of two drives. After the tee shot, the two formats play the same way, so scoring can still be demanding.
Sources
- United States Golf Association (USGA). “Handicap Allowances, Rules of Handicapping.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.usga.org/handicapping/roh/Content/rules/Committee%20Content/USGA/LG_R7h3.htm - The R&A. “Committee Procedures: Forms of Play.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.randa.org/en/rog/committee-procedures/9 - Golf Monthly. “What Is Greensomes?” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/what-is-greensomes - Golf Monthly. “The Difference Between Greensomes and Foursomes.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/the-game/greensomes-and-foursomes-the-differences-66430 - England Golf (iGolf). “What Is Greensomes in Golf?” Accessed July 2026.
https://englandigolf.co.uk/igolf-blog/what-is-greensomes-in-golf/ - National Club Golfer. “World Handicap System Handicap Allowances.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/whs/world-handicap-system-handicap-allowances/ - Bunkered. “Golf Explained: How to Play Greensomes.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/how-to-play-greensomes/
