What Are Fun 4-Man Team Golf Games to Play in Ryder Cup Format?

Tired of the standard weekend scramble? Setting up a 4-man Ryder Cup style match is the fastest way to inject some serious competition and camaraderie into your regular game. This article will walk you through exactly how to set up and play the classic team formats - Four-Ball and Foursomes - so you can turn any round with your buddies into a memorable team event.

Getting Your 4-Man Ryder Cup Started

The beauty of a Ryder Cup format is its simplicity: it’s two teams of two, competing head-to-head. You and your three buddies will split into a pair of teams, Team A and Team B, for a day of match play. Points are handed out for winning a match, not for your total score, which keeps things interesting right up to the final putt.

Step 1: Forming the Teams

The goal is to create two evenly matched teams to keep the competition tight. Here are a couple of solid ways to do it:

• A & B Players: Find the two lowest handicap players (the "A" players) and the two higher handicap players (the "B" players). Each team gets one of each. The lowest handicap player teams with the highest, and the two middle handicaps team up. This usually creates the most balanced competition.
• Blind Draw: If everyone’s a similar skill level or you just want to mix things up, write the four names on scraps of paper and pull two for Team A, leaving the remaining two as Team B. It’s all about the luck of the draw.

Step 2: Understanding Match Play Scoring

Unlike stroke play, where every shot is tallied at the end, match play is a hole-by-hole competition. The team with the lower score on a given hole wins that hole.

• If your team scores a 4 and the other team scores a 5, you go “1 up.”
• If they win the next hole, the match is now “all square.”
• This continues until one team is ahead by more holes than there are left to play. For example, if you are “3 up” with only 2 holes remaining, you’ve won the match 3&2.

Each planned round (e.g., morning Four-Ball, afternoon Foursomes) is a separate match worth one point for your team. The team with the most points at the end of the day wins the cup and, more importantly, the bragging rights.

Game #1: The Morning Classic - Four-Ball

Four-Ball, often called Best Ball, is the perfect format to ease into the day. It’s a bit more relaxed than its counterpart, Foursomes, and allows every player to play their own ball from tee to green. This freedom lets players get aggressive and go for some hero shots.

How to Play Four-Ball

The rules are wonderfully simple:

1. All four players play their own golf ball for the entire hole.
2. At the end of the hole, compare scores. The single lowest score from a player on Team A becomes that team's score for the hole. The same goes for Team B.
3. The team with the lower of the two “best ball” scores wins the hole.

Example: On a par 4, Player 1 (Team A) makes a 4 and their partner Player 2 (Team A) makes a 5. Team A's score is a 4. Meanwhile, Player 3 (Team B) makes a 5 and their partner Player 4 (Team B) makes a 6. Team B's score is a 5. Team A wins the hole and goes “1 up.”

Strategy for Four-Ball Success

Four-Ball is all about tactical partnership. You’re not just playing your own game, you’re playing off your partner. The most effective approach is the &ldquo,Safe &, Aggressive&rdquo, strategy.

• Player 1 (The Anchor): This player’s job is to secure a par. They play conservatively, hit fairways and greens, and lag putts close. Their goal is simply to be “in the hole” and put a number on the board that the other team has to beat. This takes the pressure off their partner.
• Player 2 (The Gunslinger): With the anchor player safely in play, this player is freed up to take chances. They can hit driver where others might hit an iron, fire at tucked pins, or run a long putt past the hole trying to drain it. If it pays off, you get a birdie and likely win the hole. If it doesn’t, the anchor player’s par is there as a safety net.

Communicate before each hole. Decide who feels more comfortable being the anchor on that particular tee shot. A little bit of planning goes a long way in this format.

Game #2: The Ultimate Test - Foursomes (Alternate Shot)

If Four-Ball is about collaboration, Foursomes is about pure, unadulterated teamwork. This is where friendships are forged (or tested!). In this format, partners play a single golf ball, taking turns hitting each shot until the ball is holed.

How to Play Foursomes

The partnership starts before you even hit a ball. First, your team must decide which player will tee off on the odd-numbered holes and which will tee off on the even-numbered holes. This decision is strategic.

1. On Hole #1 (an odd number), your designated player tees off.
2. Their partner hits the second shot.
3. They continue alternating shots until the ball is in the cup.
4. On Hole #2 (an even number), the other player tees off, and the alternation continues.

Strategy for Foursomes

Foursomes is a mental puzzle as much as it is a physical one. Keeping a positive attitude and supporting your partner is a massive part of winning.

• The #1 Rule of Foursomes: Never apologize! Everyone is going to hit a bad shot. Saying "sorry" just adds pressure and negativity. A simple "don't worry about it, I'll get us back in play" is infinitely more powerful.
• Know Your Strengths: Before the round, look at the scorecard. Who is the better driver on the team? Who has the better iron game? If the difficult par 3s are all on even-numbered holes, you may want your best iron player teeing off on the evens. If the most demanding driving holes are on the odds, have your most accurate driver hit on those.
• Leave Your Partner Well: This is the golden rule. Your primary job is not to hit the hero shot, but to put your partner in a position where they have a reasonable next shot. Avoid leaving them in a bunker, behind a tree, or with a downhill slider for a putt. Playing "smart" and "safe" leads to pars, and pars win a lot of holes in Foursomes.

Adding Handicaps to the Mix

Using handicaps ensures that players of all abilities can compete fairly. The calculations are a little different for each format:

• Four-Ball Handicap: All four players calculate their course handicap. Then, each player receives a percentage of that handicap (usually 90% for men or 95% for women) to use for the round. You apply strokes on holes based on their difficulty ranking on the scorecard.
• Foursomes Handicap: This one is simpler. Partners combine their course handicaps and then take 50% of the total. For example, if Player A is a 10 and Player B is a 20, their combined handicap is 30. Their Foursomes team handicap would be 15. The opposing team does the same, and the difference is awarded to the higher-handicap team.

Final Thoughts

Organizing a Ryder Cup match with your four-some is a fantastic way to break up an ordinary golf routine and introduce a healthy dose of team-based pressure and excitement. Whether you play just one format or make it a full 36-hole day, these games challenge your golf skills, your strategy, and your ability to work with a partner.

Of course, no matter the format, you're always faced with the same questions on the course: what club to hit, what target to aim for, or how to play a tricky lie. For those moments of uncertainty when you need a little expert advice, we built Caddie AI. It gives you instant, 24/7 access to a golf coach in your pocket, and can even analyze a photo of your lie to give you a smart way to play the shot. Our goal is to take the guesswork out of your game so you feel more confident over every swing and can focus on playing your best golf.