What Is Round Robin in Golf?

If you and your regular golf buddies are searching for a competitive format that keeps a foursome engaged for all 18 holes, the Golf Round Robin is a fantastic game to learn. This format ensures that even if one partnership gets blown out early, every player has a fresh chance to win with a new partner right around the corner. This guide will break down exactly how a Round Robin works, from the rotating partners to the final scorecard tally, so you can bring this exciting game to your next round.

What Exactly Is a Golf Round Robin?

At its core, a Round Robin is a rotating-partner match play game designed for a group of four golfers. Think of it not as one long 18-hole match, but rather as three separate 6-hole matches played back-to-back. Over the course of the round, you will be partners with each of the other three golfers in your group for one of those six-hole segments. It’s a dynamic format that tests your individual play while constantly changing the team dynamic.

The main attraction of a Round Robin is its ability to maintain competitive balance and interest throughout the entire day. Unlike a standard team match where one dominant pair can run away with the victory early on, the Round Robin keeps everyone in the game. Have an off couple of holes? That’s alright, in a few holes, you’ll have a new partner and a fresh start. This structure levels the playing field and ensures that the final payout isn’t decided until the last putts drop on the 18th green.

How the Round Robin Format Works: The Six-Hole Matches

The 18-hole round is split into three distinct 6-hole matches. The partners rotate automatically after each block of six holes. To make it clear, let’s imagine a foursome with four players: Player A, Player B, Player C, and Player D.

Here’s how the partnerships would break down over the course of the day:

• Match 1 (Holes 1-6): The first match pits Player A and Player B against Player C and Player D.
• Match 2 (Holes 7-12): After the 6th hole, the partners switch. The new match now features Player A and Player C against Player B and Player D.
• Match 3 (Holes 13-18): For the final six holes, the last rotation occurs. Now, it's Player A and Player D taking on Player B and Player C.

As you can see, by the end of the round, Player A (and every other player) has had a chance to team up with every other person in the group. This is the heart of the Round Robin format.

Setting Up Your Round Robin Game: Step-by-Step

Organizing a Round Robin is straightforward if you do a little planning before teeing off. Follow these steps to get your game started without any confusion on the first tee.

Step 1: Form Your Foursome and Set the Stakes

First, you need four willing players. The Round Robin is a must-try for any regular group. Before starting, and if you want to make things more competitive, decide on the wager. This is entirely optional, but it definitely raises the stakes. A common bet is something simple, like a $1 or $5 Nassau per match. This means the winning team of each six-hole contest wins that amount per point from their opponents.

Step 2: Determine and Record the Pairings

This is the most important preparatory step. To avoid any arguments or confusion mid-round, decide on the partnerships for all three matches before you hit your first shot. Using our "You, Bob, Charlie, and Dave" example, you could write on your scorecard:

• Holes 1-6: You &, Bob vs. Charlie &, Dave
• Holes 7-12: You &, Charlie vs. Bob &, Dave
• Holes 13-18: You &, Dave vs. Bob &, Charlie

Having this written down clearly means you just have to glance at the card when you walk up to the 7th and 13th tees, there’s no debate about who is partners with whom.

Step 3: Decide on a Scoring Format

The most popular way to score a Round Robin is using Four-Ball Match Play, often called Better Ball Match Play. In this format, each hole is a self-contained competition. Each of the four golfers plays their own golf ball all the way to get their own score for each and every single hole. But for scoring purposes, each person from a playing pair takes the lowest individual score (or "better ball") by their team for each hole.

Here’s an example with one of your playing partners with You &, Bob facing off against Charlie &, Dave on a par-4:

• You make a 4. Your partner, Bob, makes a 5. Your team's score for the hole is a 4.
• Charlie makes a 5. His partner, Dave, also makes a 5. Their team's score for the hole is a 5.

In this scenario, your team wins the hole and is now "1 up" in that six-hole match. If both teams tie with the same better-ball score, let’s say a score of 4 for each team, the hole is "halved" or "pushed," and the match score remains unchanged.

A Note on Handicaps

To keep things fair, it's highly recommended to use playing handicaps. Each golfer deducts their strokes on the holes as they are allocated on the scorecard (e.g., the #1 handicap hole, #2 handicap hole, etc). The better-ball score is then determined using each player's net score on that hole.

Keeping Score in a Round Robin

Remember, you're tracking three separate six-hole matches, not one 18-hole-long match. At the end of each six-hole segment, one team will be the winner. For example, after six holes, You &, Bob might have won 2 up over Charlie &, Dave. You'll record that result, reset the match score to "all square," and begin the next six-hole match with your new partners.

The Individual Payout

The final accounting happens on an individual basis. Each player settles up their total performance across all three individual matches during the given 18 holes to determine what they are to pay or receive for the total of the 18 holes of play.

Let's use our "You, Bob, Charlie, and Dave" foursome with a $2 wager per six-hole match, with results as follows:

• Match 1 (Holes 1-6): You &, Bob won 2 up vs. Charlie &, Dave.
• You and Bob are each up $4 ($2 per point gained). Charlie and Dave owe You and Bob each $4. The temporary results are: You (+4), Bob (+4), Charlie (-4), Dave (-4).
• Match 2 (Holes 7-12): Bob &, Dave won 1 up vs. You &, Charlie. You and Charlie each lost $2. Bob and Dave each receive $2 to their temporary tally. So far: You: +$2, Bob: +$6, Charlie: -$6, Dave: -$2.
• Match 3 (Holes 13-18): Final Tally:
• You: Up $4 on your first match. Lost $2 in the second game. Up $6 in the third game - Total: You Won +$8.
• Bob: Up $4 in the first match. Won $2 during the second six-hole match. Lost $6 in the third six-hole match - Total: Bob Broke Even $0.
• Charlie: Lost all three rounds of 6 holes each - Total: Lost -$12.
• Dave: Lost $4, won $2, and lost another $6 - Total: Lost -$8.

Final Thoughts

The Round Robin is an exceptional format to energize your regular golf game, creating a competitive yet friendly atmosphere where every player is engaged until the very end. By splitting the round into three unique matches, it builds great camaraderie and ensures everyone has a chance to be on a winning team, making for a truly memorable day on the links.

And when you're in the middle of one of those nail-biting matches, where a single good decision can mean the difference between winning and losing, strategic play can be the decisive factor. Instead of guessing your next move regarding club selection and shot strategy during one of your games, you can ask for help from Caddie AI. By using this user-friendly and highly professional golf app, you'll receive confident club recommendations and smart plays even for the trickiest situations. This gives you the confidence you need to take control over your shot and swing with freedom.