What Is Team Golf?

Team golf turns a typically individual sport into a dynamic, social, and strategic game you share with partners. It’s one of the best ways to enjoy the course, build camaraderie, and take some pressure off your game. This guide will walk you through the most popular team golf formats, from the beginner-friendly Scramble to the high-stakes Alternate Shot, giving you the rules and simple strategies you need to feel comfortable and confident in your next group outing.

What Exactly Is Team Golf?

At its heart, team golf is any format where you play with a partner or group of partners against other teams. Instead of solely battling the course and your own scorecard in stroke play, your score is combined with your teammates' in some way. This fundamentally changes how you approach the game.

There are two main reasons players love team formats:

• Reduced Pressure: Bad shots are a part of golf, but in a team format, a single mistake rarely ruins a hole. When you know your partner has your back, it frees you up to swing a little more aggressively and play with less anxiety. For new golfers, it's the perfect introduction to playing on a course.
• Enhanced Strategy: Team golf isn't just about hitting good shots - it's about hitting the right shots at the right time. The formats create new layers of decision-making. Do you play it safe to back up your partner, or do you take a risk to go for a birdie? This shared challenge is what makes it so engaging.

Whether it’s for a corporate event, a charity tournament, or just a fun weekend game with friends, understanding the different formats is your first step to having a great time.

The Most Popular Team Golf Formats Explained

While there are dozens of variations, most team events you'll encounter will use one of a few core formats. Let’s break down the big three you're most likely to see, along with some others that are growing in popularity.

The Scramble: The Ultimate Fun, Low-Pressure Format

If you're ever invited to a charity or corporate golf outing, chances are you'll be playing a Scramble. It’s designed to be fast, fun, and accessible for golfers of every single skill level.

How to Play a Scramble

In a Scramble, a team of two, three, or four players works together to produce one team score per hole. Sounds simple, right? It is. Here's the step-by-step process:

1. Everyone Tees Off: Each player on the team hits their own drive from the tee box.
2. Walk to the Best Shot: The team walks down the fairway and decides which tee shot is in the best position. It might be the longest one, the one with the best angle to the green, or simply the one in the fairway.
3. Everyone Plays from That Spot: The other players pick up their balls and bring them to the spot of the best shot. Everyone on the team then hits their second shot from that location (usually within one club-length of the original spot, no closer to the hole).
4. Repeat the Process: The team continues this process for every shot. You choose the best approach shot, and everyone putts from that chosen spot on the green.
5. Record One Score: Once the ball is in the hole, you write down just one score for the entire team. If it took the team four total "best" shots to hole out, you write down a 4.

For example, imagine you have a four-person team. Player A hits a perfect drive. Players B, C, and D hit theirs into the rough. The choice is easy - everyone picks up their ball and plays their second shot from where Player A's drive landed. This system ensures you’re almost always hitting from a good spot, which is why scores in scrambles are often very low.

Simple Strategy for a Scramble

The beauty of the Scramble is that it allows different players' strengths to shine. The key is creating an effective hitting order.

• On the tee box: Let your most reliable or "straightest" hitter go first. If they put one safely in the fairway, the pressure is off, and the longer, more erratic hitters can swing for the fences without fear.
• Putting: Let a less-confident putter go first. They can give their putt a good, aggressive roll to show the line to the rest of the team. Save your best putter for last - they'll have seen the line multiple times and can dial in their speed and break to knock it in.

Four-Ball (or Best Ball): A True Partnership

Often seen in professional events like the Ryder Cup and a staple at golf clubs, Four-Ball (often just called "Best Ball") ramps up the competition while still providing a safety net for each player. It’s played with two-person teams.

How to Play Four-Ball

The rules are more straightforward than a Scramble but require more "real" golf from each player:

1. Both players on the team play their own golf ball from the tee all the way until it is holed.
2. At the end of the hole, you compare your two scores.
3. The lower of the two scores becomes the team's score for that hole.

For instance, on a par 4, Player A shoots a 4 (a par) and their partner, Player B, has a tough hole and makes a 6 (a double bogey). The team writes “4” on the scorecard. If both players happen to make a 4, the team score is still a 4.

Simple Strategy for Four-Ball

The magic of Four-Ball lies in how partners can play off of each other. It’s all about balance.

• The "Safe" and "Aggressive" Players: A great strategy is to assign roles. The first player to hit their approach shot should aim for the safe-side of the green. Their job is to ensure at least one player makes an easy par. Once that ball is safely on the putting surface, the second player is free to be more aggressive. They can aim directly at a tough pin location or try to run a chip shot close, knowing that a mistake won't hurt the team. This "one-two punch" is the classic Four-Ball strategy.
• "Handcuffing" Your Partner: Be careful not to "handcuff" your teammate. This means hitting a poor shot that puts all the pressure on them. Communicating your plan is a big help. Saying, "I'm going to aim for the middle of the green here," allows your partner to mentally prepare their more aggressive play.

Foursomes (or Alternate Shot): The Ultimate Test of Teamwork

This is probably the most challenging team format in golf and requires a deep level of trust between partners. In Foursomes, a two-person team plays only one ball and alternates hitting it until it's holed.

How to Play Foursomes

The rhythm of Foursomes is what can be tricky if you've never played it before:

1. Decide who tees off when: Before the round, you and your partner must decide who will tee off on the odd-numbered holes (1, 3, 5, etc.) and who will tee off on the even-numbered holes (2, 4, 6, etc.).
2. Alternate every shot: If Player A tees off on hole #1, then Player B must hit the second shot. Player A hits the third, Player B hits the fourth, and so on, until the ball goes in the hole. No matter who makes the final putt, the designated player tees off on the next hole. Penalties don't change the order of play.

The challenge is obvious: your shot directly sets up (or hinders) your partner's next move. If you hit your drive into a fairway bunker, your partner has to deal with the consequences.

Simple Strategy for Foursomes

Success in Foursomes is less about raw skill and more about chemistry and management.

• The Golden Rule: Don't apologize. You’re a team. Bad shots will happen from both of you. The best Foursomes partners have short memories and focus only on the next shot ahead. Stay positive.
• Play to your partner’s strengths: When deciding who tees off first, think about the course. If the odd-numbered holes feature difficult Par 3s, you might want your best iron player teeing off on them.
• Don't be a hero: The most important job in Foursomes is to leave your partner an easy (or at least manageable) next shot. This often means playing away from trouble and aiming for the center of greens instead of chasing pins. A simple 30-foot putt is usually better than a delicate pitch from a tight lie.

Other Fun Team Formats You Might See

While the three above are the most common, here are a few other great formats to know:

• Shamble: A fantastic blend of an individual and team game. Everyone on the team tees off, and the team selects the best drive. From that spot, every player then plays their own ball individually into the hole. The team usually records the one or two lowest scores on each hole.
• Pinehurst / Chapman System: This is a hybrid of a Scramble and Foursomes. Both players on a team tee off. Then, Player A hits Player B's ball for the second shot, and Player B hits Player A's ball. After those second shots, they choose the one best ball and play alternate shot from there until it's holed. It's a fun way to reduce the pressure of seeing a great drive go to waste.

Final Thoughts

Team golf formats add a wonderful social and strategic dimension to the game, turning it from a solo challenge into a shared adventure. By understanding the rules and basic strategies of Scrambles, Four-Ball, and Foursomes, you can step onto the first tee of any group event with confidence, prepared to contribute to your team and, most importantly, have a great time.

Navigating the strategy of these formats is part of the fun, butsometimes a clear plan is precisely what you and your partner need most. When you're standing over a critical shot in a Best Ball match - debating whether to play it safe or attack the pin - my brain can offer a solid second opinion. I can help your team with real-time course management, such as picking smart targets or talking through the best approach from a tricky lie so you can make confident decisions together right when it matters. Try Caddie AI to play smarter, more confident team golf.