Alternate shot golf, explained

In alternate shot, two partners play one ball between them and take turns hitting it. One tees off, the other plays the second shot, the first plays the third, and so on until the ball is in the hole. It's also called foursomes, especially in Britain and Ireland.

It's a true team format. You can't hide a bad shot, because your partner has to play the next one from wherever it finished. That's what makes it tense, sociable and fun.

It's also the featured team format in One Fairway, where you can play it 2v2 with friends or in ranked play.

The basic rules

• Two players, one ball. The team plays a single ball on every hole.
• Partners alternate strokes. Player A, then B, then A, then B, until the ball is holed.
• Tee shots alternate by hole. One partner tees off on the odd-numbered holes and the other on the even-numbered holes. It doesn't matter who holed the last putt.
• Penalty strokes don't change the order. If the ball goes in the water, the team adds the penalty, and the partner whose turn it is plays next.
• One score per team. The team's score on a hole is the number of strokes it took with its one ball.

Alternate shot can be scored as match play (team against team, hole by hole) or stroke play (lowest team total wins). Famous team events usually play it as match play.

Who should tee off on the odd holes?

Before the round, look at the scorecard. One partner will hit every odd-numbered tee shot, the other every even one. Teams often decide based on the par 3s: the better iron player takes the side with the harder par 3s, because a tee shot onto the green there is worth a lot. Others give the longer driver the side with more long par 4s and par 5s.

Strategy tips

• Play for your partner. Leave the next shot somewhere they're comfortable. A safe ball in the fairway often beats a long one in the trees.
• Talk about lines and leaves. Agree where you want the ball before you hit it.
• Keep it moving. Bad shots happen. The best teams don't dwell on them.
• Putting matters double. A missed short putt gives your partner a tricky one coming back.

What is "modified alternate shot"?

"Modified alternate shot" isn't a term from the Rules of Golf, and clubs use it for slightly different formats. The most common meaning:

1. Both partners tee off.
2. The team picks the better drive.
3. From there, the partners alternate, starting with the player whose drive wasn't chosen.

This is also known as greensomes. Some clubs have a further variation, often called Chapman or Pinehurst: both partners tee off, each then plays the other's ball for the second shot, the team picks one ball, and they alternate from there.

These variations are kinder to a struggling driver, because every tee shot has a backup. If you're entering an event that says "modified alternate shot", check its rules sheet to see which version it means.

Handicaps in alternate shot

In handicap play, a foursomes team usually plays off half of the partners' combined handicaps. In a match, the team with the higher figure then receives the difference between the two teams. Your club or event may use slightly different allowances, so check its terms. How golf handicaps work.

Alternate shot in One Fairway

One Fairway plays standard alternate shot, not a modified version:

• 2v2, as match play. Two teams of two, one ball per team, hole by hole. The team with the lower score wins the hole; a tie halves it. Match play rules.
• Partners alternate shots, and the tee shot alternates by hole, exactly as above.
• It's our featured format, in friendly matches and in ranked play over three or nine holes.
• Handicaps in friendly matches: each team plays off half its partners' combined in-game handicap, and the higher team receives the difference. Ranked matches don't use handicaps.
• Gimmes: when your team's putt stops within about 3 feet (1 metre) of the hole, either opponent can give it. Whoever is about to putt can ask once. How gimmes work.
• Conceding a hole: if your team is struggling on a hole, whichever partner is on turn sees a quiet offer to concede it for the team.
• The match ends once it's decided, such as "3 & 2".
• If a partner drops out, the other plays on alone and hits every shot. A short-handed team that wins gets full credit, and a loss counts for less in ranked.
• The team ball is the tee player's ball on each hole, so you'll see your partner's ball and tracer on their holes.
• Handicap index: alternate-shot rounds don't change your in-game handicap, because you only hit half the shots.
• Ranked rating: each player's rating moves against the other team's average rating.

Find a partner, add two friends to play against, and start an alternate shot match. Or read how playing with friends works.