What is Best Ball?
Best ball (sometimes called "better ball") is a team format where each player plays their own ball for the entire round — just like normal stroke play. At the end of each hole, the team records the lowest score between its two players. That's the team's score for the hole. The team's total score at the end of the round is the sum of all those best-ball scores.
This is fundamentally different from a scramble. In best ball, you never share a shot. You play your ball, your partner plays theirs, and whoever scores better on that hole is the one who contributes to the team total. A bad hole from one player doesn't hurt the team as long as their partner makes a reasonable score.
Best ball is the format the PGA Tour uses for the Zurich Classic and what the Ryder Cup calls "fourballs." It rewards consistent individual play and lets a streaky partner carry the team when one player is struggling.
How Scoring Works
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1
Split into two teams of two. Each player plays their own ball from tee to hole on every hole. No picking up until you've finished the hole (or one player's score is already better than anything the other can make).
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2
At the end of the hole, compare the two scores on your team. The lower score is the team's score for that hole. Record it and move on.
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3
For net best ball, apply each player's handicap strokes before comparing. If Player A gets a stroke on a hole (their net score is one lower than gross), use the net score. The team's best-ball score for that hole is the lowest net score between the two players.
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4
Add up the team's best-ball score over all 18 holes. The team with the lowest total wins.
Par 4. Danny makes a 5 (bogey), Mike makes a 4 (par). The team's score for the hole is 4 — Mike's par. Danny's bogey is irrelevant for the team total. On the next hole, Danny birdies and Mike makes a 6. Team score: 3 — Danny's birdie carries the hole. Over 18 holes, one player's best score per hole adds up to a total well below what either could shoot individually.
In a scramble, you share shots — everyone plays from Danny's drive, then everyone plays from the best approach shot, etc. In best ball, Danny plays Danny's ball and Mike plays Mike's ball, independently, from the first tee to the last putt. Only the final hole score is shared.
Setting Up the Wager
Best ball is most commonly played with a flat team buy-in, where both players on each team put in the same amount. The team with the lower best-ball total wins the pot. Play net for fairer results when handicaps differ between teams.
$25 per player = $100 total pot. Team A (Danny & Mike) shoots a best-ball net 62. Team B (Chris & Jake) shoots net 65. Team A wins — Danny and Mike each collect $50. Chris and Jake each lose their $25 entry.
$3 per stroke of margin. Team A net 62, Team B net 67. Margin = 5 strokes. Team B owes Team A $15 per player. This makes every hole meaningful right to the finish, since every stroke of margin costs money.
You can also play best ball as a match play format — compare team scores hole by hole instead of by total strokes. That's officially called Four-Ball Match Play (see Four-Ball). Strokes & Stakes supports both stroke-play and match-play versions of the team format.
Pro Tips
- The #1 rule of best ball strategy: if your partner is already in for a great score on a hole, you're free to take a risk. Lag a long putt for birdie rather than playing safe — the team already has a par in the bag.
- Net best ball dramatically levels the field. A 20-handicapper who scores net 4 on a hole is just as valuable as a scratch player who makes a 4 gross. Handicaps matter — enter them in Strokes & Stakes before you start.
- Agree before the round whether you're playing gross or net. Playing gross without adjusting for handicap almost always produces the same result — the team with the lower-handicap players wins every time.
- If one player on your team is already in with a 4 on a par 4, the other player can pick up once they can no longer make better than a 4. This keeps pace of play reasonable without affecting the score.
- Pair players strategically. Two consistent bogey golfers often outscore a pair with one scratch player and one high-handicapper, because the low-handicapper's bad holes are covered less often when only one person is reliable.
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