Four-ball, best 2 from 4

[Humpy]

Hi all, I am arranging a team event in a few weeks the format being fourballs with the best 2 scores to count on each hole. Depending on how many turn up on the day we could have some threeballs playing. Best 2 scores to count for them too but this seems a bit harsh as there are only 3 of them. Anybody got any ideas how we can level the playing field for the threeballs.

It's been suggested awarding 2 points on each hole regardless but that seems too generous as this would mean the minimum the threeballs would score on a hole would be 2 whereas for a fourball it would be 0.

Any thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[IanG]

It's a bit cumbersome to score (especially if you have multiple 3balls) but you can have a ghost player in each three ball who is a player picked at random (after play) from the rest of the field of four balls.

 

[Humpy]

Hi Ian, that's a good idea, hadn't thought of that one. As you say, it's a bit cumbersome but it's pretty fair. Although as there would only be maximum of 3 threeballs it wouldn't be too onerous.

 

[Grant85]

Hi all, I am arranging a team event in a few weeks the format being fourballs with the best 2 scores to count on each hole. Depending on how many turn up on the day we could have some threeballs playing. Best 2 scores to count for them too but this seems a bit harsh as there are only 3 of them. Anybody got any ideas how we can level the playing field for the threeballs.

It's been suggested awarding 2 points on each hole regardless but that seems too generous as this would mean the minimum the threeballs would score on a hole would be 2 whereas for a fourball it would be 0.

Any thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks.

I would suggest maybe multiplying the 3 ball scores by 0.9 and adding them to the leaderboard after adjustment.

No science applied to that figure, but to me it feels fair enough and the key is that with that rule applied, I’m not sure which I’d rather be... 100% of a 4 ball score or 90% of a 3 ball score.

As long as you publicise the rules before hand, there shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[TheDiablo]

Ghost player is widely used in these situations. The team pick a card at random at the start/end and they get that players score per hole.

Can either use the same ghost for each team or a different one.

 

[upsidedown]

Play the 3 balls off full handicap and 4 balls off 9/10th

 

[duncan mackie]

Ghost issue here is that you don't record all players scores on every hole. If the ghost has 2 pts on a hole, but 2 others in his team had 3pts...there won't be a score against his name on their card.
The underlying issue with this problem is that whatever you do will be wrong in someone's eyes.
If you can't equalise the team numbers then Upsidedown's recommendation is the best solution in my opinion.

 

[shortgame]

Eaiest way: 3 balls to play off full handicaps
4 balls to play off (whispers it quietly...) 3/4 (not 9/10).

Works out fairly equitably in my exprience

HTH 👍

 

[bobmac]

Why not just play individual stableford?

 

[Grant85]

Yeh - the problem with the ghost player is that the teams with 4 could manipulate it slightly by players pro-actively not trying on holes once it is clear their score will not count for their team.

I think having a handicap solution or multiplier means that people know what their score is during and as soon as their round as finished and you abolish that outside influence.

 

[jim8flog]

I would agree with the point about a no score from a 'ghost player' we actively encourage players to pick up if they cannot better the team score.

 

[rulefan]

Our fiddle runs a similar system 3 days a week but 3 from 4. A 3 team counts the 2nd best score as the third score.
We had tried other variants over 20 years but settled on this about 8 years ago. We have found that over the years 3 man teams appear in the prizes in proportion to their representation in the field.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The seniors at my club play this format. A 3 ball has a 'pro' who scores 2 points on every hole, seems to balance out fairly well.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

When we have this in our winter league the handicaps are done as:

4 man teams = 75% handicap
3 man team = full handicap

 

[Humpy]

Thanks for all your suggestions.

What I have decided to do is count everybody's score (i.e. 4 from 4), and then use a ghost for any threeballs. That should ensure nobody in a fourball picks up if they know others in their group are going to score more and thus possibly influencing the ghost score.

This may of change if we have all fourball and/or the weather is rubbish and we want to get round a bit quicker!

 

[rulefan]

That should ensure nobody in a fourball picks up

Not allowing a non scorer in a four man group to pick up will slow things down to the detriment of following players. Unless you are playing in one four man groups are not popular.

 

[Humpy]

Obviously a player can pick up if they can't score any points! Just don't want people picking up if they can score 1 point even if the other 3 are odds on to get 2 or 3.