bluewolf
Money List Winner
Agreed mate. It's novelty golf and a complete waste of a day. Any time it's on at my gaff I either look for an Open or spend the day in the Pub.
What is it about 4 ball golf
- Thread starter jim8flog
- Start date
Agreed mate. It's novelty golf and a complete waste of a day. Any time it's on at my gaff I either look for an Open or spend the day in the Pub.
jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
I always let the higher handicap player tee off first . If they are safe then I can go for it. After that it is play as best as you can. I try not to interfere with the other players choice of club and shot shape because normally my partners are good enough players in their own right. We normally discuss and agree lines for putts.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
This. I was asked to play in a mixed match (greensomes) and told the captain I don't play alternate shots with the mens section and wouldn't be reversing that in a mixed game. The course they were playing is long, off both the yellows (being used for the men) and the reds and thought it would be a long painful slog. I saw a guy yesterday who played. He confirmed my fears. In fact his partner played stellar golf but it was still over four hours in that format!
D
Deleted member 16999
Guest
Yet some are happy to play Texas Scramble and risk getting no more than 4 Tee shots taken. 
trevor
Head Pro
I played this alternate shot game a couple of weeks ago, greensomes or foursomes or whatever it was called and vowed never again. You’re basically taking 4 hours to do 9 holes.
IanM
Journeyman Pro
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Messages
- 13,056
- Location
- Monmouthshire, UK via Guildford!
Alternate shot anything is ok if an occasional thing...but that’s all. I don’t mind it, some fun in team matches
Fourball golf is dead, apart from legacy tournaments, trophies, etc already established in some clubs or interclub comps. Golf is time expensive as it is. Playing half the golf with roughly the same time commitment is attractive to no one.
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
Foursomes is great fun when you play it as it should be played by taking on average 2.5 hours to play.
Scratch foursomes is probably the purest form of golf.
Many of today's lazy/lardybums take 2.5 hours to play 9 hole singles.
No wonder golf is failing.
Scratch foursomes is probably the purest form of golf.
Many of today's lazy/lardybums take 2.5 hours to play 9 hole singles.
No wonder golf is failing.
shortgame
Tour Rookie
I quite enjoy the odd game of greensomes (once or twice a year)
A little bit of variety is good!
A little bit of variety is good!
ScienceBoy
Money List Winner
Yet some are happy to play Texas Scramble and risk getting no more than 4 Tee shots taken.
You still get to hit the ball if it isn’t taken though right? I can’t remeber what all the names mean as it’s been so long.
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
Probably due to use of buggy's but virtually all my golf is in 4-ball group size, it just makes sense, its weird playing in a 3
Although for me you can stick greensomes or any alternate shot format regardless of group size (1 or 2 scrambles a year are fun and at least you still get to skelp the ball almost as much as a normal round but i'm not paying a green fee for 'half' a game)
Although for me you can stick greensomes or any alternate shot format regardless of group size (1 or 2 scrambles a year are fun and at least you still get to skelp the ball almost as much as a normal round but i'm not paying a green fee for 'half' a game)
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
Interesting that the thread title is about 4 ball golf, so most respondees banged on about foursomes & greensomes which ain't ....
anotherdouble
Journeyman Pro
4 ball better ball is a great format. Nothing better than playing with 3 mates having a laugh but also a serious side to the golf. Just because a comp is a non qualifier doesn't mean it's not golf. You can afford to go for the odd glory shot as you still have your partners ball in play should in my case it not come off.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Enjoy an occasional greensomes or foursomes round - mixed or Gents - makes no difference (though I wouldn't call either format a 4 ball format). Will always enter the Summer foursomes K/O as a great challenging format in matchplay. 4BBB is default for casual golf at my place - so for instance our Sat am roll-up is individual stableford played in fours and we pair off and have a 4BBB match alongside individual stableford - so not sure where the issue with 4BBB golf is.
Mind you - that said - other than for one of our Captain's Weekend rounds, I can't actually think of a one-day 4BBB comp at my place (other than the Invitation 4BBB - and that is seriously under-subscribed - might even have been cancelled in recent years (but I'd put that down to what we charge for it)
Mind you - that said - other than for one of our Captain's Weekend rounds, I can't actually think of a one-day 4BBB comp at my place (other than the Invitation 4BBB - and that is seriously under-subscribed - might even have been cancelled in recent years (but I'd put that down to what we charge for it)
williamalex1
Money List Winner
4bbb is a very popular format in senior opens in Scotland.:fore:
ScienceBoy
Money List Winner
I’m a fan of 4bbb and similar formats where you get to hit your own ball (not A/S) even your shot isn’t the place selected to play from. At least did the fun bit and hit the ball.
I’m not much of a fan of competative stableford or medal rounds in fourballs. Three is much better for that, makes swapping cards better too and less markers to watch out for on the green.
I’m not much of a fan of competative stableford or medal rounds in fourballs. Three is much better for that, makes swapping cards better too and less markers to watch out for on the green.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
It's important that all realise when playing our Sat Roll-Up stableford, that we are in fours to enable us to play a little 4BBB matchplay side-match - to keep me interested when I know my s/ford is rubbish. This means that we must be picking up when we cannot score. But problems can still arise in a group of players when one of a pair continues to play to support his partner - even when he cannot himself score pts. But we do self-police our roll-up pace very strictly.
We never play club individual comps in 4 balls.
Canfordhacker
Q-School Graduate
This. It does mean that I lose more balls than I might otherwise by chasing tee shots knowing they are in play.
And the other rule I have is no apologies.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Agree with that. Even moreso when my membership means I pay green fees each time I play. Full price green fee to only hit half the shots just makes zero sense for me so I've never done it.
Interesting that the thread title is about 4 ball golf, so most respondees banged on about foursomes & greensomes which ain't ....
The OP stated it was Greensomes
