Foursomes (Alternate Shot): The Most Demanding Partner Format
What are Foursomes (alternate shot)?
Foursomes — also called alternate shot — is the most demanding partner format in golf. Unlike Four Ball (where each player uses their own ball), in Foursomes both members of the team share one ball, alternating shots throughout the entire round.
The mechanic is straightforward: one player hits, the other hits the next shot, the first hits the one after, and so on until the ball is holed. This applies to the tee shot, fairway shots, chips and putts.
It is governed by Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf (2019 edition).
Who tees off on which holes?
Before the round begins, the partners decide which player tees off on odd-numbered holes and which on even-numbered holes. This assignment is fixed for the entire round and cannot change.
This is strategically critical: if hole 18 is the hardest hole on the course and the weaker driver has to tee off there, that must be planned for from the first tee.
If the team incurs a stroke-and-distance penalty (lost ball or out of bounds and must replay), the replay is made by the player whose turn it is in the alternating order — not necessarily the player who hit the errant shot.
How handicap works in Foursomes
Foursomes handicap is calculated by adding both players' Course Handicaps and applying 50% (official WHS allowances table, USGA/R&A 2024):
Team Playing Handicap = round((CH_A + CH_B) × 0.50)
Strokes are allocated by comparing the two teams' Playing Handicaps. The lower-handicap team receives 0 strokes; the other receives the difference, distributed by Stroke Index.
Example:
| Team | Player 1 CH | Player 2 CH | Combined CH | Playing HC (×50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team A | 8 | 12 | 20 | 10 |
| Team B | 16 | 24 | 40 | 20 |
Team A receives 0 strokes (reference). Team B receives 10 strokes (20 − 10), on holes with S.I. 1 through 10.
Why Foursomes is so demanding
In Four Ball, if one player ruins their ball the partner can save the hole with theirs. In Foursomes, there is no safety net: if Player A leaves the ball in a bunker, Player B has to play it out from there. Mistakes cascade directly to the partner.
This has two major consequences:
- Communication is essential: both players must agree on the strategy for every shot, because both carry the consequences.
- Strengths and weaknesses are amplified: a long but erratic driver paired with a short but accurate one will find that Foursomes magnifies both the advantages and the drawbacks of each player.
Strategy in Foursomes
Design your tee assignment around the hardest holes: analyse the course before deciding who tees on odd vs. even holes. Dog-leg holes where the tee shot is critical, par 3s requiring precision, or the 18th if it's the course's signature hole — these should inform your assignment.
The better putter on the day should putt the important ones: in Foursomes, if one partner is putting better that day, the other can plan their shots to leave the ball in a line or distance that favours the better putter.
Play for the next position: unlike individual golf, in Foursomes you're always thinking about setting up your partner. A chip to 2 metres on an awkward side may be worse than leaving it 4 metres away on a comfortable line your partner prefers.
Foursomes at the Ryder Cup
Foursomes is one of the two formats played across the first two days of the Ryder Cup (the other being Four Ball). Many consider it the hardest and most intimate format in professional golf: mistakes are shared, victories are shared, and the pressure of not letting your partner down is at its peak.
The perfect Foursomes partnership isn't necessarily the one with the best combined indices — it's the one that best complements each other in temperament, strategy, and playing style.