TheRules
The Nuances of Partner Play
by Chris Lang
Though individual stroke play is the most common form of golf competition , there are plenty of chances to find a partner and ham-and-egg your way through a four-ball competition . Most member-guest and member-member championships feature partner play , as do high-level international competitions like the Ryder Cup , Walker Cup , Solheim Cup , and Curtis Cup .
As you might expect , there are nuances to playing a competition round with a partner that differ from when you ’ re playing solo in a stroke-play championship . We ’ ll go through some of those here .
First , let ’ s go through the differences in the two main partner formats . Four-ball , as the name implies , is a competition in which each player on a side plays his or her own ball until the hole is completed . Two balls are in play for each side . Foursomes — also known as alternate shot — features one ball in play per side , with players alternating shots until the hole is completed .
The only VSGA competitions featuring true foursomes play are the Virginia-West Virginia Matches , Virginias-Carolinas Junior Boys ’ Matches , and the Captain ’ s Putter Matches . The VSGA runs Multi-Format Team Championships for regulars , seniors , and super-seniors , and while there is an alternate shot format involved , it ’ s a modified alternate shot where both partners tee off , and a ball to play going forward is selected from there .
There are dedicated Rules for each format . Rule 22 covers foursomes . Rule 23 covers four-ball .
RULE 22 : FOURSOMES Partners must alternate the order in which they play first from the teeing area of a hole .
One player will tee off on odd holes , the other will tee off on even holes . There are some things to remember , though , when playing this format .
At the VSGA Senior / Super Senior Multi-Format Team Championship in October , a situation arose that could have been costly for one side . After Player A chipped onto the green , it was Player B ’ s turn to putt . He left the putt about a foot short , and he was about to tap it in to close
Partner play can be fun , but be sure to familiarize yourself with Rules 22 and 23 before playing in a four-ball or foursomes event .
out the side ’ s hole . Thankfully , the other side playing the hole stopped Player B before he could hit the shot . It was Player A ' s turn , and he was the one who needed to tap the putt in . Had Player B proceeded , the side would have received the general penalty ( two strokes in stroke play , loss of hole in match play ) for making a stroke in the wrong order in breach of rule 22.3 .
Another situation in which a side must be careful is in the playing of a provisional ball off the tee . This is covered in a clarification ( Rule 22.3 / 4 ). If there is concern that a ball is lost or out of bounds off the tee and the side decides to play a provisional ball , it must be played by the partner whose turn it is to play . For example ,
Player A tees off and believes the ball went out of bounds . The side decides to play a provisional ball . Player B must hit the provisional . If , by mistake , Player A hits the provisional , there is no penalty if the original ball is found , and the provisional ball does not become the ball in play .
However , if the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play , since Player A played the provisional by mistake , the side receives the general penalty for playing in the wrong order . In stroke play , the provisional ball must be abandoned , and Player B must return to the spot of Player A ’ s last stroke at the original ball ( the teeing ground ) and put a ball in play .
RULE 23 : FOUR-BALL In both formats , either partner may act for the side . If you ’ re on the green and your partner just hit their approach from 100 yards out , you ’ re allowed to mark his ball , lift it , clean it , etc . But be careful . In four-ball , any action taken by a partner that is in breach of a rule applies to the player as well . Here are some examples :
• The player improves the conditions affecting the stroke to be made by the partner .
• The player accidentally causes the partner ' s ball to move .
• The player fails to mark the spot of the partner ' s ball before lifting it .
Another thing to remember in four-ball is properly marking the side ’ s scorecard . The score for the side is the one score between the two partners . It ’ s not necessary to put each player ’ s gross score on the card — there are occasions when one partner will pick up when they ’ re out of the hole . But it is imperative that each score on the card is clearly identified which partner it belongs to . If this is not done , the side is disqualified for breaching Rule 23.2b . Additionally , only one partner needs to certify the hole scores on the side ’ s scorecard under Rule 3.3b ( 2 ).
We ’ ve just scratched the surface of the nuances of these two rules . Grab your Rules of Golf book , brush up on both rules , find a partner , and get ready for your next club partner event or VSGA qualifier . Golf is always more fun with a friend .
CHRIS LANG
12 V IRGINIA G OLFER | N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2023 vsga . org