Golf Rules Golf Rule 29 Threesomes And Foursomes (Video) - by Pete Styles
Golf Rules Golf Rule 29 Threesomes And Foursomes (Video) - by Pete Styles

So this next rule covers threesomes and foursomes as a format of how to play the game of golf. Now foursomes is where we're playing as a two-person partnership and taking alternate shots. And a threesome covers where a two-person partnership taking alternate shots is playing against a single other person. So as a one person playing against a pair is a threesome and a foursome is going to be two people playing against two people taking alternate shots. Now the alternate shots method made famous really in the Ryder Cup where they play foursomes.

I hit a ball, you hit a ball. I hit a ball, you hit a ball. Now the way this works is we decide who tees off on the odds, who tees off on the evens. So let’s say I tee off on the odd holes. You tee off on the even holes. So I’ll hit the tee shot on one. You hit the second shot. I hit the third shot. You hit the fourth shot. You would then tee off on the second hole because it's your turn. But it's also your turn if I hit the tee shot, you hit the second shot. I hit the third shot. You hit the fourth. You then tee off on the fifth even though you've just hit the shot that went in the hole on the first. You also tee off on the second, is that making sense. So you’ll actually get two shots back to back, but because it's your turn to tee off on the second because you've got the even holes, I've got the odd holes. So we take it in turns down the hole. But then when you go to the next tee, it’s just where there is an odd or an even hole would determine the tee shots. Now that all sounds hopefully fairly simple, but then there’s a few other different connotations that might happen. For example if we hit a ball out of bounds, you don't get to hit it again. Your partner hits the next one. So if on the first hole I hit a hook, and it goes out of bounds, you would then step forwards and hit the second shot because it's the next shot effectively, even though it’s played from the same place. And that rule applies the same for an air shot. So if I stand on the first tee and completely with it and miss it, you then got to step forward and take that next shot because my swing and a miss, those count as a shot. Well an interesting addition to this rule is I'm not allowed to do that deliberately. So if you've got a very good golfer and a very high handicap golfer and it’s looking incredibly dangerous out here, there's water and trees and hedges and everything and the high handicap golfer doesn’t feel comfortable, he’s not allowed to deliberately miss it just so the better golfer can come in and hit it for him. You never want to do that anyway, it would cost you a shot. But it's actually covered in the rules, you are not allowed to intentionally do that. So hopefully that rule covers the order of play and the rotation of the shots in a threesomes match and in a foursomes match. 2015-07-23

So this next rule covers threesomes and foursomes as a format of how to play the game of golf. Now foursomes is where we're playing as a two-person partnership and taking alternate shots. And a threesome covers where a two-person partnership taking alternate shots is playing against a single other person. So as a one person playing against a pair is a threesome and a foursome is going to be two people playing against two people taking alternate shots. Now the alternate shots method made famous really in the Ryder Cup where they play foursomes.

I hit a ball, you hit a ball. I hit a ball, you hit a ball. Now the way this works is we decide who tees off on the odds, who tees off on the evens. So let’s say I tee off on the odd holes. You tee off on the even holes. So I’ll hit the tee shot on one. You hit the second shot. I hit the third shot. You hit the fourth shot. You would then tee off on the second hole because it's your turn. But it's also your turn if I hit the tee shot, you hit the second shot. I hit the third shot. You hit the fourth. You then tee off on the fifth even though you've just hit the shot that went in the hole on the first.

You also tee off on the second, is that making sense. So you’ll actually get two shots back to back, but because it's your turn to tee off on the second because you've got the even holes, I've got the odd holes. So we take it in turns down the hole. But then when you go to the next tee, it’s just where there is an odd or an even hole would determine the tee shots. Now that all sounds hopefully fairly simple, but then there’s a few other different connotations that might happen. For example if we hit a ball out of bounds, you don't get to hit it again. Your partner hits the next one.

So if on the first hole I hit a hook, and it goes out of bounds, you would then step forwards and hit the second shot because it's the next shot effectively, even though it’s played from the same place. And that rule applies the same for an air shot. So if I stand on the first tee and completely with it and miss it, you then got to step forward and take that next shot because my swing and a miss, those count as a shot. Well an interesting addition to this rule is I'm not allowed to do that deliberately.

So if you've got a very good golfer and a very high handicap golfer and it’s looking incredibly dangerous out here, there's water and trees and hedges and everything and the high handicap golfer doesn’t feel comfortable, he’s not allowed to deliberately miss it just so the better golfer can come in and hit it for him. You never want to do that anyway, it would cost you a shot. But it's actually covered in the rules, you are not allowed to intentionally do that. So hopefully that rule covers the order of play and the rotation of the shots in a threesomes match and in a foursomes match.