Foursomes. Bring it on.

[elwhippy]

Our club has a 36 hole pairs comp this weekend. Morning is 4 ball better ball. Afternoon is foursomes. I personally enjoy foursomes but a huge number of regular comp loving members hate the format.

Do WRX members play many foursomes events?

 

[LeoLeo99]

Foursomes is alternate shot? I've never played that type of an event but it sounds like fun.

[goaliedad30]

Some of our club tournaments use a modified alternate shot format for one day. Typically either hit two tee shots, choose one, then alternate shot in, or two tee shots, swap balls, two second shots, then alternate shot in. I think I've only ever played in one true foursome event; definitely nerve-wracking, and you'd better get along with your partner!

[jvincent]

We have a 6-6-6 tournament every year (except this one) where one of the 6's is alternate shot, not modified. There have been some big numbers thrown up in that format.

[ThinkingPlus]

Play in a local two day, 54-hole tournament every year where we play 9 holes scramble, 9 holes best ball (four ball), and 9 holes alternate shot (foursomes). It is a load of fun. It is a Halloween tournament. Tough for my playing partner and I to win because of my handicap.

[callawayjay]

Foursome for amateurs is known as “fuck your buddy”

[MtlJeff]

Me and my regular foursome do a big ryder cup style weekend every year....just for fun, but there is a trophy involved.

One of the formats is true alternate shot. It is definitely an interesting format especially if you have players of different skill levels.

 

[Hawkeye77]

Have in a couples setting and in a competition with my daughter many years ago. I really enjoy it, but nobody around here ever wants to play the format.

[Carl Spackler3]

I could only see playing foursomes after joining a club and having unlimited golf. I used to play with a group that had a Ryder Cup format a couple times a year. Not really my thing to pay $100 for 40 swings, hated it actually.

[bok006]

At my club the foursomes format tournament was called the "Divorce Open"

[BPetry]

I am playing in my clubs “Booze Bash” this coming weekend. Two rounds, one Saturday, one Sunday. The first round is playing your ball with any one in your foursome, turn your card in and then we have a seeding party with Calcutta for Sunday’s round which is an A flight and a B flight where top A is paired with bottom A and second A is paired with second from the bottom A and so on. B flight is the same. The kicker is that you and your partner are playing true alternate shot for 18 holes. We then add Saturday’s and Sunday’s scores together to determine placing. It is a hoot, but not for the faint of heart...lol

[SNIPERBBB]

Foursomes is the least popular format of our interclub Ryder cup. At least now its turned into Pinehurst format so at least you cant be screwed off the tee.

[Roody]

We did alternate shot in one of our three 9-hole matches for my club's Ryder Cup event last year. I actually thought it was the most fun format of the day. I'm a 5 index, and they paired me with a 24 index. I told him right out of the gate "no apologizing for any bad shots, it is what it is". It was fun to be the guy that got to pull off the "hero" shot a couple of times.

[2bGood]

We don't play foursome enough, but have a on or two events a year. It not that popular as people that don't get out to golf much like to play their own ball. I get in well north of 100 rounds a year at my home course, so I like switching it up.

[MattyO1984]

I guess that I probably play more than most. We have a foursomes competition which runs over the course of the season at my home club and then we have a couple of team competitions throughout the year that are foursome events. The best one is a competition called the Northern Counties which has been played since 1900. Really cool event for a golf geek to play in.

 

This is the (rather dated) website for it, if it is of any interest - http://www.northerncountiescup.co.uk/

[Hawkeye77]

That looks like a ton of fun - is it open to however many teams it allows, or are there comps or sections at each club to get in? Just curious.

Great courses.

[DArnie]

Well, how did it go?

[MattyO1984]

Each member Club can play two teams although, if every club had two teams there wouldn’t be sufficient space so if it ever becomes over subscribed, there is a ballot of the second team although, you tend to find that most clubs will put two teams in dependent on location. In terms of selection, some clubs will just pick from the guys on their scratch team based on handicap/performance during the season whilst others will look at their Club Championship and take the top 4/8 from that. It is always a really good week. Great buzz around the course and always good to bump into some familiar faces.

[Soloman1]

I played in a foursome tournament once in about 1980. The guy who asked me to play was a decent player. First hole, he hits it a mile right and I have a funky lie in 4" rough, ball above my feet and about 180 to the pin. I hit it stiff and he had 3 feet for birdie. His putt never came close to the hole.

Next hole, I hit it stiff again on a par 3 and he has 4 feet for birdie. (I don't do that all the time and not exaggerating). I had to make a 5 footer for par after he had some weird spasm thing going on with his putter. It went downhill from there and I thought the day would never end.

He really was a decent player, but some people just can't play tournament golf.

I'd do it again, though. Fun format.

[Ferguson]

You can remember that from 1980?

 

I was just a little kid but I remember Mount Saint Helens erupted and Caddyshack was released,

[Floris]

I like the format, hard to train for :) You'll be put in spots you're not used to and both you and your partner need to be pretty forgiving sometimes :P

[Soloman1]

I can remember details of events all the way back to 1960. I remember Chet Huntley and David Brinkley reporting on JFK being elected.

40-60 years ago is fine, but I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday . . .

[Qqq123xx]

Had a set foursome that used to play a lot of scrambles at various clubs that would open them up to the public. A lot of fun. We finished second one year, usually were in the middle of the pack with a couple bring up the rear thrown in. The crew has since moved away.

[Jwin323]

We have tried to do it several times in our club but the vast majority don't like it. Paying full price to hit half the shots is the reason most given.

[GHIN n Juice]

I play in a Ryder Cup style event every year where we play 9 holes alternate shot.  I actually love the format.  It’s amazing how well 2 styles can fit regardless of what they are.  I’ve gone 5 and 4 twice in our event in this format, once with a guy who plays exactly like I do, and once with an absolute bomber who could not play golf any more different than my game.