What is a Greensome?
Greensome sits between a scramble and a Foursome, and may be the most balanced team format of all. Both players tee off, which removes the dread of a single bad drive, but from there you share a ball and play alternate shots as in a Foursome. That gives you both security and tactics.
How to play a Greensome
- Both players on the team tee off.
- The team picks the better of the two drives.
- The player whose tee shot was not chosen plays the next stroke.
- From there you alternate shot by shot until the ball is holed.
Greensome variations
- Irish Greensome: both players play their own balls a stroke or two into the hole before you decide which to continue with. More chances early, but you have to play two balls for longer.
- Standard Greensome: you choose straight after the tee shot, which keeps the pace up.
How it is worked out
Two teams go head to head on the team's combined score, as a match or on the total. Choosing the better drive makes a Greensome kinder than a Foursome, but the alternating ball keeps the tension.
The team handicap in a Greensome is 60 per cent of the lower handicap plus 40 per cent of the higher.
Tactics: more than just the longest drive
The temptation is always to choose the longest tee shot, but think one shot further. A slightly shorter drive sitting on the fairway with a clear line to the green is often worth more than a long one in the semi-rough. Think about who plays next, too: choose one player's drive and it is their partner who hits the approach, so pick the tee shot that hands your stronger player the ball they actually want.
Wager Golf works out the allowance, keeps track of whose turn it is and shows the match result automatically.
When does a Greensome suit?
A Greensome is often the best team format for mixed groups and competitions. It removes the dread of a single bad drive, because both of you play one, but keeps the tension of the shared ball. If you want something gentler still, play a scramble. If you want the hardest and most demanding version, a Foursome is the answer.
