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MOST POPULAR GOLF FORMATS
By Brent Kelley, About.com
There are many different golf tournament formats, and some of the oddest are played at company outings, golf association playdays and the like. What are the most popular? And how are they played? We’ve left out the big two – stroke play and match play – in order to get in a couple more esoteric formats. You can find many more in our Tournament Formats/Betting Games Glossary. Here are our picks for most popular tourney formats.
1. Scramble
The Scramble is probably the most-common format for team tournaments. It can be played by 2-, 3- or 4-person teams, and involves choosing the one best shot following every stroke, with each team member then playing again from that one spot. Variants include the Texas Scramble, Florida Scramble and Ambrose. Click the link for a more in-depth explanation, as you can do for each term listed here.
2. Best Ball
In a Best Ball tournament, all members of each team play their own balls on each hole. At the completion of the hole, the lowest score among all team members serves as the team score. Best Ball can also be called Four Ball, and variations include 1-2-3 Best Ball.
3. Alternate Shot
Alternate Shot is a format for 2-person teams and is sometimes called Foursomes. The two players on a team alternate hitting shots, playing the same ball. Odds and Evens and Scotch Foursomes are other versions of Alternate Shot.
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