Golf Best Ball Format
Best ball is a team golf format where each player plays their own ball, and the lowest score from the team counts on each hole.
How Best Ball Works
In best ball, every player on the team plays their own ball from tee to green. After the hole is completed, the best score from the team is used as the team score for that hole.
For example, if a two-person team scores 4 and 5 on a hole, the team score is 4. In a four-person best ball event, the lowest score among the four players is counted.
Team Best Ball
Players compete as a team while still playing their own golf ball throughout the round.
- Two-person teams
- Four-person teams
- Team leaderboard
- Individual scores still matter
Gross Best Ball
Gross best ball uses actual scores without handicap adjustments. This works well for competitive fields and stronger players.
- Actual scores
- No handicap strokes
- Great for club events
- Simple team scoring
Net Best Ball
Net best ball applies handicap strokes so players of different skill levels can compete fairly in the same event.
- Handicap adjusted
- Good for mixed fields
- Popular with clubs
- Works for leagues
Common Best Ball Options
Best ball can be used as a serious tournament format or as a fun team game for leagues, charity events, member events, and weekend groups.
- 2-person best ball
- 4-person best ball
- Gross best ball
- Net best ball
- One best ball of the team
- Two best balls of the team
- Flighted best ball events
- Best ball with side games
Best Ball vs Scramble
Best ball and scramble are both team formats, but they are not the same. In a scramble, players choose the best shot and everyone plays from that spot. In best ball, every player plays their own ball for the full hole.
Best ball keeps more individual golf involved, while scramble formats usually create a faster, more relaxed team experience.
Good For
- Men’s club tournaments
- Ladies league events
- Member-guest events
- Charity tournaments
- Two-person team games
- Four-person team competitions
- Club championship side formats
How GolfToon Supports Best Ball
GolfToon is being built to support team and individual scoring formats, including best ball, scrambles, skins, leagues, and custom golf events.
Whether your event uses gross scoring, net scoring, flights, team scoring, or special local rules, GolfToon is designed to grow around real tournament formats.
"If your tournament exists, we'll try to build it."
Related Tournament Formats
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