Everyone plays their own ball
In best ball, every player on the side plays their own ball from tee to green — their own drive, their own approach, their own putt. At the end of the hole, the side takes its lowest net score— the best ball — and that's the side's number for the hole. Everyone else's score on that hole simply doesn't count.
Because you only ever keep the best, you're free to be aggressive. Out of the hole? Take a rip at it — your partner's steady par is already banking the score, so a blow-up costs the side nothing.
Best ball is NOT a scramble
The one thing people mix up.They sound similar and they're both team formats, but they're opposites in how you play the ball:
- Best ball — everyone plays their own ball the whole hole; the side keeps its lowest net. Four players, four balls, four separate scores — you just count the best one.
- Scramble — the team plays one ball: everyone hits, you pick the best shot, and all play from there to a single team score.
Quick test: if you're standing over your own ball in the rough while your partner putts theirs on the green, you're playing best ball — not a scramble.
One hole, two players a side
Say a two-player side reaches a par-4 where the higher-handicap partner gets a stroke:
| Player | Gross | Stroke? | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner A | 4 | no | 4 |
| Partner B | 5 | yes (−1) | 4 |
| Side's best ball | 4 |
Both partners net a 4 here, so the side posts a 4 for the hole. Note the low netcan come from either player — Partner B's bogey 5 nets to a 4 thanks to the stroke, matching Partner A's gross par. The side just keeps whichever is lowest, hole by hole, and the lower side total wins.
Why net is the whole game
Best ball runs on netscores so a mixed-ability side actually works. The higher-handicapper's strokes mean their good holes can be the ones that count — a net birdie from the 18-handicap beats a gross par from the scratch player. GolfTrip applies each player's strokes per the course's stroke index and takes the side's low net automatically, so nobody's doing the math at the green.
Common questions
What's the difference between best ball and a scramble?
In best ball everyone plays their OWN ball for the whole hole, and the side counts only its lowest score. In a scramble, the team hits one ball — you pick the best shot and all play from there. Best ball is several individual rounds with the team taking the best result per hole; a scramble is one ball the team builds together.
How does best ball scoring work?
Each player plays their own ball to the hole, you take each player's net score, and the side's score is its lowest net — its best ball. That becomes the side's number for the hole. Do it across 18 and the lower side total wins. The other players' scores on a hole simply don't count once the low net is in.
Is best ball the same as four-ball?
Yes — "four-ball" is the formal name (two players per side, four balls in play) used in events like the Ryder Cup. Best ball is the everyday name for the same idea: everyone plays their own ball and the side counts its lowest score on each hole.
When to pick best ball for your trip
Pick best ball when you want a team game that still feels like real golf — everyone playing their own ball, their own round, with the safety net of only the best score counting. It's perfect for pairing a stronger and weaker player so both contribute, and it's less of a free-for-all than a scramble while still being forgiving. If you'd rather the whole team build one ball together for the most relaxed round of the trip, that's a scramble instead.