Two partners share one ball, alternate every stroke, and post a single score. So why does a correctly played alternate shot match so often end in a disagreement at the scoring desk rather than a handshake on the 18th green?

Because the definition is the easy part. What decides results in a foursomes event is administration: who is assigned the odd holes, who plays the provisional, what the scorekeeper does when the wrong partner swings, and whether both handicaps are written on the card before it's signed.

This walkthrough follows the format one hole at a time, in the order a rules official or scorekeeper meets it. First the shape of the rule, then the sequence, then the corrections, the card, and the setup routine that keeps an event out of trouble.

Alternate Shot at a Glance

Alternate shot is formally called foursomes, and it lives in Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf. Two partners compete as one side, playing a single ball in alternating order, and the format can be run as match play or stroke play (USGA Rule 22). The one-sentence version a newcomer can repeat: the team doesn't pick the better drive, it takes turns hitting the same ball.

Think of a relay where the baton is the ball and the runners swap at every stroke. One partner hits, the other hits from wherever that ball finished, and the side lives with the lie the first player left behind.

The USGA treats Rule 22 as an exception to ordinary individual play, because partners alternate both who tees off on each hole and who plays each following stroke. That exception explains why pairing decisions, scorekeeping and scorecards behave differently here than at a normal individual event: the side produces one number per hole, but two players' records still matter.

Those eight rows are enough to audit almost any foursomes event at a glance. If a tournament's tee sheet, scorecard or scoring app contradicts any one of them, the event has a problem before a ball is struck. When a card stops making sense mid-round, come back to this table before you touch the score.

How Partners Take Turns Hole by Hole

Treat the sequence as a routine a scorekeeper can audit, not a vague sense of taking turns. Each step below exists because something downstream breaks without it.

1. Fix the hole 1 starter before anyone tees a ball. Write the names in order on the card or the tee sheet. The hole 1 assignment sets the whole 18-hole pattern, and a decision made casually on the first tee gets argued about on the 4th, then again on the 12th.

2. Send the first partner out on odd holes and the second on even holes. Under Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf, one partner takes odd-numbered holes and the other takes even-numbered holes. Who holed out on the previous green has no bearing on the next tee.

3. The partner who didn't drive plays the second stroke from where the ball lies. There's no choosing the better tee shot as in four-ball or scramble. The same ball stays in play unless a Rule requires otherwise, so a drive into a fairway bunker becomes your partner's problem, not yours to replace.

4. Keep alternating every stroke to the hole, penalties included. Penalty strokes don't change whose turn comes next, and if a stroke is cancelled or replayed under a Rule, the partner who made it generally plays again. The sequence survives the penalty.

5. Confirm the next hole's starter before the group leaves the green. One sentence on the green prevents the most common error in the format, which is a partner teeing off out of habit on a hole that wasn't theirs.

The 18-hole arithmetic

Across a full round, each partner tees off on nine holes: nine odd, nine even. Both players carry equal tee responsibility, which is why pairing strategy matters more than many expect. Greensomes changes that opening dynamic completely because both partners drive and the side chooses, so it's a different administrative animal (greensomes golf format).

Practical rule: After every hole, count the strokes aloud and match the names to the alternating pattern. A broken sequence spotted on the green costs a conversation. The same error found on a signed card costs a disqualification.

That check takes ten seconds and it catches the two failures that ruin rounds: a partner playing twice in a row, and a tee shot taken by the wrong player on an even hole.

What Happens When Partners Play Out of Order

A wrong turn changes the result differently in match play and stroke play. The scorekeeper's first job is to identify the format, then make sure the side follows the right correction procedure.

In match play, the side loses the hole (R&A clarification on Rule 22). In stroke play, the side can correct the mistake, but it must do so before playing from the next teeing area.

1. Stop before starting another hole. The correction window closes when a stroke is made from the next teeing area.

2. Have the correct partner replay from as nearly as possible the spot where the wrong-order stroke was made. The replay begins at the point of the error, not from the tee or a more convenient lie.

3. Cancel the wrong-order stroke and strokes made after it, up to the correction. Those strokes do not count, so the correct partner replays from the original spot.

4. Add the general penalty to the side's score. In stroke play, that is two strokes for the side (R&A guidance on out-of-order play).

If the side misses the correction deadline, it is disqualified. The deadline is a stroke from the next teeing area, or, on the final hole, returning the scorecard.

The swing that misses on purpose

A deliberate swing at the ball counts as a stroke even if the player misses. The stroke counts toward the side's total, and the turn passes to the other partner under the alternating sequence.

The same sequence applies when a provisional ball is played: the partner whose turn comes next plays it. Record each ball under the correct player's name so the scorekeeper can track the order accurately.

Scoring, Handicaps and Scorecard Checks

What should the scorekeeper add after four holes? If the partners take 4, 5, 3 and 4, the side records 16. There is one score for the shared ball, not separate partner totals or a comparison between two balls.

The side's score is the number of strokes taken to hole out. Both partners contribute to that total, including the player who does not make the final putt.

Handicap entries need a separate check. Record each partner's handicap information as required by the competition's terms. If a handicap is missing or the card's figures do not match those terms, the Rules of Golf and the committee's terms govern how the error is handled. A missing entry does not, by itself, establish automatic disqualification.

Before the card leaves the desk: Check both players' names and the required handicap information. Reconcile the side's total hole by hole against strokes taken with the shared ball. Then check that the recorded stroke sequence follows the competition's tee-order arrangement.

A side allowance, when used, should be applied according to the terms of competition. For help understanding how allowances affect a tournament score, see this guide to handicap scoring in golf.

Review the card before posting the leaderboard. A clear record makes it easier for the committee to resolve questions about the score.

Where Alternate Shot Appears in Competition

Rule 22 allows foursomes in match play or stroke play, so the format fits two very different event shapes. Match play suits head-to-head brackets and club ladders, where each hole is its own contest. Stroke play suits club championships and fields with dozens of teams, where one number settles the day (2023 Rules of Golf).

The structure is fixed either way: each team plays one ball for 18 holes, one partner takes the odd tees and the other takes the even tees, and the side posts a single score per hole.

What the format does to a partnership

Because each partner drives on nine holes and the side plays one ball, a single poor tee shot shapes the next stroke for both players. Recovery becomes a shared skill rather than an individual one. Alternate shot rewards pairs who can absorb each other's misses without changing the plan.

Committees use it for club match play brackets, member-guest events and charity outings where pairs are fixed in advance and teams want a format that feels like a genuine partnership. If your schedule borrows the pro team model and mixes formats across a weekend, the foursomes sessions carry the most administrative risk in a Ryder Cup format and scoring setup.

Choose alternate shot when the point of the event is partnership strategy. Choose four-ball or scramble when every player should contribute on every hole and the day is meant to be forgiving.

Set Up, Verify and Run the Event

A clear process keeps a tee-order mistake from spreading into a scoring-card problem. Set responsibilities before play, then check the sequence as each hole ends.

1. Confirm each pair and its starting partner before issuing tee times. Print the odd- and even-hole assignments on the tee sheet so both players can check who tees off next. A visible record helps prevent an out-of-order shot.

2. Explain the correction steps to every pair. Tell players to stop, have the correct partner replay from the spot, and report the mistake before starting the next hole.

3. Assign someone to check stroke order at the end of each hole. A check as the group leaves the green can catch a broken sequence while the players are still on the course. A check at the finish may be too late to correct it.

4. Decide how provisional balls and replays will be recorded. Specify the hole, player, and turn. If those details are unclear, a later correction may point to the wrong player or stroke.

5. Check every card at the scoring desk before it is returned. Confirm both players' names, record handicaps individually, and reconcile the side's total with the strokes taken.

An error caught on the hole may require a replay. An error discovered on a finished card can affect the result.

Why live scoring changes the timing of a correction

With a paper card, the sequence may not be reviewed until the round ends. Live scoring displays each hole as it is entered, giving the group a chance to question an entry that appears to break the odd- and even-hole pattern while play is still underway. Live Tourney provides live scoring for golf tournaments, and all plans include GHIN integration.

The same care with sequence applies to events beyond golf. A whisky tasting event planning guide can help organizers plan a different kind of gathering.

Verify before you commit

Before choosing software, confirm that it supports your event's format and the administrative tasks you need, such as managing side games or calculating payouts. Run a small practice event using the same checklist. Watch where questions arise: tee order, correcting a mistake, or checking the card.

Then apply the process to the tournament. The assignments are printed, and scorekeepers know what to check and when.

Good administration depends on clear tee assignments, a correction procedure players understand, and card checks before the round is closed. Live Tourney provides live scoring, GHIN integration, and reports for scorecards and tee sheets. Visit Live Tourney to set up a tournament and display scores on a live leaderboard.