The Total (Aggregate) in Golf: The Rules of the Game
The Total, or Aggregate, is the simplest team format in golf: everyone plays their own ball from the tee to the hole, and the team's score on each hole is simply the sum of the two teammates' scores. The team with the lower total wins the hole and scores 1 point; if it is tied, nobody scores. Just one rule frames the game: the cross rule — a team that records a cross (X, a ball picked up during the hole) automatically loses the hole, whatever the opposing team's score; if both teams record a cross on the same hole, it is halved. Unlike Four-Ball, where the best ball is enough to save the hole, here both scores count, always: every stroke by every player weighs directly on the team's result. This is real team golf — simple to score, with no room for a passenger, and perfect for introducing beginners to team play without a complicated points scale.
▶ The rule in 60 seconds, in French with English subtitles — the Game of Swing channel
How to play The Total (Aggregate), hole by hole
- Form 2 teams of 2 players. Each player plays their own ball from the tee to the hole, as in a normal round.
- On every hole, add up the team's 2 scores. The team score for the hole is the gross sum of the two scores.
- The team with the lower total wins the hole (1 point). If the two teams are tied, 0 points for both.
- Apply the cross rule: a team that records a cross (a picked-up ball) automatically loses the hole. A cross on both sides → hole halved.
- Add up the points over the whole course. The team with the most points wins the game.
| Situation on the hole | Result |
|---|---|
| Lower total | 1 point for that team |
| The two totals tied | 0 points for both teams |
| Cross (X) on one side only | Hole automatically lost for that team |
| Cross on both sides | Hole halved |
Hole 4: Nadia makes 4 and Karim 5 → a total of 9 for their team. Facing them, Camille makes 4 and Rémi 4 → a total of 8: Camille & Rémi win the hole (1 point). Hole 7: Karim picks up his ball and records a cross → hole automatically lost for Nadia & Karim, whatever the opposing team's score. End of the game: Camille & Rémi 7 points, Nadia & Karim 5 points, six holes halved.
By holes or by total strokes: two ways to score
By default, The Total is played by holes (match play): each hole is worth 1 point to the team with the lower total, and the number of holes won decides the winner — that is the scoring described above. There is a second way to score, by total strokes (stroke play): you then add up both teammates' strokes over the whole game, and the team with the lowest total wins. A single figure at the end — and a disastrous hole that weighs right to the end, whereas scoring by holes limits it to one point lost. In the Game of Swing app, you choose in the setup, before the tee shot on hole 1.
Why The Total (Aggregate) is so popular
- No passengers. Unlike Four-Ball, your partner's best ball is never enough to save the hole: both scores count, always.
- The maths is instant. One addition per hole, no points scale to look up: it is one of the simplest formats in the catalogue to score — perfect for a first taste of team play.
- The cross rule protects the pace of play. A player who is out of the hole can pick up their ball without unfairly penalising their team beyond the hole lost.
Strategy tip
One double bogey too many costs more than a birdie earns: play it safe as a pair, especially when your partner is already in trouble on the hole. Since it is the sum of the scores that counts, two bogeys are always better than a birdie followed by a triple bogey — both of you stay in the hole, and the total does the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How is the team score calculated in Aggregate?
The team's score on a hole is the sum of both players' scores, each playing their own ball from the tee to the hole. The team with the lower total wins the hole and scores 1 point; if it is tied, no point is awarded.
What is the cross rule in Aggregate?
A team that records a cross (X) on a hole — because a player has picked up their ball — automatically loses that hole, whatever the opposing team's score. If both teams record a cross on the same hole, it is halved.
What is the difference between Aggregate and Four-Ball?
In Four-Ball, only the team's best ball counts on each hole. In Aggregate, both scores always count and are added together: you cannot let one teammate carry the hole alone.
How do you win a game of Aggregate?
The team that wins the most holes over the whole course wins the game. Each hole is worth 1 point to the team with the lower total, and 0 points to both teams if it is tied.
Is The Total scored by holes or by total strokes?
Both are possible. By default, it is scored by holes: 1 point to the team with the lower total on the hole. Scoring by total strokes adds up both teammates' strokes over the whole game, and the team with the lowest total wins. In the Game of Swing app, you choose in the setup.
Every format on a single page: step-by-step rules, a worked example, the points scale and a strategy tip — to read the night before a round or to print. The free sample covers 10 formats, including the 5 you can play for free in the app; The Total (Aggregate) is in the complete guide.
Download the free sample →PDF · 14 pages · direct download, no email needed · the complete guide covers all 41 formats
Your next Total (Aggregate) with no adding up by hand
Just enter everyone's strokes: the Game of Swing app adds up both teams' scores, applies the cross rule and shows which team is ahead, hole after hole. The Total (Aggregate) is waiting in the catalogue of 41 formats — with 5 free games to get you started.
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