Golf Games for 4 Players: What to Play in a Fourball
With four, you have the widest choice: fixed teams of two (Texas Scramble, Four-Ball, Greensome), teams that change (Sixes, Mexicaine Las Vegas), or alliances that form and break up on every hole (The Wolf).
In fixed teams, two against two
| Format | How it works | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Scramble | Both play, you keep the best ball, everyone plays again from there | The most sociable, mixed abilities |
| Four-Ball (4BBB) | Everyone plays their own ball, the team's best score counts | Everyone keeps their own game |
| Greensome | Two tee shots, you keep one, then alternate shot | A first step towards one-ball golf |
| Foursomes / Alternate Shot | A single ball, alternate shot from tee to hole | Close-knit teams |
| The Total (Aggregate) | The team's two scores are added together | No hole can be given up |
| High-Low Ball | Two points per hole: best ball and worst ball | Balanced, very closely fought |
In teams that change
- 🔄 Sixes — three stretches of six holes, and everyone partners each of the other three once. Individual leaderboard at the end.
- 🃏 Mexicaine Las Vegas — the teams form on every hole according to where the balls finish after the drive.
In alliances
🐺 The Wolf — made for exactly four players. On every hole, the Wolf picks a partner after the tee shots, or plays alone against everyone to score more. The winner is the player with the most points, not the one who won the most holes.
For groups who already know them all
- 💃 Cha Cha Cha — the rule changes on every hole in a cycle of three.
- 🔀 Patsome — best ball, then Greensome, then Foursomes, in the same round.
- 😈 Gruesomes — the other team chooses which tee shot you play.
🃏 Mexicaine Las Vegas. In a four, the teams change on every hole: after the drive, the two balls furthest right team up against the two furthest left. Then the scores are read Vegas-style — a 4 and a 5 make 45, a 4 and a 7 make 47. A wayward drive can land you the best partner on the hole, and one big number costs the whole team dearly. The rules of Mexicaine Las Vegas →
Frequently asked questions
What golf game can you play with 4 players?
The Wolf if you like alliances, Texas Scramble for a sociable round, Four-Ball if everyone wants to play their own ball. To switch teams during the round: Sixes or Mexicaine Las Vegas.
What's the difference between Four-Ball and a scramble?
In Four-Ball, everyone plays their own ball from tee to hole and the team takes the best score. In a scramble, both players play every shot from the best ball: the team has a single score, built together.
How do you make fair teams with 4 players?
Put the strongest and the weakest together in a Texas Scramble, or sidestep the question with Sixes: everyone partners each of the other three once.
With four, the app keeps score for all four
Pick the game, enter the scores: Game of Swing applies the rules, settles the ties and shows the leaderboard live. All 41 formats are in the app — and 5 games are free to get you started.
Try the app for free → 5 free games, no account required — on your phone and computerGot a game in mind? A house variant to share? The app grows with every update — send us your idea, the best ones join the catalogue.