Threesome Golf Format: Rules for 1 vs 2
The Threesome is golf's official three-player duel: one player faces a team of two who play a single ball, in alternate shots. It is Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf — the same principle as Foursomes, applied to 1 vs 2. Within the team, the tee shot alternates too: player A tees off on the odd holes, player B on the even holes, then the partners take turns, shot after shot, until the ball is holed. The format is played in match play only: every hole is a battle, won by the side with the lower score, and the state of the match is shown as UP, DOWN or All Square. It is the dream format when there are three of you on the first tee: nobody watches, everybody plays — and the duel is far more balanced than it looks.
▶ The rule in 60 seconds, in French with English subtitles — the Game of Swing channel
How to play a Threesome, hole by hole
- One player takes on a team of two. Three players, two sides: the duel starts on the first tee.
- The solo player plays their ball as normal. On the other side, the team has a single ball: the partners hit alternate shots, as in Foursomes.
- The tee shot alternates too: player A tees off on the odd holes (1, 3, 5…), player B on the even ones (2, 4, 6…).
- Each hole is compared: the side with the lower score wins the hole. Tie = halved hole.
- Match play only: the side that wins the most holes wins the match — score shown as UP / DOWN / All Square.
Damien takes on Émilie and Fabrice. Hole 9 (odd): Émilie tees off, Fabrice plays the 2nd shot, and so on — the team holes out in 5. Damien, sole master of his own ball, makes a 4: he wins the hole and goes 2 UP. The team claws back on Fabrice's even holes, but Damien closes it out on the 15th: a 4&3 win (6 holes won to 2, 7 halved).
Rule 22: an official format, not a makeshift one
The Threesome is not a clubhouse invention: it is a format written into the Rules of Golf, under Rule 22, which governs forms of play with partners. It keeps all their rigour: a single ball for the team, a set order of play, and no way of “just letting whoever is in form play”. If the team gets the alternation wrong, it is the team that pays the penalty — hence the careful scoring this format demands.
In the app, the Threesome is started as a 3-player game: the mechanics pit a solo player against the team of two, and that is how the leaderboard reads: the solo player on one side, the team on the other. The two partners therefore have no separate result.
Strategy: alone against two
- On your own, play for consistency. A team hitting alternate shots loses its rhythm with every mistake: let them make life hard for themselves, don't force anything.
- As a pair, talk before every shot. Alternate shot does not forgive misunderstandings over club choice or the line of a putt.
- Every team mistake is paid for in turn: that is what rebalances the duel, which is much closer than you might think.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Threesome in golf?
It is the official duel of Rule 22 of the Rules of Golf: one player faces a team of two who play a single ball, in alternate shots. The format is played in match play only, hole by hole.
Who tees off in the team of two?
The tee shot alternates between the partners: player A tees off on the odd holes (1, 3, 5…), player B on the even holes (2, 4, 6…). After that, the two players take turns, shot after shot, until the ball is holed.
Can a Threesome be played as stroke play?
No: a Threesome is played in match play only. Each hole is won by the side with the lower score, a tie halves the hole, and the state of the match is shown as UP, DOWN or All Square.
What is the difference from the Threesome Scramble?
In the classic Threesome, the team of two plays a single ball in alternate shots (Foursomes). In the Threesome Scramble, each partner plays their own ball on every shot and the team keeps the better of the two. The principle of 1 vs 2 in match play stays the same.
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; Threesome 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 three-player match is a Threesome
The Game of Swing app shows who has to hit on each hole (odd / even) and keeps the state of the match live: UP, DOWN, All Square. The Threesome is waiting in the catalogue of 41 formats — with 5 free games to get you started.
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