Member-Guest Tournament Formats Compared

The member-guest is usually the biggest golf weekend of a private club's year: the event members plan around, the one guests talk about, and the one the golf staff spend months preparing. The format decides almost everything about how it feels, from how competitive it is and how long it takes to how many teams have something to play for on the last day. This guide compares the common member-guest tournament formats, the handicap allowances that go with them, how to flight the field, and the decisions to make before invitations go out.

What makes a good member-guest format

A member-guest is a two-person team event: a member and the guest they invite. A good format:

• Keeps most teams in contention into the final round.
• Uses both players on most holes, so a guest who has a rough day still contributes.
• Plays at a reasonable pace, leaving time for the social side of the weekend.
• Is fair across handicaps, through flighting and correct allowances.
• Is easy to follow, with live standings players can check between matches.

The common formats

Four-ball (better ball)

Each player plays their own ball; the team's score on each hole is the better net score of the two. Four-ball is the default member-guest format because both players contribute, a bad hole from one player is covered by the other, and it's easy to understand. It can be played as stroke play (total net better-ball score) or match play (holes won against another team).

Flighted round robin match play

Teams are split into flights of similar handicap, and every team plays every other team in its flight in a short match, typically nine holes. Points are awarded per match, and the team with the most points wins the flight. Flight winners often meet in a shootout for the overall title.

A round robin is the classic format at many private clubs because every team plays several opponents, a bad match doesn't eliminate anyone, and the tension builds through the weekend. It's covered in detail in round robin member-guest scoring.

Two-person scramble

Both players hit, the team picks the best shot, and both play from there. Scrambles are fast and friendly and suit mixed-ability pairs, but low team handicaps and heavy reliance on the better player make results less predictable. Scramble scores are not acceptable for handicap purposes.

Alternate shot (foursomes)

The partners play one ball, alternating shots, and alternate who tees off on odd and even holes. Foursomes is a genuine test of partnership and moves quickly because there's only one ball per team, but a weak player can't hide, so it suits a single round within a multi-format event better than a full weekend.

Chapman (Pinehurst)

Both players tee off, each plays their partner's ball for the second shot, then the team chooses one ball and alternates from there. It's a good middle ground between four-ball and alternate shot.

Shamble

Both players tee off, the team chooses the best drive, and each plays their own ball into the hole from there. It's quicker than four-ball and more individual than a scramble.

Stableford

Points are awarded per hole relative to net par (for example, 2 points for net par, 3 for net birdie). Stableford scoring keeps blow-up holes from ruining a round and speeds play, because a player who can't score on a hole can pick up. It combines well with four-ball (best net Stableford points per hole).

Mixed formats

Many clubs vary the format by round: four-ball on Friday morning, alternate shot on Friday afternoon, singles on Saturday. Varying the format rewards complete partnerships and keeps the event interesting across several rounds.

Formats compared

The USGA's Rules of Handicapping decide which scores are acceptable for posting. In general, individual scores from formats played under the Rules of Golf are acceptable, and team-ball formats like scrambles and alternate shot are not. Check the current rules at usga.org and see USGA handicap posting at private clubs.

Handicap allowances

Every player starts from their Course Handicap, calculated from their Handicap Index® and the Course Rating™ and Slope Rating® of the tees they play. A handicap allowance then adjusts it for the format, producing the playing handicap. The USGA recommends allowances by format in Appendix C of the Rules of Handicapping, including:

In match play, strokes are then taken off the lowest player in the match, who plays from zero. Committees may set different allowances in the terms of the competition, but the USGA's recommendations are the starting point, and allowances should be published before play.

Flighting the field

Flights group teams of similar ability so a pair of 4-handicaps isn't competing directly against a pair of 18s. Common approaches:

• By combined team handicap. Sort teams by combined Course Handicap and split into flights of equal size.
• By team playing handicap. Sort by the playing handicap under the event's format and allowance.
• Named flights. Championship, first, second and so on, with the championship flight often played at lower allowances or gross.

For a round robin, flights of six teams are common because each team plays the other five, which fits five nine-hole matches across a weekend.

Guest eligibility

Set guest rules before invitations go out:

• Handicap requirement. Require every guest to have a current Handicap Index® from their own club or association, so their handicap can be verified rather than self-reported.
• Maximum handicap. Many events cap the Handicap Index® used, or the team's combined handicap.
• Handicap date. Fix the date on which indexes are taken, so a late revision doesn't change flighting at the last minute.
• Guest limits. Decide whether the same guest can play in consecutive years, and whether a member can bring a guest who is a member of another club's championship field.

Registration when the event is oversubscribed

Popular member-guests fill quickly. Clubs commonly:

• Carry returning teams forward from the previous year, with a deadline to confirm.
• Draw open places by lottery among the members who apply, rather than first-come.
• Keep a waitlist, notified automatically when a place opens.

Write the rule down and apply it every year, since registration is where most member-guest complaints begin.

Tie-breaks and the shootout

Decide tie-breaks in advance and publish them. Common methods:

• Match play points, then holes won, for a round robin.
• Head-to-head result between the tied teams.
• Card-off: best net score over the last 9, 6, 3, then final hole.
• Shootout: flight winners play a short alternate-shot or four-ball playoff in front of the gallery, often on a finishing hole. It's the best theater of the weekend.

Side games and the social program

Many events add net skins, closest-to-the-pin, long drive and a putting contest. Keep side-game entry and payouts clear and settled before the dinner. The social program (the Thursday practice round and party, the Saturday dinner and awards) is part of the format decision: a format that runs long eats into it.

Planning timeline

How Bubs handles member-guest formats

Bubs tournaments run member-guests in four-ball, alternate shot, singles, Stableford and scramble formats, including flighted round robins with a different format and allowance in each match. Every player's Handicap Index® comes from the USGA, Course Handicaps come from the tees they play, and live scoring shows standings as each match finishes. Registration handles returning teams, a lottery for open places and a waitlist, and entry fees post to the member's account. See also handicaps.