Best ball — also called four-ball — is a team game where everyone plays their own ball for the whole hole, and only the team's single best score on each hole counts. Add up those per-hole bests for the team total. One player's blow-up doesn't hurt as long as a teammate scores well, so it's a forgiving, social team format.
Best ball layers on top of a scoring format rather than replacing it. Turn it on for a Stableford or Stroke Play team board and, hole by hole, the team takes its best member's result — the most Stableford points, or the fewest strokes. It's a Premium option, chosen in the create wizard once you pick Teams. (Match Play team games are already best ball by nature.)
Play net so each player's handicap strokes count toward their ball — the fair choice for mixed-ability teams — or gross for a scratch match. How handicap strokes work →
Because only one ball counts per hole, the standings show each team's true scorecard — the counting score on every hole with OUT/IN and a total — so you can see exactly which ball counted where. After the round, the Best Ball MVP honour crowns whoever contributed the most counting balls.
Set up a round in this format and share the link with your group — live scoring, free, no account needed.