Rule 23 - Four-Ball

a. Your Side’s Score for Hole in Match Play and Stroke Play

• When both partnersPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. hole outHoled: When your ball is at rest in the hole after your stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green. When the Rules refer to “holing out” or “hole out,” it means when your ball is holed.(...Continued) or otherwise complete the hole under the Rules, the lower score is your side’sSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. score for the hole.

• When only one partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. holes outHoled: When your ball is at rest in the hole after your stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green. When the Rules refer to “holing out” or “hole out,” it means when your ball is holed.(...Continued) or otherwise completes the hole under the Rules, that partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. score is your side’sSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. score for the hole. The other partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. does not need to hole outHoled: When your ball is at rest in the hole after your stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green. When the Rules refer to “holing out” or “hole out,” it means when your ball is holed.(...Continued).

• When neither partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. holes outHoled: When your ball is at rest in the hole after your stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green. When the Rules refer to “holing out” or “hole out,” it means when your ball is holed.(...Continued) or otherwise does not complete the hole under the Rules, your sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. does not have a score for that hole, which means:

  • In match playMatch Play: A form of play where you or your side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds., your sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. loses the hole, unless the opposing sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. already had conceded or otherwise lost the hole.

  • In stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where you or your side competes against all other players or sides in the competition., your sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. is disqualified unless the mistake is corrected in time.

b. Your Side’s Scorecard in Stroke Play

Your side’sSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. gross scores for each hole must be entered on a single scorecardScorecard: The document where your score for each hole is entered in stroke play. and, in a handicap competition, each partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. handicap must be entered on the scorecardScorecard: The document where your score for each hole is entered in stroke play..

For each hole:

• The gross score of at least one partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. must be entered on your scorecardScorecard: The document where your score for each hole is entered in stroke play..

• There is no penalty for entering more than one partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. score on the scorecardScorecard: The document where your score for each hole is entered in stroke play..

• Each score on the scorecardScorecard: The document where your score for each hole is entered in stroke play. must be clearly identified as the score of the individual partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. who made it; if this is not done, your sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. is disqualified.

Only one partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. needs to certify the hole scores on the side’sSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. scorecardScorecard: The document where your score for each hole is entered in stroke play..

c. Exception to Rule 11.2 in Four-Ball

 For information on when Rule 11.2 does not apply in Four-Ball.

a. You Are Allowed to Take Any Action Concerning Your Partner’s Ball That Your Partner May Take

Although you and your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. each play your own ball:

• You may take any action concerning your partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. ball that your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. is allowed to take before making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of your club made to strike the ball., such as to markMark: To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either placing a ball-marker right behind or right next to the ball, or holding a club on the ground right behind or right next to the ball. the spot of the ball and lift, replaceReplace: To place a ball by setting it down and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play., dropDrop: To hold the ball and let go of it so that it falls through the air, with the intent for the ball to be in play. Each relief Rule identifies a specific relief area where your ball must be dropped and come to rest.(...Continued) and place the ball.

• You and your caddieCaddie: Someone who helps you during a round to carry, transport or handle your clubs and/or give you advice. A caddie may also help you in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b). may help your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. in any way that your partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. caddieCaddie: Someone who helps you during a round to carry, transport or handle your clubs and/or give you advice. A caddie may also help you in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b). is allowed to help.

In stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where you or your side competes against all other players or sides in the competition., you and your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. must not agree to leave a ball in place on the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole you are playing that is specially prepared for putting, or the Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used). to help either of you or any other player.

b. Your Partner Is Responsible for Your Actions

Any action taken by you concerning your partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. ball or equipmentEquipment: Anything used, worn, held or carried by you or your caddie. Objects used for the care of the course, such as rakes, are equipment only while they are being held or carried by you or your caddie. is treated as having been taken by your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play..

If your action would breach a Rule if taken by the partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play., your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. is in breach of the Rule and gets the resulting penalty.

a. Penalties Other Than Disqualification

When you get a penalty other than disqualification, that penalty normally applies only to you and not also to your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play..

In match playMatch Play: A form of play where you or your side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds., if you get the general penaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play. (loss of hole), you have no score that can count for your sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. on that hole; but this penalty has no effect on your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play., who may continue to play for your sideSide: Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play. on that hole.

There are three situations where your penalty also applies to your partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play.:

(1) When you breach Rule 4.1b (Limit of 14 Clubs; Shared, Added or Replaced Clubs).

(2) When your breach helps your partner’sPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. play.

(3) In match playMatch Play: A form of play where you or your side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds., when your breach hurts your opponent’sOpponent: The person you compete against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. play.

Exception – If You Make a Stroke at Wrong Ball, it is Not Treated as Having Helped Your Partner ‘s Play or Hurt Your Opponent’s Play.

b. Disqualification Penalties

 For information on disqualification penalties in Four-Ball.