Four Ball Order of Play

General Discussion
#1

Downloaded the USGA rules app, and actually starting to read the rules. Also went down a YouTube rabbit hole on weird rulings. I am WAY more knowledgeable about the rules since joining here, with @davep043 being an influence. His advice was “read the rules”. Really ground breaking advice for me!!

Here’s my question on 4 ball though. Order of play rule shown below:

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So, I am assuming order of play is decided by who is furthest out. The side with the ball that is furthest out can decide who plays first.

So… a scenario

Team A has two balls 10 ft from hole for birdie putts.

Team B has a ball at 10ft and a ball at 20 ft on the same line. The 10ft putt is for par and the 20 ft putt is for birdie. In this situation:

  • Because Team B has the 20 ft putt, they are away
  • Either player on Team B can putt since it is their turn
  • if Team B decides to let the player with the 10 ft par putt go first (in order to show the line), team A could concede the par putt in order to avoid showing the 20ft birdie putt the line

Am I getting this right? This seems like a decision I could go either way on (conceding the par). It would depend on the chances of the player with the 20 footer 3 putting. Showing him the line may improve his chances slightly, but still think that birdie from 20 ft is unlikely (even if he sees line).

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#2

That’s my understanding of the rules as well… you can take the par putt first… but if it’s conceded you can’t take it.

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#3

@Craigers is exactly correct. Sometimes Team A has an easy choice, but other times its a flip of the coin. In the case you describe, I wouldn’t concede a 10-footer, 20-footers are almost always missed. Heck, I bet 2/3 or 3/4 of 10-footers are missed by us amateurs. I want the guy at 20 feet to really think about keeping it close to the hole to ensure a par, I don’t want to give him a free chance to charge the hole. When the birdie putt gets into the 10 or 12 foot range, I’d start thinking about conceding the closer same-line putt for par.
Team B should understand another of the applicable rules as well. If they’re allowed to play both balls, the “away” player must not stand on or close to the extension of the line of play while the closer player putts (10.2b(4)). Normally, only the putting player would be penalized, but if the breach might also help the “watching” player, both are penalized. This is in 23.8a(2).

#4

How did you get so familiar with the rules???

I love it!!

#5

I joined my club about 30 years ago, and pretty soon started playing in club competitions and inter-club league. That was about when I started to realize the importance of understanding at least the basics of the rules, and just got interested in learning more. Having the old paper Rulebook with me has saved holes and strokes in a few situations, even one where a club pro has given incorrect advice. I’ve learned a ton about rules from discussions like this on other forums. I’ve also been involved in the Tournament and Handicap Committee at my club for a number of years now. I just find it interesting. And in my view, the best way to learn more about the rules is to look up the rules for yourself, that’s why I try to provide Rule numbers when I contribute in these threads.
Edit to add, if you’re interested in learning more, I recommend getting a copy of “The Principles Behind the Rules of Golf” by Richard Tufts:


That book will help you understand the reasoning behind many of the rules, the common threads and the reasoning behind exceptions, and how each rule relates or depends on another rule. Its 80 pages, and costs $1.50 from the USGA.
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