Ryder Cup Golf Trip Rounds: A Four-Round Schedule

The four-round schedule

For a Friday-to-Sunday trip with two rounds on Saturday, use this order:

The two-man scramble is the second 18 on the two-round day. On a different calendar, use that same slot where possible and keep singles last. Leave enough time between tee times for the final morning group to finish and eat.

This setup gives every golfer three partner matches and one individual match. It works directly for groups divisible by four, including 8, 12, 16, and 20 players. A group of ten needs a different arrangement; see the 10-player format guide.

Rounds one and two: best ball

Best ball here means four-ball: two partners each play their own ball, and their lower score counts for the hole. The R&A's four-ball rule defines that form of play.

For a hole played without handicap strokes, suppose one pair makes 4 and 6 while the other makes 5 and 5. The first pair wins the hole with its 4. You don't add the partners' scores together.

In a handicap match, compare the partners' net scores after applying the strokes due on that hole. Agree on the handicap allowance and stroke allocation before playing. The mixed-handicap guide covers those decisions separately.

For round two, change partners within each team. Keep all four players in a match together at one tee time. The pairing-rotation guide has examples for different group sizes.

Round three: two-man scramble

Both partners tee off and select one shot. Both then play from the selected position under the event's placement rules. Continue that process until the ball is holed, recording one score for the pair. See the R&A's description of a scramble.

For this trip, each pair plays a match against a pair from the other team. Compare the pairs' gross or net scores, according to your agreed handicap policy, to decide each hole.

Set the placement rules in advance, including the procedure on the green and in bunkers. Also specify whether each player must contribute a minimum number of tee shots. Those details belong in the event instructions alongside the scramble handicap policy.

The separate article on the two-man scramble's place on a golf trip explains the case for playing it after lunch.

Round four: singles

Each golfer plays an individual match against one player from the other team. Two singles matches can share a foursome and a tee time; they remain separate matches.

With twelve golfers, book three tee times for six singles matches. In each of the earlier partner rounds, the same twelve golfers produce three matches across three tee times. Singles therefore has twice as many cup points available as any one partner round.

Decide how the singles opponents will be chosen before the captains submit their lineups. You can agree the matchups together or have each captain submit an order without seeing the other side's list.

Match results and cup points

Award one cup point for a match win and half a point to each team for a tied match. A pair winning 2&1 earns the same cup point as a pair winning on the 18th.

The result 2&1 means the winners were two holes ahead with one hole left. The R&A's match-play rule explains how holes determine a match. Cup points are awarded for the match result, not for each hole won.

Set the terms so a match tied after 18 holes ends in a tie, rather than continuing into extra holes. For three partner rounds followed by singles, the totals are:

For twelve golfers, the three partner rounds account for nine points, with six available in singles. A team trailing 5-4 going into the final day needs four of those six points to win the cup 8-7.

Decisions to make before the first round

Confirm the tees and handicap policy for each format. Decide what happens if the cup finishes tied, and how incomplete matches will be treated if weather stops play. Send the competition terms and pairings to the group before anyone tees off.

For more on planning the weekend beyond the matches, read why we keep planning Ryder Cup trips.