Team Matches When You Only Have 7 Golfers?

[saevel25]

I have a golf trip in about 1 month and 2 weeks. One of our guys had to bow out because of a knee injury. 

I was wondering if any of you have any good options for equalizing team matches when one team has 4 and another has 3? We will do things like, best ball but must use lowest 3 scores for a hole. 

Thanks! 

[iacas]

What if one guy "sits out" or is the "wild card" in every round?

The "wild card" could be the interesting angle. Or, he could play for one team on one nine, and the other team on the other nine.

Are the teams "set" for the whole trip, or do you play different teams each round or day?

[saevel25]

8 minutes ago, iacas said:

Are the teams "set" for the whole trip, or do you play different teams each round or day?

We switch it up daily. We try to get it so you play with everyone at least once (in a foursome, not necessarily a teammate. Example, last day we play singles). 

 

[imsys0042]

The normal Sunday game that I play in is foursomes, each group adds up the best three scores and then lowest score wins when everything is added up.   If we have a threesome, then the 4th score is par.   While you think that that stability is great, it's a net game.   So that fourth player never contributes to a below par score.   But it can help negate a bad hole.

For context, for nine holes we generally have anything from +3 to -12 with the best three net scores on each hole.   We play front 9 total, back 9 total and overall 18 hole total for three separate prizes.

So if you have 7, then each round mix up who is in the 3-some with "par-man"

 

[Carl3]

I like the wild card idea and do two person teams drawn from a hat after the round is done. Low combined net wins. Wild card gets his money back for the round out of the pot.  

This assumes everyone has a bona fide handicap. 😁

[StuM]

I like the idea of the wild card.  How many rounds do you play?  It would be nice if every player was the Wild card once, but that would require 7 Rounds.  

[saevel25]

1 hour ago, StuM said:

I like the idea of the wild card.  How many rounds do you play?  It would be nice if every player was the Wild card once, but that would require 7 Rounds.  

We play 5 rounds, and the last day is singles. So, we only have 4 rounds of team golf. 

[DaveP043]

My normal weekend group plays (among other things) the best ball of the foursome against each other foursome in Nassau-style match play.  If a team is short a player, their 4th is taken as a net par.  @imsys0042 mentioned this kind of thing, and it seems to work OK if you're playing group against group.  We used to take the approach @iacas suggested, have one player from the 4-man team sit out each hole, so it is 3 against 3, but in the end we prefer to have "Old Man Par" on the 3-man team.  For two-man teams, probably the only way I can think to make it work is the wild card, and I'd draw that name at random after the round is over.   

[Sandy Lie]

On 3/8/2022 at 5:20 PM, Carl3 said:

I like the wild card idea and do two person teams drawn from a hat after the round is done. Low combined net wins. Wild card gets his money back for the round out of the pot.  

This assumes everyone has a bona fide handicap. 😁

Our Mens League does a blind draw after play is complete. Exclude the names in the threesome and draw randomly one player from the remaining players. Essentially, put their names in a hat and pick one.

Or do “odd and even” holes where it’s two best ball net on hole 1 and 1 best ball net on 2. Repeat rest of the way. Use 85% of handicaps.

[ChetlovesMer]

19 minutes ago, Sandy Lie said:

Our Mens League does a blind draw after play is complete. Exclude the names in the threesome and draw randomly one player from the remaining players. Essentially, put their names in a hat and pick one.

To me, this is the easiest way to solve your problem. 

Either that or just play all seven of you against each other and settle up at the end. 

[OB left]

What our group does is choose teams of two after the round is over. Think picking numbers out of a hat though we use a beer glass at the 19th. When we have an uneven number of golfers we pull one number twice. It's easy and fair to all. This way it doesn't matter who is on your 4some. 

[TourSpoon]

We have played that the threesome has to alternate one player being the "double ball". So if you are playing 3 scores, or 17 scores in 6 holes (out of 24 possible with 4 players), or whatever game, the double ball can go either way. Double ball birdies are really good as are pars, but when the first player is in his pocket, and the second is in trouble, then the pressure of the double ball can be really fun. 

Another one is the pick 2 where one player is used twice in the 2 man teams format.