The 'Pinehurst Sytsem' Golf Format Explained

Pinehurst System is the name of a golf competition format for 2-person teams. It starts on each hole with the partners each playing two strokes, then switches to alternate shot, with a switch of balls also included following the drives. This format is designed to allow teams comprised of two golfers whose abilities, or at least strengths, widely differ to compete fairly against other such teams, while allowing (requiring, really) the higher-handicap partner to contribute to the team's success.

Pinehurst system works like this:

• Both golfers on the team play drives.
• For the second strokes, each plays the other's drive — Golfer A plays the ball struck off the tee by Golfer B; Golfer B plays Golfer A's tee ball.
• The best of the second strokes is selected, and from the third stroke until the ball is holed, the two partners play alternate shot.
• The golfer whose second stroke was not selected is the one who plays the third stroke. (If Golfer B's second stroke is the one chosen to continue with, then Golfer A plays the third stroke. B would play the fourth, A the fifth, and so on, as necessary.)

Pinehurst system is the exact same thing as Chapman system, Chapman system being the more common name. (The format was co-invented by amateur golf champion Dick Chapman while playing at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, hence the competing names.) This format can also be called Pinehurst scoring, or simply Pinehurst. American Foursomes is another common name for it.

Whatever you call it, Pinehurst system is a great format for 2-person teams in which one of the partners is a lot better than the other, or in which one of the golfers is a much longer hitter than the other. (The golfers switching balls after the drives means the stronger or longer partner generally plays the longest/toughest approach shots, while the weaker/shorter player gets to play the longest drive.) Pinehurst system is a very popular format for husbands and wives (or any other man-woman team) to play together. Of course, it can be played by any two golfers.

Pinehurst system can be played as stroke play or match play. One suggestion about Pinehurst system strategy: If the second shots are fairly close in outcome, select the ball played by the weaker member of the team. That allows the better partner to play the third stroke.

Our article about the Chapman System goes into more details about playing the format, as well as how to handicap it, and also includes a video demonstration of how it is played.

Note that in the years before Chapman invented this particular format, the term "Pinehurst system" was commonly applied to a method used by Pinehurst Resort founders beginning in the early 1900s to weed out golfers they deemed unqualified to play in their tournaments. (The gist: Requiring membership at Pinehurst or another club, having a proveable handicap provided by that club, organizing tournaments by flight). This usage faded beginning in the 1950s after Chapman invented the game. Today, when you hear or read the term "Pinehurst system," it is certain to be referring to the competition format discussed above.

More formats:

• The game named Garbage explained
• How the Low Ball-High Ball (aka High-Low) format works
• The big list of golf games, formats and side bets

Sources:
Johnston, Scott. The Complete Book of Golf Games (affiliate link), 1995, Mustang Publishing.
Kaspriske, Ron. Golf Digest's Complete Book of Golf Betting Games (affiliate link), 2007, Doubleday.