How to Play the 'Average Score' Format

"Average Score" is the name of a competition format for teams of two golfers. The two golfers on a side each play their own ball into the hole. And on each hole, their two scores are averaged to produced the team's score.

With most two-ball team formats, either the one low ball of the partners counts as the team score (Golfer A scores 4, Golfer B 5, so the team's score is 4), or the partners' scores are totaled on each hole (4 + 5 = team score of 9). But in the Average Score format, the partners' two scores are averaged on each hole — added together and divided by two.

This format isn't that common today, and was always less common than the better ball and total strokes formats. But it can be played as a tournament format, or as a betting game within a group of four whose golfers pair off. The Average Score format can also be called Halfsies or Going Halfsies.

When averaging scores, half-strokes may result and that's OK. That's just part of this game. Some examples:

• On the first hole, Golfer A scores 4 and Golfer B scores 4. The team scores is 4 (4+4=8, 8/2=4).
• On the second hole, Golfer A scores 6 and Golfer B scores 5. The team scores is 5.5 (6+5=11, 11/2=5.5).
• On the third hole, Golfer A scores 2 and Golfer B scores 7. The team score is 4.5 (2+7=9, 9/2=4.5).

At the end of the round, add up the strokes as usual, except in this case you'll be including any half-scores, too.

The Average Score format can be used with 3-person and 4-person teams, but 2-person is the norm. With 3-person and 4-person teams, on each hole you are adding three or four scores, then dividing by three or by four. That's not hard math, but it can be annoying. Two-person teams are the tradition.

More formats:

• How to play 2-Person Best Ball
• 2-Person Net Multiplier explained
• How the Canadian Foursomes format works

Sources:
Golfdom. "Revise Events Program to Increase Members' Play," February 1946.