Group & Corporate Golf Outings in Hilton Head, SC

For argument's sake, let's say you have 16 golfers for this trip and you are staying for three nights with three rounds of golf. 16 players with eight on each side is a perfect number, but groups of 12 or 20 will work just fine (Don't forget to get the team shirts included in your package.)

Decide the teams: make sure they are pretty even in regards to handicaps. If you have three or four lower handicappers, split them up evenly between the two teams.

The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on until the ball is holed. Tee balls are alternated so that the same player doesn't hit every drive. Alternate Shot can be played as stroke play or match play.

Best ball can be played using 2-, 3- or 4-person teams. Each player on the team plays his or her own golf ball throughout the round, and on each hole the low score - or "best ball" - of the group serves as the team score. Player A gets a 5, B gets a 4, C gets a 6, D gets a 6, then the team score for that hole is 4, because the low score of the group was B's 4.

Best ball is usually played as stroke play with the total score added up at the end of the round. It can be played as match play, but best-ball match play with more than 2-person teams results in a lot of halved holes.

A best ball competition in which the teams are comprised of two players. When played as match play, better ball is another name for Four Ball. The two players on the team each play their own ball throughout the round. The low score, or better ball, among the two on each hole is the team's score for that hole.

All four players play their own ball throughout; at the end of each hole, the low score between the two partners on each team is that team's score. For example, Players A and B form one team. On the first hole, A scores a 5, B scores a 6, so the team score is 5. Four Ball can be played as stroke play or match play and is one of the formats used at the Ryder Cup.

A scramble is usually played with 4-person teams, but 2-person scrambles are popular, too. At a 2-person scramble, handicaps are usually applied; at a 4-person scramble, handicaps are usually not applied - unless it is an Ambrose-style scramble.

In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole. The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shots from that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed.

Like in a scramble, all members of a team (usually four) tee off and the best ball of the four tee shots is selected. All players move their balls to the spot of the best ball. From this point, the hole is played out at stroke play, with all members of the team playing their own ball into the hole.

So: select the best shot off the tee, move all balls to that spot, then play individual stroke play until each member of the group has holed out.

Example: Players A, B, C and D tee off. Player B's drive is chosen as the team drive. Player B has to "step aside" - to sit out - on the next shot.

If a tournament has a shotgun start, here's how it works: Say there are 18 groups of four golfers each entered in the tournament. Each of those groups is assigned to a different hole on the golf course. Group A goes to the tee box on the first hole, Group B goes to the tee box on the second hole, and so on. When the starting time arrives, all groups begin play simultaneously from their assigned teeing grounds. Typically, groups are notified to begin play through the use of an auditory signal such as the sounding of a horn. Minimum of 72 players required.

The use of split tees gets more players playing more quickly. Split tees are frequently used in tournaments with unusually large fields, or on short days (such as when the start of play is delayed by weather). Course restrictions apply.