How to Play a Two-Ball Low Net Golf Tournament
The format is often spelled 2-Ball Low Net. And you might also see a 2-Ball Low Gross tournament that works the same way except for the fact it uses gross (actual strokes played) rather than net (strokes played minus any handicap strokes) scores.
In a Two-Ball Low Net, Golfers A, B, C and D each play their own golf balls throughout. They are playing stroke play with handicaps. Let's say on Hole 1 Golfer A scores a net 4, B a net 5, C a net 6 and D a net 5. The team's score on Hole 1 is 9, because the 4 and 5 are the two low net scores among the four teammates.
And that is how it works on each hole: Take the two lowest net scores among the four teammates, combine them, and that is the team's score for that hole.
Using net scores obviously means that all participants in the tournament must use handicaps. If not all players carry real handicap indexes, though, one of those one-round, same-day handicap formulas (e.g. Callaway system, Peoria system, Blind Bogey handicap, et. al.) can be used. That delays score totalling until after the round, though, and creates more work for tournament organizers.
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