Overview:

Doubles Golf® is a rebranding of golf’s two-player “Better-Shot” format, designed to make golf more relaxed and inclusive. Co-founded by Jack Nicklaus and the originators of Junior League Golf, Doubles Golf® or “Better Shot” golf is the first format of its kind in the history of golf created in the United States. The format enhances 9-hole rounds which creates speedy play and the opportunity for evening events (tournaments and leagues) at any facility.

Facilities across the country may host Doubles Golf® Leagues and Club Championships in Men’s, Women’s, Seniors, Mixed-Doubles categories. This is the first step in qualifying for the U.S. Doubles Golf® Am Championships.

FORMAT & SCORING

Two-player teams will play the “Better-Shot” format now known as Doubles Golf®. Format of play is as follows:
1- Both players tee off from the teeing ground.

2- The team selects the best-positioned ball to play their next shots.

3- The ball is marked, and players are allowed to lift, clean, and place their ball within one club-length, no closer to the hole.

4- A ball may be moved from rough to fairway using the one club-length rule, but under no circumstances should this free relief be used to move a ball from a penalty area or bunker, or onto a green.

5- Players will continue this process until reaching the green, at which time the selected ball is marked, and putts are taken within one club-head of the mark, in either direction, no closer to the hole. The maximum score a team can take on any hole is a double bogey.

COURSE SET-UP

While the PGA/LPGA Professional or course operator at his/her facility determines the length of the golf course, the suggested ranges for yardages are:
Men play from a range of 3000-3400 yards.

Women play from a range of 2400-2800 yards.

Seniors play from a range of 2700-3100 yards.

*Please note that State or Regional Championships and National Championship yardages will be at the higher end of the category ranges*

DOUBLES GOLF RATING

All Doubles Golf teams must have a Doubles Golf® Rating. There are three stages of Doubles Golf® Ratings:
Stage 1 – Temporary Rating When registering, if both players on the team have a USGA Index, teams will be given a “Temporary Rating”
Stage 2 – Conditional Rating After registering and posting two 9-hole Doubles Golf® rounds, teams will be given a Conditional Rating based on submitted scores.
Stage 3 – Official Doubles Golf Rating After posting five 9-hole Doubles Golf® rounds, teams will have earned their official Doubles Golf® Rating.

ADVANCEMENT

Determining Club Champions & League Champions

Each Golf Course Operator or Course Administrator will determine the best date to conduct their Doubles Golf® Club Championships or Leagues. All Club Championships and Leagues must be completed by August 31st, of each year. For the purpose of Leagues, clubs are encouraged to use the stroke allocation to create parity among teams.

Categories Qualified for Advancement:
Men’s - Any two men 25 to 59 years of age.
Women’s - Any two women 25 to 59 years of age.
Mixed - One man and one woman 25 to 59 years of age.
Seniors’ - Any two players 60 years of age or older.

Advancement to State or Regional Championship

Club or League Champions from each club, in each qualified category, will be invited to compete at the State or Regional Championship.

Advancement to U.S. Doubles Golf® Am Championships

State or regional champions with an A rating, in each qualified category, will be invited to compete at the U.S. Doubles Golf® Am Championships. 

RULES OF PLAY

The following are Doubles Golf® rules put in place by the United States Doubles Golf® Committee (USDGC): 
Format: Doubles Golf® (“Better-Shot” format)
Sharing Clubs: Each player may have a maximum of 14 clubs. Partners may share clubs provided the total number of clubs selected for play between the two players does not exceed 14. For example, if Player A has 6 clubs, and her partner Player B has 8 clubs, they may share clubs. 

Lifting & Marking Selected Ball

A team will mark its chosen drive. The selected ball may be lifted by the player, his/her partner, their substitute or another person authorized by the player, and can be cleaned. 
The position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted or played unless the original ball is played from its original location. If not, the mark must be placed right behind or right next to the ball and the mark may be moved up to one clubhead-length (on the putting surface) or club-length (everywhere else on the course) if the player chooses to play from the original spot. If a selected ball is lifted or played without being marked, the team will incur a one-stroke penalty. This process continues for each team’s shots until reaching the putting green.
A ball may be moved one club-length in the general area. The general area includes all areas of the golf course. This DOES NOT include the putting green, tee box, penalty areas, or bunkers.

Penalty Areas

If a team should choose to play a ball from a penalty area, the ball must be played as it lays on the first shot. Either player may take the first shot, with no relief. The second ball must be placed as close to the first ball, no closer to the hole, replicating the conditions of the first ball. Should the team decide to take relief from the penalty area, USGA rules apply with a one-stroke penalty.

Lost Ball & Out of Bounds

If neither of a team’s shots can be found, USGA rules regarding “lost ball” will apply. The team will return to the location of the prior shot, each player will re-hit, and a one-stroke penalty will be assessed.

While Doubles Golf® rules regard out of bounds stakes as penalty areas, no ball may be played from out of bounds. A team selecting a ball that has been hit out of bounds must take a one-stroke penalty and play the ball from in-bounds at the nearest point where the ball was deemed to have crossed the boundary.

Line of Putt

Upon reaching the putting green, the ball chosen will be marked, and each player will putt from within a club-head, in any direction of the mark, no closer to the hole. Should it be deemed that a team is attempting to gain an advantage by rolling a ball on a green before putting, a penalty may be assessed.

Finishing a Hole

Once a ball is holed, even if the second player has yet to putt, the score of the ball holed becomes the official score for the team on that hole. Double bogey is the maximum score a team can take on any hole. Once a team has reached the number of strokes equal to bogey, and the ball is not yet holed, the team must pick up, record the score as a double bogey, and move to the next teeing ground.

Ties

For all Club Championships, courses have the discretion to determine how to settle ties. The USDGC suggested format will be scorecard matching (listed below). If a course decides to settle ties differently (playoff, chip-off, putt-off etc…) this must be announced prior to the event.

Scorecard Matching

If two or more teams finish tied, their scores (against par) on the last 9 holes will be matched as the first tiebreaker. If still tied, the teams’ scores (against par) on the last 6 holes will be matched. If still tied, the teams’ scores (against par) on the last 3 holes will be matched. If still tied, the aggregate scores of each teams’ Par-3's will determine the team that moves on. If still tied, the team's scores on each Par-3, in reverse order on the scorecard, will be matched to determine advancement. If still tied, a putt-off or chip-off will be conducted until a winning team has been crowned. 

Scoring League Matches

Doubles Golf league matches are played over 9- holes. Each hole is worth a single point. In the event of a tie on an individual hole, both teams will receive .5 a point. The match total score should always equal 9pts. The team with the most overall points at the conclusion of the match will be declared the winner (see scorecard example below).

*Note* When posting matches scores the mobile scoring app takes into account the winner of the match and awards that team the additional 1 point.

*For all other rulings, refer to the USGA Rulebook.*