Hurleypurley Foursome -
The next time the club pro asks for a format suggestion, or you are setting up a 2v2 money game, volunteer the HurleyPurley. Watch the confusion on their faces, then watch the lightbulb turn on after the first hole. By the 18th green, you won’t just have a winner—you’ll have a new favorite way to play the game.
Here is why this format is gaining a cult following: In a normal alternate shot, players often hit a "safe" 3-wood or iron just to keep the ball in play. In HurleyPurley, because you have a partner’s drive as a backup, you can grip it and rip it. If you bomb a drive 300 yards, great. If you hook it into the trees, your partner might have hit a boring 220-yard fairway finder. The team always gets the best of both worlds. 2. Eliminates the "Passenger" In Fourball Better Ball, a high-handicapper can be carried entirely by a low-handicapper. The high-handicapper might pick up on every hole. In HurleyPurley, every player must hit a shot on every hole (except the tee on holes where their drive is selected). Because you alternate after the drive selection, you cannot hide. You will have to hit approach shots, chips, and putts under pressure. 3. The Strategic Psychodrama The decision of which drive to take is a tactical battle. Do you take the shorter, safe drive to give your shaky-iron partner an easy second shot? Or do you take the long drive that leaves a wedge, even if the player who hit that drive (and is thus not hitting the next shot) is a terrible putter? The captaincy aspect makes every hole a puzzle. Variations of the HurleyPurley Foursome Like many folk formats, the HurleyPurley has mutated over the years. You may hear it called by different names: "American Foursomes," "Greensomes," or "Pinehurst." (Note: The official PGA Tour's "Pinehurst" format is exactly this: partners drive, choose the best drive, then alternate from there). hurleypurley foursome
Legend has it that a traditional foursomes match (alternate shot) was deemed unfair because the stronger player often dominated the tee shots. To level the playing field and ensure both partners contributed equally to the long game , the HurleyPurley compromise was struck. The format has since traveled across the Atlantic and into the heart of corporate golf days and friendly Ryder Cup-style events. The HurleyPurley Foursome is a hybrid of Foursomes (Alternate Shot) and Fourball (Better Ball) . It is designed to test every club in the bag for both partners. The next time the club pro asks for
In the vast lexicon of golf, certain terms spark immediate recognition: "Fourball," "Foursomes," "Scramble." Others, however, carry an air of mystery, whispered in clubhouse corners or scribbled onto niche tournament sheets. The HurleyPurley Foursome belongs firmly to the latter category. Here is why this format is gaining a
Now go find a partner and keep it in play. Or don’t. That’s the point of the HurleyPurley.
Despite its unusual, almost tongue-twisting name, the HurleyPurley Foursome is one of the most exciting, strategic, and equitable team formats in amateur golf. It strips away the egos of individual stroke play and replaces them with a rhythm of pure partnership.
