How it plays
- 1Both partners tee off.
- 2Swap: each player hits their partner's ball for the second shot.
- 3Choose the better of the two balls after those second shots.
- 4From there, partners alternate strokes with that one ball until it is holed. Whoever did not hit the chosen second shot plays the third.
- 5One score per team per hole.
Scoring and handicaps
- One card per team. Scores land between a scramble and a straight alternate shot.
- Standard handicap allocation is 60% of the low handicap plus 40% of the high.
- League team weeks pay 8 to each winner, 3 to each loser.
Over nine holes
Chapman is the team format to play when alternate shot has been too punishing lately. Everyone hits two real shots on every hole, so nobody spends the round as a spectator.
How to actually win it
- The swap is the format. Hitting your partner's ball from their bad lie is where the round is won.
- Choose the ball that leaves the better player the shot they like, not simply the one that is closest.
- Track whose turn it is out loud — playing out of turn is the most common Chapman mistake.
Questions people ask
What is the Chapman golf format?
Chapman, also known as Pinehurst, is a two-player team format where both partners tee off, then each plays the partner's ball for the second shot. The team selects the better of those two balls and alternates strokes with it until it is holed.
Is Chapman the same as Pinehurst?
Yes — the two names describe the same format, and which one a club uses is mostly regional. Both are sometimes called 'American foursomes'.
What handicap allowance is used for Chapman?
The common allocation is 60% of the lower partner's course handicap plus 40% of the higher partner's, applied to the team score.
Watch it played
We film Chapman (2v2) live, badly, every season
Five friends, one camera, nine holes, and a forfeit waiting for whoever finishes last. The full round card for every Chapman (2v2) week is on this site the day the episode drops.