How Are Pairings Set?

Some of you have been asking me how pairings are set up, since you seem to golf with the same teammate each week. I will try to explain the formula that is used, but would welcome any comments or suggestions for improvement. (See my previous post for instructions on Leaving a Comment on the blog.)

1^st Half
For the first round, the pairings are meant to pit each team’s #1's against each other, and the same goes for the teams’ numbers 2, 3, and 4. So, a particular match-up and grouping would look like this.

Group 1

• TeamA’s #1 vs TeamB’s #1
• TeamA’s #4 vs TeamB’s #4

Group 2

• TeamA’s #2 vs TeamB’s #2
• TeamA’s #3 vs TeamB’s #3

(Sometimes I switch it up so the 2/3 pairings go in Group 1 and the 1/4 pairings in Group 2.)

Anyway, because of this formula, if there’s little movement of handicaps on your team, your 1 and 4 may play together week after week, and your 2 and 3 will likewise be grouped together.

2^nd Half
In the second round, golfers are paired and grouped so the foursome is "fresh." By the end of the season each golfer should have been in a foursome with every other golfer in the league.

Exceptions can be made to this formula when golfers ask to change groupings in order to share a cart.

As I said, please leave comments or suggestions if you’ve got them.

- Dave