Doubles Etiquette

[EnigmaSquad]

First of all, I am asking for people's "experience" and not for the "right" or wrong "answer".
I play a lot of random doubles(almost every weekend) and therefore I have been partners with a wide variety of people of various skill levels.
I tend to just go with the flow and so if my partner has "unwritten rules" about how we partners should play I usually just go with it.
Just curious what "unwritten rules" you prefer to play with.

For example, almost everyone I play with believes that if we take his drive then I throw first from his lie.(at least that would be the default order, it's not like it has to go that way).

But I played with someone the other day(and I think this was a first for me) who felt if you had the good drive, then you should get first crack at the next shot.
Have others thought much about this? What position do you "default" to?
In all these cases I am talking about "unwritten rules", I have never played with anyone who freaked out if they were not stricly followed.

Another question, the whole odds and even teepads discussion. I play with a lot of guys who really want to be sure they alternate who goes first off the teepad.(this might be a little bit because our ace pots are consistantly large-currently $300- and so one guy can take the safer line and the other can take the more aggressive, riskier shot at the ace. I don't know)
I tend to not care.

Just curious what experience you have had regarding these two subjects.
Any other doubles "unwritten rules" you have heard of or adhere to?

[Bullseye]

I always go with "Whoever's shot we are throwing from... shoots second.". I like it this way because it seems to give all players a decent chance playing.

For instance, if you were playing Doubles with someone like Nate Doss as a partner, how many of your drives would you be taking? Now, if you always let Nate putt from his drive, he is very likely to bang that putt as well. If he does make that putt, then the second player only gets a single, unused second drive on that hole. Do this 18 holes in a row, and that 2nd player will start to feel like they wasted their time even trying.

[General Scales]

I've played a lot of random draw doubles and I've never played with anybody who believes that if you take their drive, they throw first. I've always played it the other way.

Some of the other variations I've played is the you can only take the same player's shot two times in a row. So if you took their drive and their upshot, they cannot putt. I think my favorite format of doubles is worst shot. It forces everyone to try that much harder to be on point so as not to get stuck with a terrible shot.

I would really like to play the 6/6/6 format one of these days but people seem so reluctant to try it. For those of you who don't know, the 6/6/6 format is best shot/worst shot/alternate shot.

[Matt B.]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

I always go with "Whoever's shot we are throwing from... shoots second.". I like it this way because it seems to give all players a decent chance playing.

For instance, if you were playing Doubles with someone like Nate Doss as a partner, how many of your drives would you be taking? Now, if you always let Nate putt from his drive, he is very likely to bang that putt as well. If he does make that putt, then the second player only gets a single, unused second drive on that hole. Do this 18 holes in a row, and that 2nd player will start to feel like they wasted their time even trying.

How many times do I have to say I'm sorry for making all those great shots, Jeff!? Excuse me for living, gawd! "Nate Doss"....yeah, right.

I like the odd/even alternate drives just because...I guess I never thought about why or if it makes a difference. I definitely always expect to throw first when we take my partner's shot. That changes sometimes if you have a discussion that one person should lay-up, and one person should take a run at it. If there's a preference, the person to lay up usually goes first and thus sometimes subverts the order.

[EnigmaSquad]

Thanks Guys. So far, those who have posted seem to have matching experiences with mine.

[emmarose]

i like to throw first if i feel like it and putt first if i feel like it... i don't always feel like it. i'll just let you know, okay ("you" being my poor partner)?

i do go mostly with the "if it's your drive then i'll throw the upshot first" and vice versa thing... unless i don't feel like it, in which case i'll just let you know.


oh, yeah... i don't really dig doubles and don't really play them that often... i'm just too egocentrically focused on my own game... which probably explains why i refuse to stick to any of the norms and usual rules. i am a butthead and a terrible doubles partner...

p.s. and i've never played with anyone who ever had a problem with any of this... except that i've never played any kind of random dubs... or maybe i have but just like once or twice... usually people know what they're getting into ahead of time and have agreed to put up with me.

[geo_ducks]

I tend to have two different modes of playing based on the relative skill between partners.

Roughly equal skill level, alternate drives, play off each other's shot.
Big discrepancy in skill, let the lesser-abled player go first on each tee, then play off each other's shot.

I use this as a basic guideline, but there is always adjustment based on the chemistry b/w players. Can't putt with pressure? You go first (less pressure). Can't throw a sidearm, but the hole requires it? Other player goes second (who can throw sidearm). Etc., etc.

Sometimes it is good to give your partner the sweet birdie try simply because they haven't banged one all day. Sometimes I am feeling it at the moment and its is time to sink it! The chemistry/feel dictates the order here, and that is ok as long as both players know this is how thing will go. {will stop here, this is starting to sound like Emma's diva style format!}

[Lund]

This is a fun thread as I agree there is a lot of unwritten variation in doubles play.

For example how do people feel about the option for each player to throw their 2nd shot or putt from their own lie? i.e. "I like this spot, you like that spot lets each shoot from our own." I would say that when this has come up (which is not at all rare in my experience and includes 1 instance during our doubles round at Dabney during TDG yesterday) I have never seen anyone object. But I guess in theory this could lead to a situation where each player played the hole on their own and they took the best score. That probably would not be cool as that is a whole different game.

As far as holding fast to the alternating who drives first equation - personally I like to mostly hold to this pattern so that it is more routine, but definitely leave open the option deviate for certain situations. An example of this is a hole that my partner can reach but I cannot so I'll offer to (change the order) and go first and play it safe. That adds a little strategery to the affair.

[Bruce]

It all depends for me, there are many situations where I've taken my partners drive and insist they put first. Could be a holy they've never 2'd by themselves before, or maybe they just haven't been contributing during a round, so I want to get them involved. I typically go with the flow however.

[tmk]

Playing with someone who has a bigger arm than me (almost always), on long holes I always ask them to go first so I only have to take the safe shot when they OB, near tree, or otherwise stink it up.

[TYVEK]

if i am playing doubles with somebody i know well and have played with in the past i will always play a "safe shot" if i am throwing first, and vice versa. also i agree with the whole "if we take my lie, my partner throws first" attitude.

one thing i have encountered is an attitude of sharing the ace pot with your partner if you get an ace. i am of firm belief that if we start out the round with out talking about splitting of the ace pot, then whoever gets and ace keeps the money(this is what i prefer). i think ace money should only be split if talked about before hand. i have had some slightly uncomfortable conversaitions with people about this during the round. they have thought that it is an automatic understanding that it gets split, and i give them a big ol' NOPE.

[General Scales]

Originally Posted by TYVEK

if i am playing doubles with somebody i know well and have played with in the past i will always play a "safe shot" if i am throwing first, and vice versa. also i agree with the whole "if we take my lie, my partner throws first" attitude.

one thing i have encountered is an attitude of sharing the ace pot with your partner if you get an ace. i am of firm belief that if we start out the round with out talking about splitting of the ace pot, then whoever gets and ace keeps the money(this is what i prefer). i think ace money should only be split if talked about before hand. i have had some slightly uncomfortable conversaitions with people about this during the round. they have thought that it is an automatic understanding that it gets split, and i give them a big ol' NOPE.

Yeah I understand that theory entirely. I like to propose a 90/10 split that way my partner doesn't feel like they are getting screwed if in the off chance, I hit one. I just hope they agree to do the same if the situation was vice versa

[LakeStevensBA]

If I play doubles and end up with Todd Bates or Gilby, I will throw second and then pick up their disc on the way to play from mine.

[Wes Hansen]

Originally Posted by LakeStevensBA

If I play doubles and end up with Todd Bates or Gilby, I will throw second and then pick up their disc on the way to play from mine.

Like!


I always ask to drive second.. I am generally confident in my drives.
I always differ to better putters, as some are thrown off when they realize a 6 foot putt Can be missed.

[mine all mine]

Equal partner, I don't care the order. If I am playing with a very new player, I like to go second no matter the shot. If their 40 foot upshot is still 35 out I like having the option to lay up. I will say that I prefer to putt last regardless of partner, I like to put undue pressure on myself for some reason

[Chuck Kennedy]

I suggest 60/40 on the ace especially in best shot since each of you placing a good shot first sets up the partner to go for it.

[Wes Hansen]

I have had partners Demand their half and others refuse their half.
Would be nice if the TD specified, or if my partner got one.

[Bruce]

I always do 50/50 no questions or discussion needed on the ace pot. Either way I leave with more money than I came with, if I happen to get one.

[Jreynolds]

I know almost all the people that play doubles in my area, and they know me. Based on our different skills, is how we determine who drives first. In best shot, I do not play any lay ups off the tee, unless we are playing in a big money tourney. If it's random draw with acepot, the acepot is always more than we will win in doubles, so I always encourage my partner to go for it as well. I always discuss splitting, and if we are of equal skill, we will normally split.If one player is far better or worse than me, I will generally suggest a 75/25 split. I tend to throw first from the other persons lie, but will let them putt out their own birdies from inside the circle

[Joshua Olmsted]

I've played my fair share of doubles and while I'm always happy to oblige people's specific order desires, I personally find the alternate who drives first a little silly. As a control oriented player, when I'm on long courses and I'm playing with a long-arm I like to go first to try and lay down a good safe drive. For second shot, I generally hold to whoever had the best drive shoots second, my only exception being on medium length jump putts, I will sometimes ask to go first because the way I jump putt, even my misses rarely go more than 6-10 feet past the basket, that way if I'm playing with a cannon arm jump-putter they don't have to feel the need to lay up a runnable jump putt.