Skip to main content

Matchplay Pairs

Matchplay Pairs is a team matchplay format where two-player teams compete head to head. Both players' scores in each pair are combined and compared against the opposing pair on each hole. It's a popular format for Ryder Cup-style events, inter-club matches, and team competitions where you want the intensity of matchplay with team collaboration.

Before you begin

Make sure you've already created an event and selected your course. You'll configure the competition format during event setup.

Video walkthrough

This video covers setting up a matchplay pairs event with combined scoring.

What is Matchplay Pairs?​

In matchplay pairs, two teams of two players face off hole by hole:

  • Both players in each pair play their own ball on every hole
  • The scores from both players in a pair are combined (added together)
  • The pair with the better combined score wins that hole
  • The match result is tracked as holes up or down, just like individual matchplay

This format is sometimes called "combined score matchplay" or "better ball matchplay with two scores to count."

How to set it up​

  1. From the Home Screen, tap the + button and select Single Round Event. For multi-round events, you can configure each round separately.

  2. From your event, tap the gear icon to open the Host Menu.

  3. Tap Event Settings, then scroll to Format & Scoring.

  4. Under Competition Format, select a Match Play format with Better Ball.

  5. Set the Aggregation Method to Addition — this sums each pair's scores on every hole.

  6. Set the Scores to Count to 2 — both players' scores count and are compared against the opposing pair.

  7. Choose your scoring method — Better Ball variation set to Standard.

  8. Go to Host Menu → Player Manager and tap the TEE SHEET tab.

  9. Assign players to pairs. Each tee slot should contain one pair from each side (four players total — two teams of two).

  10. Tap Activate on the HOME tab when ready.

Scoring and leaderboard​

Once activated, each player enters their own scores on their scorecard. Golfify handles the rest:

  • Both scores from each pair are automatically combined per hole
  • The pair with the lower combined score wins the hole
  • If the combined scores are equal, the hole is halved
  • The match status updates in real time on the leaderboard (e.g. "Team A — 2 Up through 14")
Aggregation method

Addition is the standard choice — it simply adds both players' scores together. The Multiply option is available but less common, and can produce unexpected results if a player scores zero points in Stableford.

Example scenario​

Setup: Two pairs playing a matchplay round — Pair A (Alice and Bob) vs Pair B (Carol and Dave).

Hole 1 (Par 4):

  • Alice scores 4, Bob scores 5 → Pair A combined: 9
  • Carol scores 5, Dave scores 5 → Pair B combined: 10
  • Pair A wins the hole → Pair A is 1 Up

Hole 2 (Par 3):

  • Alice scores 3, Bob scores 4 → Pair A combined: 7
  • Carol scores 3, Dave scores 3 → Pair B combined: 6
  • Pair B wins the hole → Match is All Square

The match continues in this fashion through 18 holes.