Gruesomes is a two-person team format where both partners hit a drive, then the other team picks which of your two drives you have to play, usually the worst one. From there, you finish the hole in alternate shot.
It’s the evil twin of Greensomes: same setup, opposite intention. You stripe one down the middle, your partner yanks one into the trees, and you watch the other team grin and point at the trees.
Gruesomes also goes by the names Bloodsomes or Yellowsomes, it’s a friendly match and social favorite for one reason: nothing tests a partnership like being forced to play your worst ball on purpose.
MORE ALTERNATE-SHOT FORMATS WORTH RUNNING
If you like making one ball do the work, run these next:
- Greensomes — Same setup, friendlier intent. You pick your best drive instead of getting handed your worst.
- Alternate Shot (Foursomes) — The Ryder Cup classic this format is built on. One ball, two players, every other shot.
- Worst Ball — No opponents required. Play the worse of your own drives every hole and grind.
Game Setup
A few things to settle on the first tee before anyone hits.
Players Required
Four, in two teams of two. Gruesomes is a pairs format, so you need a side to play against and a side to choose your drives. It’s one of the better golf games for 4 players when your group wants something meaner than a scramble.
Net vs Gross (Handicaps)
Gruesomes isn’t a standard tournament event, so there’s no single official allowance. Most groups use one of two conventions. The Foursomes method takes 50% of each player’s course handicap and combines them into one team number. The Greensomes method uses 60% of the lower handicap plus 40% of the higher.
Plenty of casual groups just play it straight up. Run the numbers with our quick golf handicap calculator, and if you want to know where those figures come from, here’s how a golf handicap is calculated.
Wager or Friendly Match?
Sakes are optional. Agree on the bet before you tee off. A straight 18-hole match or a Nassau (front 9, back 9, and overall match) both work.
Match Play or Stroke Play?
Gruesomes can be played as either match play or stroke play. If you don’t know the difference, we’ve covered this cleanly in a dedicated match play vs. stroke play post post.
How to Play Gruesomes (Rules & Scoring)
Here’s exactly how a hole plays out, start to finish.
- Both partners tee off. Every player on both teams hits a drive, so each team has two drives in play.
- The opposing team picks your drive. Once your team’s two drives are down, your opponents choose which one you must play. They’ll hand you the worst position they can, so plan on playing your bad one. Each team chooses for the other.
- The partner whose drive was NOT chosen plays the next shot. This is the rule groups blow most often. If your opponents make your team play partner A’s drive, partner B hits the second shot. You alternate from there until the ball is holed.
- Low team score wins the hole. Gruesomes is almost always match play, so the lower score wins the hole and goes 1-up. The most a disaster hole can cost you is that one hole, which is why match play fits this format better than stroke play. But you can play it as stroke play, too. If playing it as a match play, ties halve the hole, same as any match.
Penalties follow normal alternate-shot order of play: if the chosen drive ends up out of bounds or lost, your team plays its next shot under the relevant penalty and keeps alternating from whoever is up. If you want a handy downloadable image with every penalty marker on the course and how to handle it, our guide to golf course penalties has you covered.
COMMON MISTAKE
Both partners swinging out of their shoes. When you both reach for driver, the drive your opponents force on you is more likely to be a genuine problem. Pick a safer club so your “worst” ball is hopefully still in play.
Gruesomes Variations
Groups have come up with a few ways to dial the cruelty up or down.
- Bloodsome vs. Gruesome. The names usually mean the same thing, but some players split them. In a Bloodsome, your opponents choose your drive (they can even hand you the good one as a mind game). In a strict Gruesome, the worse drive is used automatically every hole, no choosing involved.
- Odd holes only. Opponents only get to pick on the odd-numbered holes. On the evens, you play your better drive like a normal Greensomes. A gentler way in for a mixed group.
- Stroke-play Gruesomes. Score it for total strokes instead of hole-by-hole. Bring a thick skin. The blow-up holes are the whole reason most groups keep it to match play.
- Handicap-adjusted. Apply the Foursomes or Greensomes allowance from above so a wide-handicap match stays honest.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few things that come up the first time a group runs it.
Yes, almost always. Gruesomes, Bloodsomes, and Yellowsomes are three names for the same format: both partners drive, the other team forces you to play one of them (usually your worst), and you finish in alternate shot. The only place the names split is the strict version above, where “Gruesome” means the worst ball is automatic and “Bloodsome” means opponents choose.
The partner whose drive was NOT selected. If your opponents make your team play partner A’s tee shot, partner B hits the next shot, and you alternate from there to the hole.
There’s no official allowance, because it isn’t a standard competition format. Most groups borrow from its parents: 50% of each player’s course handicap combined (the Foursomes method), or 60% of the lower handicap plus 40% of the higher (the Greensomes method). Casual rounds are often just played straight up.
The full version needs four, two teams of two, because you need an opposing side to choose your drives.
Final Thoughts
Gruesomes won’t show up at your club championship, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a game for the rounds that don’t count, where beating your buddies matters more than the number you write down. Play it once with the right group and you’ll be talking about the drive somebody got robbed of all the way to the 18th. Grab three friends, agree on the stakes, and hand each other your worst this weekend.
