Best Ball (Low Man)
Multi-team best ball, placement payouts
Best Ball (Low Man) takes the classic best-ball team format and scales it to a full field of teams with placement-style payouts. On every hole, each team uses its “low man,” the lowest score among its members. Teams are then ranked by their total best-ball score over the round, and the pot (funded by every player) is distributed by finishing position rather than to a single winner. This makes it ideal for league play, outings, and large groups where you want 2nd and 3rd place to still earn something. Optional handicaps and birdie/eagle side pots add extra layers of competition.
Pro Tip
Great for leagues and big outings paying 2nd and 3rd place keeps more teams in contention all the way to the 18th.
Rules & Scoring
Team Best-Ball Scoring
Every player plays their own ball. On each hole, only the single lowest score among a team's members (the “low man”) is recorded as the team score. Larger teams have a better chance of posting a low number on any given hole.
Ranking the Field
After the round, every team's best-ball scores are totaled and the teams are ranked from lowest to highest. BirdieBet normalizes for holes played, so a team that hasn't finished is fairly compared to teams that have.
Placement Payouts
The pot is funded per player and paid out by finishing position. You set the payout percentages, for example 60% to 1st, 30% to 2nd, and 10% to 3rd, and choose how many places get paid. Each paid team splits its share evenly among its members.
Ties
When teams tie, they share the combined percentage for the places they occupy. Because the pot is funded per player, tied teams split that share per player, so an all-square result returns everyone their buy-in regardless of team size.
Side Bets
Optional birdie and eagle pots can run alongside the main game, rewarding teams for low scores hole-by-hole on top of the placement payouts.
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