Mixed doubles match play

Question
QUESTION: My handicap is 20 and my wife's handicap is 27.  We will be playing a couple and his handicap is 15 and her's is 24.  What is the proper way to work out the handicap?
Also, do all four tee off and choose the better ball or do partners alternate the tee shots?
Hope you can help.....   thank you.

ANSWER: Hello Jim:

There are many forms of competition you can play.  A better ball is simply you and your wife as partners playing your own balls.  The best score on a hole between you and her is your team score.  For example, if you made a gross 5 and she made a gross 7 on a hole where you each received a shot due to your handicap, then you would have made a net 4 and she would have made a net 6.  Your team net score would be a 4 for that hole.  If you choose to play alternate shot, that competition is tough.  In alternate shot, you would drive off of say the even holes, and she would drive off of the odd number holes.  What I would suggest you do to keep it real simple is to just go play golf.  Men from the tees you normally play, women from the tees they normally play.  Give yourselves your full handicap each.  You would get 20 strokes, which means you would receive a stroke per hole and on the holes that are handicapped #1 and #2 (meaning the hardest holes on the course according to the rating), you would receive 2 shots.  Your wife would receive a shot a hole and on handicapped holes 1-9, she would receive an extra shot.  She would have 2 shots on those holes.  Your playing competitors:  he would get his 15 shots on holes handicapped 1-15, and she would get a shot a hole and receive 2 shots on handicapped holes 1-6.  Then, just go play a NET better ball match.  That way, everyone gets there full allotment of strokes.  You just have to do the math each hole.  No biggie.  The other way to do your handicaps is off the low one of the four of you.  Your male counterpart would be a 0.  You would receive 5 shots, your wife would receive 12, his wife would receive 9.  That way, you are not having to add and subtract so much on the scorecard.  Either way, go have some fun.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your explanation and I realise there are different ways to play.  Apparently the competition is a knockout matchplay and it has to be alternate shots.  I have heard that some play the game where all four tee off and then you choose the better ball. For example, if I have had a good drive and prefer this to my wife's drive, she then plays the next shot using my ball. The other way of playing is as you said where I play perhaps the odd holes and she plays the evens.  The main concern I have is the handicap situation because some say you add the handicaps of each pair then either half or three quarter the difference.  Is there a correct way of working this out?  I can't find anything on the internet about this.
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
Jim

Answer
Jim:

Not that I am aware of.  If you are playing in a sanctioned event, they will tell you what you are doing.  If it is not sanctioned and you are just playing and making up a game, I would look on the internet at www.usga.org and go to handicapping.  See if you see something there.  Otherwise, I would ask the question and have them respond.  There pretty good at getting back to you.  Since they are the authority on rules and handicapping, let them help you.  There are many different games you could play, is there one right way......I don't know if that is the right way to phrase it.  Perhaps the USGA can answer your question.  Another thing to do is to call your state golf association.  Whoever maintains your current handicaps should be able to answer your questions.  Good luck.

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member