Wolf

Wolf packs more decisions per hole than any other fourball format, and the reason is that on every hole one player holds the power. That player is the Wolf: they tee off first, watch the other three hit, and decide on the fly whether they want any of them as a partner. If no drive appeals, the Wolf can stay alone and play one against three for double.

The whole game lives in that decision, and in the fact that it has to be made immediately: pass on a player and you cannot go back for them.

The rotation

On the first tee you fix an order for the four players and it never changes. The Wolf rotates through it:

Wolf	Holes
Player 1	1, 5, 9, 13, 17
Player 2	2, 6, 10, 14, 18
Player 3	3, 7, 11, 15
Player 4	4, 8, 12, 16

With four players the full rotation covers 16 holes. Holes 17 and 18 are left over, and you have to decide what to do with them before you start. The two usual answers:

• The last two go to whoever is losing. The player with fewest points is Wolf on 17 and the second-worst on 18. It gives the stragglers a genuine route back.
• They are worth double and the rotation continues. Simpler, but it rewards whoever was already ahead.

How to play it, step by step

1. The Wolf tees off first on their hole.
2. The second player hits. The Wolf must decide right then: take them as a partner, or pass.
3. If they pass, the third player hits and the Wolf decides again. Then the fourth.
4. Once the Wolf passes on a player, they cannot come back to them. That is the rule that makes the format.
5. If the Wolf takes a partner, the hole is played two against two on better net ball, exactly like Best Ball.
6. If the Wolf passes on all three, they become the Lone Wolf and play their own ball against the best ball of the other three.
7. Points are awarded and the Wolf rotates.

The decision has to be said out loud and in the moment: “I’ll take you” or “pass”. A Wolf who stays silent until all three have hit is playing a different game.

The points table

This is the most common scale. Groups adjust it, but the proportions are nearly always respected:

Situation	Points
Wolf + partner win the hole	1 point each to the two of them
The other two win the hole	1 point each to the two of them
Lone Wolf wins the hole	2 points to the Wolf
Lone Wolf loses the hole	1 point to each of the other three
Blind Wolf wins the hole	4 points to the Wolf
Blind Wolf loses the hole	2 points to each of the other three
Hole halved	Nobody scores

Lone Wolf and Blind Wolf

Lone Wolf. The Wolf passes on all three drives and plays the hole alone. It pays double, and it is the natural call when the Wolf stripes a drive and the other three are in trouble.

Blind Wolf. The Wolf declares they are going alone before anybody hits, including themselves. It is the maximum bet in the format: played completely blind, with no information at all, which is why it pays double what a Lone Wolf does.

The Blind Wolf is the card you save for the end. A player sitting last with two holes to play has nothing to lose by calling it.

Strategy

• Picking a partner is picking insurance, not the best drive. With your own ball in trouble, you want the group’s steadiest player, not the longest.
• The first player to hit after you is the hardest decision. Take them and you give up seeing two more drives. As a rule: only take the first one if the drive was clearly excellent.
• Go Lone Wolf when your drive is one of the best of the round, not when you are annoyed. A lost Lone Wolf hands out three points at once: it is the fastest way to sink a card.
• Par 3s are the best Lone Wolf holes. One shot settles the hole and there are not three chances for somebody to hit the shot of their life.
• Keep track of who you have not picked. In a group where everyone rotates, the person you never choose notices.
• If you are last with three to play, the Blind Wolf is mathematically your best option. That is not bravery, it is arithmetic.

Common variations

Wolf with a “Pig”. A player who is not the Wolf can declare themselves alone against the other three before a partner is chosen, stealing the hole from the Wolf. It multiplies the chaos.

Wolf with carryovers. Halved holes add their value to the next one, like the carryover in Skins.

Three-player Wolf. It works, but the Lone Wolf is only one against two and becomes far easier. For a threesome, Nines is usually better.

Net Wolf. With handicap strokes applied by stroke index. Strongly recommended in a mixed-ability fourball: without handicaps, the low player goes Lone Wolf every time it is their turn.