What Is Sixes (6-6-6)?
Sixes is a four-player golf format that divides the round into three six-hole segments and rotates the partnerships for each one. It goes by several names — Six-Six-Six, 6-6-6, Round Robin, and English — but the idea is always the same: over 18 holes, every player partners every other player exactly once.
Each six-hole segment is its own mini-match. Holes 1 through 6 are one match, holes 7 through 12 are the next, and holes 13 through 18 are the last. You can win, lose, or halve each segment, then add the results together to crown an overall winner.
Because the teams keep changing, no one is stuck carrying — or being carried by — the same partner all day. It's the format for a foursome that wants variety, fairness, and a reason for every golfer to stay engaged on every hole.
How a round of sixes works
- 1.Gather a foursome — sixes needs exactly four players.
- 2.Label the players A, B, C, and D so you can track the rotation.
- 3.Play holes 1-6 as the first partnership, holes 7-12 as the second, and holes 13-18 as the third.
- 4.Within each segment, count the better ball of each pair on every hole (the lower of the two partners' scores).
- 5.Decide each six-hole segment as a match — won, lost, or halved.
- 6.Tally the three segment results; the player with the best overall record wins.
How the Partner Rotation Works
The rotation is the heart of sixes. With four players — call them A, B, C, and D — there are exactly three ways to split them into two pairs. Sixes uses all three, one per segment, so every possible partnership happens once and no partnership repeats.
Here is the full rotation. Memorize it once and you'll never need to look it up again: every player teams with each of the other three for exactly six holes.
The 6-6-6 rotation: each player (A, B, C, D) partners every other player exactly once.
The one rule to remember
Player A's partner changes every segment — B, then C, then D. Once you fix A's rotation, the other pairing falls into place automatically (the remaining two players are always Team 2). That's why it's impossible to repeat a partnership over 18 holes.
How Scoring Works
Within each six-hole segment, partners normally play better ball (also called best ball): both partners play their own ball on every hole, and the lower of the two scores is the team's score for that hole. The two teams compare their better-ball scores hole by hole, exactly like a standard four-ball match.
Each segment is scored as its own match. You can keep it simple — whoever wins the most of the six holes wins that segment — or run it as match play where you track holes up and down. At the end of the segment, it's a win, a loss, or a halve. Three segments, three results, then you add them up to find the overall winner.
Handicaps work the same way they do in any four-ball: apply each player's strokes on the holes where they fall, then take the lower net score for the team. Many casual groups play it gross for simplicity, but net keeps it fair when handicaps differ.
Better ball per hole
On each hole, both partners hole out. The team's score is the better of the two. A 4 and a 6 means the team scores 4 on that hole.
Match within the segment
Compare the two teams' better-ball scores hole by hole across the six holes. The team ahead at the end wins the segment.
Three results, one winner
Add the three segment outcomes together. Because everyone partners everyone, the strongest individual usually ends up on the most winning sides.
Worked example. Say the foursome is Aki, Beth, Cole, and Dee. In the first segment (holes 1-6), Aki & Beth play Cole & Dee. Aki & Beth take their better ball on each of the six holes and win four holes to two — that's a win for Aki and Beth, a loss for Cole and Dee.
Second segment (holes 7-12): the teams become Aki & Cole versus Beth & Dee. This time it's tight, and the six holes finish all square — a halve, so both teams bank a half-point.
Third segment (holes 13-18): Aki & Dee versus Beth & Cole. Aki & Dee close it out three holes up — a win for Aki and Dee, a loss for Beth and Cole.
Tally it up: Aki was on the winning side twice and a halve once. Beth won once, halved once, lost once. Cole lost twice and halved once. Dee won once and lost once. Aki has the best record across the three segments, so Aki wins the round — even though no single partnership carried the whole day.
Strategy
Play your own game first
Because better ball counts the lower score, you don't both need to be safe. The steadier partner anchors the hole while the other can attack a tucked pin — but make sure at least one ball is in play before anyone gambles.
Talk to your partner on the tee
Your partner changes every six holes, so reset the plan each segment. A quick word on who goes first off the tee and who plays the percentages keeps you from both making the same mistake.
Order matters off the tee and on the green
Let the player out of trouble or already safe play first. Knowing your partner is in lets you take on a risky shot or a bold putt that wins the hole outright.
Every segment is a fresh start
Lose the first six badly? It doesn't carry over. Each segment is its own match, so a rough stretch only costs you one third of the round — not the whole thing.
Watch the middle segment
Holes 7-12 often run through the toughest part of a course. A halve here can be as valuable as a win elsewhere, so play smart and protect par.
Variations
Sixes is flexible. The rotation stays the same — three six-hole segments, partners changing each time — but how you score within and across the segments can be tuned to your group.
Aggregate (combined) scoring
Instead of the better ball, add both partners' scores together on each hole and compare the team totals. This rewards depth — both players have to contribute — and turns a single blow-up hole into a real swing.
Best for: Foursomes of similar ability who want every shot to matter
Points per hole
Drop match play and award points each hole instead — for example, the winning team takes 1 point per hole, with a half each on a tie. Carry the running point total across all 18 holes for one cumulative score.
Best for: Groups who want a clear running tally rather than three separate matches
Individual running tally
Keep a personal score for each player on top of the team results — credit each golfer for the holes their side wins across all three segments. Because everyone partners everyone, it produces a fair overall individual winner.
Best for: Foursomes who want one person crowned at the end, not just a winning pair
Playing Sixes on Cleek
Sixes is easy to play and a little fiddly to score by hand — three matches, rotating teams, and better-ball math on every hole. That's exactly the kind of bookkeeping Cleek handles for you. Set up the foursome once, and the app tracks the rotation, scores each six-hole segment, and adds the results into an overall winner automatically.
One person scores for the whole group, and your playing partners don't need accounts to join — they score as guests on a shared link. Tell Cleek you want to play sixes and you're tracking before the second tee, with the standings updating live as each segment closes out.
When the round ends, you get a shareable scorecard showing how every partnership played out — proof of who teamed up with whom and who came out on top. It's the kind of finish that makes a casual foursome feel like it counted.