Disc Golf Doubles Formats: Random, Best Shot, and Tournament Playbook

Disc golf doubles is the single best format for growing a local scene. It mixes skill levels, it builds community, and it's more forgiving for new players. Here are the formats you'll actually run and how to operate each one.

Random Draw Doubles

Players sign up as individuals; pairings are drawn at the tee. Use a rating-balanced draw so every team has one strong player and one less-strong player. This is the most common weekly-league format.

Best Shot Doubles

Both players tee off, pick the better drive, both play from that lie, and continue selecting the best shot until the disc is in. Scoring is one team score per hole. This is the most beginner-friendly doubles format - it hides a weaker player's mistakes.

Worst Shot Doubles

Both players tee off, play from the worse drive, and continue from the worse of the two shots. Brutal for everyone, glorious when it works. Usually run as a one-off novelty event.

Flip 9s (or Flip 6s)

Alternate holes of Best Shot and Worst Shot, or Best Shot / Alternate Shot. Flips test both players equally and are a favorite league format.

Tournament Doubles Operations

• Registration as a team (both PDGA numbers required if PDGA-sanctioned)
• Round scoring: one team scorecard per hole
• Tiebreakers: CTP on a playoff hole or sudden-death playoff
• Payouts: split by team, merch for amateurs, cash for open

Doubles SMS Communication

Both players on a team should receive every SMS. Tee-time notifications, pairings, weather updates - both phones. SignUpGo's captain-phone + secondary-phone model supports this natively.