Is best ball the same as four-ball?

Effectively yes. Four-ball is the term used in the Rules of Golf for a format where two partners each play their own ball and the better score counts. Best ball is the everyday name for the same thing, though it is occasionally used loosely for teams larger than two.

Which format is fastest?

A scramble, by a clear margin. There is one ball in play for the team after the tee shot, nobody searches for a lost ball that will not count, and weaker players never have to finish out. A shamble is the slowest of the three because everyone plays their own ball from a good position.

Which format is best for a mixed ability field?

A scramble. A player who hits one good shot every four holes still contributes, and nobody has to write down a 12. Best ball punishes a wide handicap spread because the higher handicapper often contributes nothing on most holes.

What is a shamble again?

Everyone tees off, the team takes the best drive, and from there each player plays their own ball into the hole. Scoring is then usually the best one or two individual scores on the hole.

Scramble vs Best Ball vs Shamble: The Difference

The three formats differ on one axis only: how much of the hole the team plays together.

Format	Tee shot	Rest of the hole	Score recorded
Scramble	Best one selected	All players hit from that spot	One team score
Shamble	Best one selected	Each plays their own ball	Best one or two individual scores
Best ball	Everyone plays their own	Each plays their own ball	Best one or two individual scores

In a scramble the team shares every shot. In a shamble the team shares only the drive. In best ball the team shares nothing and simply compares scores at the end of the hole.

Scramble

Everyone tees off, the team picks the best shot, everyone plays again from there, and this repeats until the ball is holed. One score per team per hole.

This is the format for charity days, corporate days and any field where a third of the players golf twice a year. Nobody is exposed, the round moves, and the scores bunch up near par so the prize giving feels close. The full detail is in the scramble guide.

The weakness is that it is barely golf for the individual. You may hit a good drive on the 4th and not touch a ball you chose for the rest of the round.

Shamble

Everyone tees off and the team takes the best drive. From that point each player plays their own ball into the hole, and the team counts the best one or two individual scores.

A shamble is the compromise format. Every player still plays a full hole, so it feels like golf, but the tee shot is taken care of, so nobody spends the day in the trees. It is popular at member guest events for exactly that reason.

Be careful with pace. Four players hitting approach shots, chipping and putting out on every hole takes considerably longer than a scramble, and a full field on a shotgun start will feel it.

Best ball

Everyone plays their own ball for the whole hole. The team records the best score, or in larger teams the best two.

This is the fairest of the three and the least suitable for a mixed field. A 26 handicapper playing alongside a 6 will contribute on perhaps two holes in a round, and will spend the other sixteen knowing their score is irrelevant. It works well for pairs of similar ability and it is the standard for serious team competition.

The recommended handicap allowance for four-ball better ball stroke play is 85 percent of course handicap for each player.

Choosing for an event

Ask two questions. How wide is the handicap range in your field, and do you need everyone off the course at a fixed time?

A wide range with a hard finish time means a scramble on a shotgun start. A narrow range with tee times and no dinner afterwards means best ball. A shamble sits in between and suits a field of regular golfers who want to play their own ball without the round taking six hours.