Best ball
The team takes the lowest score on each hole. In a two-person team this is four-ball. It's the format groups play most, because one player's disaster hole is covered by their partner — and it rewards going for it.
Worst ball
The team takes the highest score on each hole. It sounds like a joke and plays like a test: every bad shot is everybody's problem, so it rewards steady golf and makes for a long, funny day.
Aggregate
Every player's score counts, added together. It's the simplest to understand and the least forgiving — and if one player doesn't finish a hole, the team has no score for it.
Handicaps
In a net team game, strokes are applied to each player's own score on each hole before the team rule picks which score counts. The recommended allowances under the World Handicap System are 85% of the course handicap for four-ball stroke play and 90% for four-ball match play.
Best ball vs scramble
In a scramble the team plays one ball, picking the best shot every time. In best ball everyone plays their own ball to the hole. Scrambles are quicker and friendlier for beginners; best ball is closer to real golf and fairer to each player's own game.