FOUR! 
 
Wait a second; we don’t mean 4, we mean…
 
FORE!!
 
Heads-up Mathletes, it’s time to tee-off on this week’s word problem. The topic this week is golf, but you don’t have to be a pro to get a hole-in-one on this challenge. 

Challenge: Jayce and Arianna are practicing their golf swings. They bring 32 golf balls to the course. Jayce hits all 32 first, then retrieves all but one. Then it’s Arianna’s turn to hit all the remaining golf balls and retrieve them, but she also loses one. If this pattern continues, who will take the 12th turn, and how many golf balls will he or she hit? Find a way to solve the problem without counting each turn.

Take your time, focus on the facts...

When you're ready, check out the solution below.

Solution: Jayce has the odd numbered turns and Arianna has the even numbered turns. Since 12 is an even number, Arianna has the 12th turn. By the 12th turn, only 11 (not 12) golf balls have gotten lost because the balls get lost at the end of the turn. So, Arianna hits 32 – 11 = 21 golf balls.