What is a golf scramble?
A golf scramble is a popular type of team-based tournament. Scrambles can also be hosted outside of tournaments, though they usually occur during official events. Where each player competes solo in standard golf, scrambles are played in teams, with players selecting the best ball and playing from its position for the next shot. Scrambles are especially common during charity events because they’re more informal and low-pressure than standard golf. The golf scramble format is also quite flexible and can easily be changed to suit the organizer’s wishes. For example, you could let players on each team make two tee shots instead of one if you wanted! Golf scrambles are also effective at minimizing penalty shots or needing to hit from hazards like the woods or sand traps (since one team member can usually get a good hit on each hole).
Rules of a Golf Scramble
Form teams of 2, 3, or 4 players and choose captains for each. The standard arrangement for a scramble is teams of 4. Still, there’s no official limit (or minimum) for the number of players on a scramble team—so you can decide what to do, possibly based on the number of players available. Generally, 3 and 4-player teams tend to go through rounds more quickly. The main difference between 2-player teams and 4-player teams is that 2-player teams (and 3-player teams) usually play each round together, whereas 4-player teams often play separately. So, with a 2 or 3-player team, you can watch your opponents and trade competitive quips as you play—and with a 4-player team, you’ll likely be with your own teammates the whole time.
Have each player hit from the tee and choose the best shot. Start the scramble at the tee for the first hole; each team member must shoot the ball from the tee. Then, pick the best shot based on where each ball landed. Everyone on the team must take shots again—but they must all do it from the chosen ball’s spot. Keep playing this way until the lowest score for the hole is achieved! Each hole in the scramble goes the same way: everyone tees off their balls, then the best ball is chosen, and all team members take their next shot from that ball’s position. When shooting off the green, players must play within a scorecard of where the ball stops (although you could allow a club length instead). When shooting on the green, players must play within a putter’s head of where the ball stops. You can leave a mark next to the ball’s position if necessary.
Count one ball (and one score) per hole for each team. Take the best (lowest) score for each hole and add them up at the end of the scramble to determine your team’s overall score. The team with the lowest score—meaning they took the fewest number of shots to get the ball into each hole—wins the golf scramble!
Solve ties by drawing a random hole number. At the end of the scramble, if there’s a tie, simply have the organizer draw the number of a random hole. Then, compare the team’s scores on that specific hole; the team with the lowest score is the official winner. However, if there’s still a tie after a hole is picked, the tournament organizer may call for teams to progress from that hole until there’s a tie-breaker. You can also speed things up by playing for Bogey to determine a tie (meaning the goal is to get one over par for a hole). For example, the first team to get a ball in the hole in 3 strokes on a 4-par hole would get a Bogey!
Golf Scramble Variations
Texas scramble In a Texas scramble, there are 4-player teams (which is standard). This variation uses most of the same rules as a traditional scramble; the only difference is that each team member must make at least 4 drives (long-distance tee shots) throughout the tournament.
Florida scramble There are no requirements in terms of team numbers for a Florida scramble. The only major rule change here is that the golfer whose ball is selected after a stroke must sit out for the next round of hitting the ball—which means one member of each team will be skipping a stroke, except on the initial drive for each hole.
Las Vegas scramble The Las Vegas scramble calls for 4-player teams—and a 6-sided dice. Instead of choosing the best shot, roll the dice to decide which team member’s drive will be used for each hold. It’s as simple as turning a scramble into a (slight) game of chance as well as skill.
Ambrose An Ambrose is a type of scramble played with a team handicap. That means each team’s net scores are based on a handicap—a number that measures each golfer’s playing ability, representing the number of strokes each player can take above or below the course’s par score. Handicaps are designed to let golfers with different skill levels compete fairly. The higher a player’s handicap, the more strokes they can subtract from their score (to determine their net score).
Bramble Bramble is a combination of a scramble and best ball (which is a version of the game where each player plays the whole round with their own ball, and then the lowest score on each hole is used at the team’s score). In Bramble, the game begins as a scramble off the tee—but after that, it’s every player for themselves into the hole.
Strategies for Winning a Golf Scramble
Put together a balanced team for the scramble. You’ll need a great putter, a player who’s good after teeing the ball, and a player who is just accurate and skilled overall. It’s also a good idea to have a player who can hit long balls or bombers (shots hit with extra speed to gain extra distance as well). Try to get a good mix of skills on your team. But, when in doubt, aim to have as many good putters on the team as possible!
Consider the order in which your team members should play. From the tee, having the most accurate player go first is a good idea—and the player who can hit farthest go last. Any weaker players should go in the middle. That way, if any other team member gets their ball onto the fairway, the long-hitter (who’s going last) can take a chance on a more forceful swing to get the ball as far as possible. Similarly, if the accurate player (who’s going first) gets a good shot, every player after them has the freedom to take riskier or more aggressive shots without too much pressure. However, consider changing the order a bit on the green. Have the second-best putter go first, and the best butter go last—so the second-best putter can demonstrate for the others, while the best putter gets a higher chance to put a ball into the hole.
Pick the ball with the greatest opportunity for success. The closest ball to the hole may not necessarily be the “best” one—there are other aspects of each shot to consider! Take note of balls with a good lie in the fairway (meaning they’re on a flat surface and in a good position) versus balls in more difficult positions or the break on the green and how it might affect players’ putting. Basically, just remember to take stock of the situation before choosing which ball to use rather than automatically choosing the closest one to the hole.
How to Organize a Golf Scramble
Consider how many players you’ll need for teams. The standard is teams of 2, 3, or 4—and since many golf courses limit groups to 5 players or less, you may need to reach out to your course of choice beforehand to get the scramble tournament approved and organized. You’ll need multiple tee times if you opt for a 3 or 4-player scramble (meaning each group will play on their own). It’s also important to consider who you’re recruiting. Golf scrambles are often composed of people with different skill levels, but try to make sure each time has at least one good golfer. That way, each team will have one player consistently making good shots, even if the others are beginners or people who don’t usually golf.
Decide whether you want to use any special rules. That means deciding if you’re going to use the standard scramble rules or if you want to play using any of the variations mentioned above. It also means deciding if you want to give the teams mulligans (second-chance shots after a poor initial shot). Whatever you decide, make sure all the other players are aware! If you allow mulligans, using them wisely can be critical to winning a scramble. For example, saving your mulligans for shorter putts and chips is much better than using them on the farther tee shots because you’re more likely to get your ball in the hole.
Take handicaps into consideration. As mentioned above, handicaps are designed to allow golfers of different skill levels to play together fairly. If you decide to use them in your scramble, you (the organizer) are responsible for setting the guidelines involving team handicaps. Calculate any handicaps beforehand so you go into the scramble prepared! For example: Some 4-person scrambles have specific handicap requirements for each team, like one low handicapper, two medium handicappers, and one high handicapper per team. In this case, the team may also need to play a minimum number of the high handicapper’s shots. In another instance of a 4-person scramble, players can calculate their course handicap, then take 20, 15, 10, and 5 percent of the course handicap and add them together. Similarly, a 3-person scramble could involve taking 20, 15, and 10 percent of the course handicap, and a 2-person scramble could mean adding 35 and 15 percent of the course handicap together.
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