Scrambles are a lot of fun. They allow you to play golf with your friends and have fun without having to worry about your ball.
The golf scramble is great from the perspective that it’s fun and games. However, there’s also some strategy involved.
These are my top tips for winning your next scramble event.
Table of Contents
- Background: Rules of a Golf Scramble Tournament
- 7 Tips to Win the Golf Scramble
Background: Rules of a Golf Scramble Tournament
The most popular scramble format is the basic. However, you can choose to play a Texas Scramble, a shamble or a Florida Scramble during tournaments. Here are the rules of a tournament golf scramble.
Traditional Scramble
Every player tees-off in a traditional scramble. After the tee shots, a winner is selected and all players are allowed to hit their shots from the same location. The process continues until the ball is in the hole. The great thing about a traditional scramble is that you won’t need to play your ball if you hit a bad shot.
Texas Scramble and Shamble
The Texas Scramble (or Shamble) is where all golfers tee up, and where the best shot gets selected. All players will then be able to play their own balls all the way to the hole. This format allows you to play a lot more of your golf ball that the Traditional Scramble format.
Florida Scramble
A Florida Scramble is where all golfers tee off. The best shot is selected and then only three players hit the second shot. After three shots have been hit, the best one is chosen and the player who hits it must sit out. The process continues until it is in the hole.
7 Tips to Win the Golf Scramble
It’s a lot of fun to win a golf scramble. It’s a great way to play with a group of people that all have different handicaps but still get to be competitive together. When you play in a scramble, it’s all about being a great team player.
Don’t get overly worried about your own game; see what you can do to help out your team. Even high handicap players have a chance to win in scramble format and make their score count for their team.
1. Place an Order
First, establish a play order. You must decide who will be first on each hole. I like to keep the order of play the same throughout a round of golf.
Most times, it is best to have the highest handicapped golfers tee-off first. High handicappers can have a great shot and relieve some pressure on the lower handicap golfers by teeing off.
Lower handicap golfers can now swing as freely as they like and get as much power. You can work to improve your drive distance once the drive is in the fairway. If that doesn’t go well and the drive ends up in a bunker or the rough, you still have a straight shot to choose from.
2. Best Putter Putts of All Time
You must ensure that the best hitter is last off the tee. Also, ensure that the best putter is last. The chances of you making the putt are higher if your putter is the best.
If everyone else misses the putt, the last player to go will watch the three putts to determine the best way to play the break. To ensure that the best putter can get to the hole at maximum speed, they should also have one tap-in putt.
While you can play low in a scramble, golfers must still make some very long putts. The good thing is that even higher handicappers have the ability to do this from time to time.
3. Don’t Always Choose The Shortest Shot
The best shot is not always the one closest to the hole. Consider where the pin is located on the green. Decide which one you want to play. If the pin is located on the left side, you will need to choose an approach shot from that direction.
You can also play one shot from the fairway if it is in the rough. Make sure you’re smart about the shot that you choose. It’s not important to make up five or ten feet. In a scramble, distance is not always the most important thing.
4. Don’t Always Choose The Closest Putt
You must choose the most manageable putt for your group when you make it to the putting green. You can choose between a 10 foot or 12 foot putt.
Make sure you are smart about the putts that you choose to use. Also, make sure it is one that everyone feels confident about. To determine the most likely chance of hitting the putt, consider the slope, angles, or grain.
After a bad hole, the putting green is where you will get the most strokes back. Be patient and careful with your angles.
5. Alternate the Club Hit Off The Tee
One of the biggest mistakes that I have seen players make through the years is trying to have all golfers on the scramble team hit a driver off the par 4’s and par 5s. You can hit a 3 or 4 wood, or even a utility club at times, if you have players who can generate good clubhead speed.
This is especially important when players are playing from different tees. If one of your group members plays from a shorter hole, you can let them play on the fairway.
You will want to have your players alternate the clubs they hit on par 3. Pay attention to how far your playing partners can hit their shots. You should base your club selection on the ability of your playing partners to hit the ball 150 yards with their 7-iron.
6. Check the Minimum Number Of Drives
While four-person scrambles don’t have any additional rules or regulations, you may find that a certain number of drives is necessary at times. If you don’t pay attention to this rule early in the game, it can become a problem.
It’s usually easy to get two drives from the lowest handicap player, but from the highest handicap player, it can be a bit of a problem.
This should be your first round. Lets’ say the first hole results in a shot by the highest handicap golfer that is in the middle of the fairway but about three yards back from the lowest handicap golfer.
This is the time for you to cross one off your list for high handicappers.
If you wait until the end, you will have to comply with these requirements and must use a shot by a specific player. I have seen groups get down to the 18th hole and not be able to take a shot from the tee boxes because of the one outstanding player who did not fulfill their drive quote.
This is a mistake.
Get your drives in early, then play the rest, focusing on getting those birdies and Eagles.
7. Play can move at a different pace
Scrambles can have a different pace. It may seem like you are running around, moving around, picking up golf balls, and getting them to the right spot. It can feel like a lot more waiting once you reach that spot.
The scramble will be at a slightly different pace.
While things should move faster when everyone plays their ball, there are many beginners who play in scrambles that slow things down. You will have more fun and a better chance to win your scramble event if you are aware that it will be different from a regular round.
