Scramble
Scramble is the team format of play in which you always play on from the best ball.
In the scramble every team member tees off. You choose the best ball, and all play on from this spot. That repeats until the ball is holed. Usual are teams of two to four players. The format is considered the most sociable one of all and is the standard at corporate and charity tournaments. The reason is obvious: even a beginner can contribute without slowing the team down. A single good stroke per hole suffices.
In practice it looks like this: four players tee off on a par 4. Three balls land in the rough, one lies in the middle of the fairway. All four play their ball from this position. Afterwards is chosen again. So scores arise that lie far below what a single player achieves. A team score of ten under par is with good line-ups no rarity. The tactical question is the order: the safest player strokes first, the longest last.
Common misconception: scramble does not count towards the handicap. You can derive no handicap from it, because you did not play every stroke yourself. As a team pay attention to the pace of play, because four players per position cost time. For the start with friends the format is ideal. Suitable courses for your first round you find in the golf course search.
FAQ
Is a scramble tournament also suitable for beginners?
Yes, it is even the most beginner-friendly format of all. Because the team always plays on from the best ball, your bad stroke does not count — one single good hit per hole from you can already bring the team forward. Therefore corporate and charity tournaments are almost always scrambles, and you can play along there without any tournament experience.
Does a scramble result count towards my handicap?
No, scramble does not count towards the handicap. Since you do not play every stroke of your ball yourself, no individual performance that could change your handicap can be derived from the team result. See the format as a sociable team game — for the handicap you need a normal stroke play or a registered private round.
How do we play a scramble tactically smart?
The most important decision is the order: the safest player strokes first and brings a ball into play, the longest or boldest goes last and can hit away freely. On the green the same principle applies — the player with the safest putt shows the line, the rest may putt more aggressively. And put value on a good pace, because four players per position can otherwise hold up the whole field.