The Scramble, Explained for Organizers

How a golf scramble works

Every player on the team tees off. The team picks the best drive, and every player hits their next shot from that spot. The team picks the best of those, everyone plays from there, and the pattern repeats until the ball is in the hole. The team records one score per hole.

Teams of four are the most common, and twosomes and threesomes play it the same way. Because the team always plays its best shot, a weaker player contributes on every hole where their shot is the one chosen, and a poor shot costs the team nothing. That is why this format anchors so many charity events and company days.

You may also see it called captain's choice. The name changes by region, and the play is the same.

Placing the ball after each shot

Mark the chosen ball, pick up the others, and each player drops or places within an agreed distance of the mark. Set that distance before the round. One club length, no closer to the hole, is a common house rule. On the green, players putt from within a few inches of the chosen spot so the line stays the same for everyone.

Keep the chosen ball's lie. A ball chosen from the rough is played from the rough, and one chosen from a bunker is played from the bunker. Write this on your rules sheet, because it is the rule groups most often bend without meaning to.

Variations your field may know

Each variation adds one rule to the basic format. Pick one before registration opens and print it on the rules sheet and the cart signs.

• Texas scramble. Each player's drive must be used a set number of times during the round, which keeps every golfer in the game off the tee. Four drives per player over eighteen holes is a common setting.
• Florida scramble, also called a step-aside. The player whose shot is chosen sits out the next shot, so the team leans on everyone rather than its longest hitter.
• Two-person scramble. Pairs play the same rules as a foursome and move faster. It suits a smaller field or a shorter day.
• Mulligan sales. Charity events often sell mulligans at check-in, a do-over a player can use once. It raises money and keeps the day light. Set a limit per player and print it on the scorecard.

Setting team handicaps

For a casual day, gross scoring works and keeps things simple. When prizes are on the line, a team handicap keeps a strong foursome from walking away with every prize.

The USGA Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C, recommends allowances for team formats. For a four-player scramble it lists 25% of the lowest course handicap, 20% of the second, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest, added together. For a two-player team it lists 35% of the lower course handicap and 15% of the higher. Your committee sets the final allowance, so publish yours on the rules sheet.

Build the teams from the handicaps too. Balanced teams, with one stronger player in each, make the leaderboard closer and the awards more fun.

Running the day smoothly

Most golf scramble events run as a shotgun start, so every team finishes at once and the whole field sits down to lunch or awards together. Ask the course whether it offers one for your date.

• Print a one-page rules sheet: the format, the placement distance, any drive requirement and the mulligan limit.
• Put a scorecard and the rules sheet on every cart before players arrive.
• Name one person as the rules official, with a phone number on the sheet, so a question gets one answer.
• Collect scorecards at a single table and post the leaderboard before the meal ends.
• Settle ties in advance. Matching cards from the hardest hole backward is a common method.