Scrambles - Love 'em or Hate 'em

I am sure the word scramble makes many players cringe, especially those with low handicaps. After all, who wants to drag around 3-4 "partners" for 18 holes most of whom might get lucky with a shot once every 4 holes, right?

Given the right circumstances, a scramble is a great way of enjoying a round of golf. For the second year in a row, a bunch of guys (sorry ladies) from my church head up to northern MN in late fall for three days of golf. The abilities range from very low handicappers to occasional hackers. Saturday is the day for the scramble. The teams are selected as to evenly disperse the abilities. It is fantastic to see a 25 handicap be the one to sink a long putt or after me and the other hackers fail to hit the green, your good player drops a pure iron shot to 15 feet.

I vote, love 'em.

They're fun to play in but the format usually invites a couple less that honest groups

I rarely play well in scrambles and wind up riding around on some poor guys back all day. Its all about the cause for me. If I can write a check for a kid in need, drink a few beers and play some golf with good friends then I am all in, love em. My usual group typically gets to around 8-10 under so no where near the winning teams. Its never even a consideration.

I think they are fun to do once in awhile. However, the scrambles I have played in usually have two groups on each hope so the cheating isn't as prevalent as it could otherwise be.

Fun "event" on a golf course. But miserable as a "tournament" where you're trying to win. Too many participants think that scrambles involve creativity with the rules.

I wish my club would do one - because nobody would have the guts to cheat - but the same ethos to play by the rules makes a scramble verboten.

I've never been a part of a scramble where the winning team wasn't full of golfers that couldn't win anything on their own. It seems these knuckleheads always happen to have a "career round", the same time their friends also have a "career round".....wow, incredible coincidence. They are fun, and usually for a good cause, but overall.....they are lame because people cheat. Everyone remembers who won the '86 Masters.....nobody cares who won the 14th annual Jaycees of Greater Cleveland 4-Man Scramble with proceeds going to benefit homeless squirrels who need shelter, but yet, people cheat all the time like it's a prestigious title.

They're fun to play in but the format usually invites a couple less that honest groups

I haven't been a member of any league in the last few years, but when I was, scrambles were a big part of the league. Guys will cheat over a $5 fee, really sad. Can't really blame scrambles, though. Dishonest guys will cheat in any golf format. "Winter" rules and finding OB's in bounds would be laughable, if not so pathetic

Most guys are pretty honest, though.

Personally, I don't like scrambles.

I enjoy playing in corporate scramble tournaments a few times a year. It gives me the opportunity to break out the Long Drive swing if another player hits an acceptable shot in the fairway. As someone else already mentioned, I've only been on a winning team once and that's partly due to a******* that think they need to cheat. My group shot a legitimate 18-under last tournament I played in, but we got 3rd place! winner was 22 under... all birdies with eagles on all 4 par 5s? come on now

I enjoy playing in corporate scramble tournaments a few times a year. It gives me the opportunity to break out the Long Drive swing if another player hits an acceptable shot in the fairway. As someone else already mentioned, I've only been on a winning team once and that's partly due to a******* that think they need to cheat. My group shot a legitimate 18-under last tournament I played in, but we got 3rd place! winner was 22 under... all birdies with eagles on all 4 par 5s? come on now

hate em, still play em

"BITD"....it seems that scrambles weren't such a big "cheating" event.

We use to have one a month at the club I worked at, and it started early, with a buffet breakfast, bloody mary specials, and the bar was open for any and all. While everyone ate, names for teams were drawn (ABCD), and as soon as the teams were drawn, we got to work putting the bags on the carts, and getting everyone ready to go....shotgun start.

Once, when there weren't enough players, I was asked to fill in, and I said, since there were so many "D" players, just give me 3 of them, and we will be OK....seemed to quiet all the other teams down a bit.These 3 were all 25+ handicaps.

Well, 2 of these guys made about a mile of putts between them, and the third chipped in twice. Had it been their normal balls being played, I doubt seriously that they would have scored much better than their usual 100+, but since we carded so many birdies, we were accused of cheating all around, or the fact the team was "stacked" since I played to a 0. I couldn't shoot 12 under on my own ball, and I don't think that I had to putt but maybe 3-4 times the entire round, as I was putting last....these guys just got into it because they were putting for birdies where they normally would never have had the chance on their own.

I enjoyed that round as much as an round I've ever played.

Have I enjoyed some scrambles? Nope, because I watched a team miss their eagle on a par 5 (we were behind them, waiting for them to clear the green, as I could reach the green) yet that is the score they recorded, and no one could do anything about it, even though we said we witnessed their birdie! (This was one of those "benefit" scrambles)

So....scrambles....good if everyone knows everyone else....bad if they don't. And, forget about playing 2 groups per hole to avoid the cheating....6 hour scramble rounds are worse than 5 hour "normal" rounds, IMO

Usually scramble are for benefits. Buy mulligans, side bets, within 3 feet is a gimme..... goin' in knowing that twenty four under might win it has it's advantages. The six hour rounds are what kill me. Oh and the excessive intake of libations

Hate them and avoid them as much as possible.

Scrambles are what they are, plain and simple, this summer i was asked to play in one by a friend, with two other guys from the area i only sort of knew. Tournament was at my home course and there was a skins game, the two guys i didn't know were half in the bag after the front 9 and were actively wanting to cheat to win a skin to get some money back. I was not interested in doing so and it made the last 5 or 6 holes very awkward.

At a 12 i was by far our number 1 man and we only finished like -5 or -6 so miraculous eagles and birdies on the last few holes may have looked a little suspicious...

We do however have a 3 man scramble from the absolute back tees on our course with all the toughest pin locations on the course where your matched up with another team of 3 and the payouts are pretty large so everyone plays seriously and certainly doesn't cheat, if up to me that plus maybe one normal 4 man scramble would be all i'd play in a normal season.

3-man scrambles only with 2 teams playing together. No mulligans, ropes, or other bs. Large payouts and large skins game. They're awesome!!

Love playing anchor man and it often coming down to needing my shot. , Better yet not really needing my shot and getting to try low percentage stuff. Love rarely needing to putt, and when I do, there is no doubt whatsoever as to the line.

If getting another low guy as a partner, love gambling with him for best shots.

Love the camaraderie and watching higher caps pull off shots and putts.

Love getting somewhat drunk playing, vs my usual slightly buzzed.

Love the relaxed round and just doing something different.

Put me in the love 'em bracket.

I don't mind the occasional Eraser-Tip Open event.

Usually, they are a chance to support the club or a local cause, and I like to do that and spend time with friends. The only thing about them I don't get is all the intensity from the weekend warrior crowd. Four tries at a single shot isn't serious golf to me. I will say that I refuse to be the A player anymore because it kills my swing hitting for distance all the time.

Scrambles are fun every once in a while.

I do hate big scrambles with big entry fees that have terrible prizes for the raffle.

I like playing in scrambles, but I've given up on winning them. Im not a scratch golfer, but I'm probably a single digit handicap, so I'm usually carrying the team so to speak. I've had some really good rounds that were one off from winning (my group got hot with the putter) but there always seems to be a group that beats everyone else by a pretty good margin. Enough that I don't believe they played by the same rules I did.

Earlier this year I was playing in one. I'm in the second to last group to play a long drive pin prize hole. I hit a really good one, I used my laser rangefinder and had it at 335. I had seen the group behind me hit, they were pretty good, but I didn't see a single drive over 280 from them.

I get into the club house, and I grab a sandwich and wait for the pin prize. They announce the winner, and of course it's a guy from the group who brought the flag in. I was surprised, and looked at the guy, he saw me looking at him and turned bright red and looked away immediately.

I'm not saying there's no chance he hit the best drive of his life on that hole and beat me, but I think it's extremely unlikely. It seems like the guy and his group thought the $40 gift card was worth sacrificing their integrity.

Honestly, it wasn't a big deal. But it did make me think, what else are people looking to fudge on the course? Are the giving themselves some putts, or bumping that really long drive into the fairway? Using a few extra mulligans? I've started to think of it as a normal day at the course and forget about the prizes. If I win one, it's bonus!

It's the cost of the string that turns me off.

Scrambles are not golf. I am "forced" to pay for a couple every year for my business and am obligated to play a couple more for the business also. I ry to get my partners to play their own ball, never works.

I've actually gone to work on my day off just to avoid playing in a scramble.

I like playing in scrambles, but I've given up on winning them. Im not a scratch golfer, but I'm profane a single digit handicap, so I'm usually carrying the team so to speak. I've had some really good rounds that were one off from winning (my group got hot with the putter) but there always seems to be a group that beats everyone else by a pretty good margin. Enough that I don't believe they played by the same rules I did.

 

 

Earlier this year I was playing in one. I'm the second time last group to play a long drive pin prize hole. I hit a really good one, I used my laser rangefinder and had it at 335. I had seen the group behind me hit, they were pretty good, but I didn't see a single drive over 280 from them.

 

I get into the club house, and I grab a sandwich and wait for the pin prize. They announce the winner, and of course it's a guy from the group who brought the flag in. I was surprised, and looked at the guy, he he saw me looking at him and turned bright red and looked away immediately.

 

I'm not saying there's no chance he hit the best drive of his life on that home and beat me, but I think it's extremely unlikely, and the guy and his group thought the $40 gift card was worth sacrificing their integrity.

 

Honestly, it wasn't a big deal. But it did make me think, what else are people seeking to fudge on the course. Are the giving themselves some putts, or bumping that really long drive into the fairway? Using a few extra mulligans? I've started to think of it as a normal day at the course and forget about the prizes. If I win one, it's bonus!

This was many years ago. I played in this scramble and we teed off on the long drive hole to start. It was a par 5 dogleg right hole but it was a 300 yd shot to the dogleg. I am going to say my drive involved the cart path and a lucky tree bounce through the dense tree line but when it was said and done it was in the fairway way out there. We were laughing about it and figured I had the long drive wrapped up because we didn't think anyone was going to clear the tree line that far out cut the corner and make it into the fairway. On the way back after finishing we ride by the hole and see the sign way back in the fairway before the dogleg with one other name on it after mine. I'm a little pissed but I wasn't to concerned after all mine was luck. Afterwards for lunch we sat at a table with another group from the scramble. When they called out the long drive winner it happened to be a guy in the other group sitting at our table. We had shotgunned two groups on every hole. The other group that had been on our hole started booing him. The guy comes back and says they are booing me when someone else tried to pull a fast one with the long drive.I didn't say anything but one of my buddies called him out. The guy says we don't like cheaters and we knew no one could have hit it down there so I moved the sign back. Now I got into it with the guy for calling me a cheater. In the end the guy gave me his $50 pro shop credit and sort of crawled out of there.

I'll play in one or two four-main scrambles a year. They can be fun as long as the winners get no more than a trophy. (See my garage for example.) When there's big money to be won the temptation to cheat is too large. As mentioned before, you do get to try to hit shots you'd never play if you were on your own. The danger there is you can mess up you swing for a while.

Two-man scrambles are much more competitive, more like "real" golf. I recently played in a two-man shambles (The format has a number of names - best drive taken and play your own ball from that spot. The tournament was net better ball.) that was a lot of fun.

It been while since I have been in one but I love them. I am usually the anchor and with absolutely zero pressure after one is in the fairway or near or on the green I play at a level way above my head.

I love them because it let's me be the player I always hoped I could become, but on my own just can't do. I get in a state of mind and play lights out. If only I could capture that guy all the time.

I played in our club's annual one on Saturday. Teams of six, but you split into two threes, so three tee off and then the next three play the next. So it meant we had to think about who would take which tees, as it was odds and evens.

We had a +1, 4, 4, 5, 7, 10 which was then divided by 12. We were 15 under off the stick. It was off the forward tees (5500m) which was ridiculous. The longest iron I hit all day was a wedge. We won by half a shot.

And I mean to say our round was extremely fast. In carts (unusually for us) the other three would go ahead and spot. And most of the time would hit before the other three arrived.

They're fun. I like em.

And as far as carrying someone or being carried, if you're playing with friendly people why does that matter?

Scrambles are supposed to be a good time.

I played in my department's annual scramble last Friday. It is a fundraiser for families of officers killed on duty and it was more significant this year because my department lost two officers in the same shooting in October. Because of that, there were A,B, and C foursomes on every hole which made for a 6 1/2 round.

I didn't care as it was for my buddy's family and I knew it would be a long day. We raised a lot of money as the course and many vendors donated everything. It was good to get together with my former workers at an event much lighter than the memorial. Ithink everyone hand a good time even if it consumed the entire day.

That being said, one thing irritated the crap out of me. Every year the same group of tow truck drivers post a gaudy score and either win or place. This year there were no mulligans or gimmies and they still posted -19. Honestly, not one of them looks remotely like they play more than a couple of times a year. The group in front of us had a former Web.com player, and Dave Stockton Jr. was in the group behind us. They shot -14.

I never expect to win, but considering the significance of this scramble I didn't expect the same old BS. When my buddy who was MC'ing the event announced the winning score he said "You guys are going to have to live with this one" which brought some jeering from the crowd. I doubt it had any effect and I anticipate they will defend their title next year.

Bottom line - play scrambles as a fun way to raise money for a charity. Don't expect to win anything other than a raffle item.

Scramble are great for the general public, with that said its done too much. They're everywhere, I'd love to see more variety in tournaments. Scrambles are great to get women and beginners interest in helping s team, but not having any pressure on them.