2 Man scramble is a refreshing change

After playing dozens of 4-man scramble charity tournaments knowing that we would get pencil-whipped by teams keeping their own scores, I played in a 2-man scramble with paired teams keeping each other's scores. We shot a 67 and tied for first, a far cry from some of the 59's that we usually see on the scoreboard.

Of course there wasn't room for any dead-weight players which might be a turn-off for some groups, but for us we finally felt like it was a fair test of our ability as a team. I highly recommend this format for people planning or playing charity tournaments.

I actually saw this at a course right around the corner from me and was intrigued. It sounds like a pretty fun format. The thing that I don't like about the 4-man is that I end up swinging like an absolute idiot off the tee and it wrecks my games for a couple weeks. The 2 man wouldn't really allow that. I will definitely be looking for one that I can play in next year at the latest. The 6-6-6 is also a cool 2-man format.

Just played a 2-man recently, enjoyed it a lot. Don't see it often.

We have a 2 man scramble as part of our state 2 man tournament here. One of my favorite events of my year, because you can really see some low numbers when you're talking tournament scratch or plus guys. This year, I think there was a 59 out of one of the groups, but the average score was somewhere in the lower 60s from the better teams there.

Our club has a 2-man scramble tournament every season.

> @MidwestGolfBum said:

> We have a 2 man scramble as part of our state 2 man tournament here. One of my favorite events of my year, because you can really see some low numbers when you're talking tournament scratch or plus guys. This year, I think there was a 59 out of one of the groups, but the average score was somewhere in the lower 60s from the better teams there.

I don't mind low scores from legit teams of scratch players, but I've played tournaments with 4somes who couldn't break 90 individually and magically can birdie/eagle every hole as a team according to their self-kept scorecards. I think the honest scoring made the whole event so much more pleasant.

A local course used to put on a 2-man. It's the only kind of scramble I'll play, much more like "real golf". No pencil whipping either.

My buddy and I won it 3 times, shooting -10 once! We were on fire!

Isn't it just the drunkest team that wins normal scrambles? I swear, I can't even recall the amount of times that I have seen teams barely able to walk rolling into dinner and just telling my group "they will have the lowest score"! ahahah

> @jonesry09 said:

> Isn't it just the drunkest team that wins normal scrambles? I swear, I can't even recall the amount of times that I have seen teams barely able to walk rolling into dinner and just telling my group "they will have the lowest score"! ahahah

They make outrageous claims such as 7 eagles or 18 straight birdies. One of them always exclaims, "WE WERE MAKING EVERYTHING OUT THERE!!" then barfs in a garbage can.

Used to play in a few 4 man scrambles a year, all the above comments are true. A drunken, pencil whipping not quite real golf waste of 6 hours from what i remember. I now just play in a couple 2-man scrambles with my son ( he’s scratch, i’m not ) i pay his entry fee, shoot around 65, catch a flight, win some cash and give it back to the sponsors or charity. Give to raffle prize and gift bag to the wife.

Everyones’s a winner.....Hot Chocolate. ; )

We play 2-man scrambles in the group of people I usually play with during the season, and I agree with most comments I see about it being a really nice competition format. Heck I even played a local 9-hole tournament with a friend of mine lately (about 8-9 hdcp, I'm around 15-16) and we won it by a stroke, played -2, gave away our prize to a local charity and everybody was happy !

If you really want to push yourself play a 1 man scramble. You get 2 chances at every shot. I had my appendix out last summer. Didn’t play for 6 weeks. First round back was this type of format. Shot -8 with no bogies. Was a good time!

Much prefer 2-man scramble as opposed to 4-man just to avoid the rampant cheating. I once played in a 4-man scramble where the winning team turned in like 45 or 46. I'm not making this up. They won the grand prize: 4 free tee-times at the TPC course.

Do the math, they had to eagle all the Par 5s and also eagle several of the Par 4s. Birdies on all the other holes. Haha

Love 2 and 3 person tournament events in a variety of formats. Just as long as each team plays with another team and keeps their score. You play enough tournaments, you'll start to realize which ones will bring out the cheaters and which are just guys who love to compete for fun.

Hopefully one day, it'll be cheap and easy to have cameras on the holes, so if they need to review film for a questionable team, they can verify how many strokes they actually took. I think if you removed the cheating from any format tournament, it would greatly improve the overall experience. It just so happens 4 person scrambles are the mecca for cheaters.

I hate scrambles. Not so much because I know the biggest cheaters will win, but more because if I'm gonna play 18 holes I wanna play something where I can keep my own score. That said, the two man scramble idea does sound a little more palatable.

As I type this I am reminded that I have to go play in a 4-man scramble tomorrow. At a course that I don't like, and probably in the rain. Only reason I am even doing it is because it's a charity scramble, and it's supporting a friend.

> @Roody said:

> I hate scrambles. Not so much because I know the biggest cheaters will win, but more because if I'm gonna play 18 holes I wanna play something where I can keep my own score. That said, the two man scramble idea does sound a little more palatable.

>

> As I type this I am reminded that I have to go play in a 4-man scramble tomorrow. At a course that I don't like, and probably in the rain. Only reason I am even doing it is because it's a charity scramble, and it's supporting a friend.

I'm with you on that. I'd love to see a charity tournament where rather than having flights they have 3 separate contest formats with different prize pools. For instance, have a solo game, a 2-man game, and a 4-man game all in the same charity tournament with the understanding that the solo and 2-man are expected to be a higher talent level than the 4-man. Then you could have a separate skins game for each group while still having the long drive, closest to the pin, etc for everyone together. You could even put the solo and 2-man contests on a longer set of tee boxes to make it more challenging.

But I'm with you, I dread 4-man scrambles. My reward for playing is usually 2-3 days of sore back & knees afterwards, a half dozen lost balls (because I'm the one aiming over houses, lakes, and forests), a bag full of koozies and apples, and a sleeve of balls that I end up giving away. Then I get to watch as the longest drive and C-T-P go to an old guy who got to hit from the ladies tees. I constantly have to convince myself that the charity is worth it.

Me and a buddy drove to Louisiana to play a 2 man scramble (front 9 in daylight, back 9 at night with glow balls). Most of the folks there were locals and members. The tourney was supposed to pay front 9, back 9 and total. We won the front with a 31 and the back with a 30, and we won total with a 61. Legit score, no mulligans and played with another 2some that verified our score. Second place total score came in at a 71, lol The members cried about how unfair it was, so they paid us for total, and paid 2nd place for front and back. Left a bad taste in my mouth to say the least and neither of us have been back to the course. I voiced my displeasure quite loudly before we left.

It’s a pleasant way for two friends or relatives to play an unfamiliar course.

Other thing I love about scrambles is the different interpretations of the "gimmick" fund raiser deals. 10 bucks for 4 mulligans doesn't mean that you each get another shot at it every time you use a mulligan, sorry. Also, the 6' of string for gimme putts seems to go a lot longer way for some teams. I think people tend to forget that 99% of these are for charity and just love hearing their name called at the dinner.

I play in a 4 day tournament every year and two of the rounds are 2 man team format - first day best ball second day two man scramble. It’s completely different than the typical 4 man charity because there are actually lots of pressure shots.

> @Mych said:

> But I'm with you, I dread 4-man scrambles. My reward for playing is usually 2-3 days of sore back & knees afterwards, a half dozen lost balls (because I'm the one aiming over houses, lakes, and forests), a bag full of koozies and apples, and a sleeve of balls that I end up giving away. Then I get to watch as the longest drive and C-T-P go to an old guy who got to hit from the ladies tees. I constantly have to convince myself that the charity is worth it.

>

My reward is usually my swing is kinda weird for the next round or two. The scramble mentality of "swing for the fences, who cares if it goes OB" seems to get ingrained for too long.

Wish me luck, I'll be heading out to the scramble in a few hours. I'm really just hoping it doesn't rain.

Just played a 2 man today, shot -13 (59) but my partner is a plus and the course is pretty easy. Love the format.

2 man scramble for 9 and 2 man better ball for 9 is awesome as well

Our club plays summertime couples 2-person scrambles. 9 holes, Friday evening, and a fun way to meet other couples we may not have played with. They're handicapped, but even to 2-under usually wins gross. Net is anywhere from 3 under to 2 over. The only time we were low gross was the week I was 2 under on my own ball. :-)

4 man scrambles are for charity. It's more of an event than golf, and in most, especially where there are mulligans sold, they are rife with cheating. I play in two or three of those per year for organizations I actually support. I don't like to play in them otherwise.

2 man scrambles are more for actual golfers. I have played that format a couple of times but would love to play in more tournaments like that.

Wait wait did everyone just gloss over that a 67 won a 2 man scramble.... come on boys gotta step up when you rep WRX

We just did our end of year tourney as foursomes (alternate shot). Every year we used to do a scramble, but running up against diminishing daylight, we always have had groups finish in the dark. "Wanna use my ball?" "Let me go over and see yours..." "Ok, found mine, go back and get yours". Just adds soooo much wasted time. All but two people liked it, citing "but I wanna play all my shots." "Did you finish in the dark this year?" "No, but we wouldn't have... " GGAAHHhhhh. Yes, yes you would have. Our whole league finished in less than 2 hours. The 4 they sent out behind our last group finished 2.5 holes behind, and the sun crested the horizon on our last group.

> @Barfolomew said:

> Wait wait did everyone just gloss over that a 67 won a 2 man scramble.... come on boys gotta step up when you rep WRX

I was kinda surprised too. I will say that the course was drenched (cart path only) and was windy and playing long. We had 4 of our birdies in a 5 hole stretch of the front 9 and couldn't put anything together the rest of the round, so we were shocked that our 67 tied for first. I guess I could have made it fit GolfWRX standards by just saying we shot a 31 on the front and tied for the win and just ignore the back 9 completely... next time I'll do better, lol.

> @Mych said:

> > @Barfolomew said:

> > Wait wait did everyone just gloss over that a 67 won a 2 man scramble.... come on boys gotta step up when you rep WRX

>

> I was kinda surprised too. I will say that the course was drenched (cart path only) and was windy and playing long. We had 4 of our birdies in a 5 hole stretch of the front 9 and couldn't put anything together the rest of the round, so we were shocked that our 67 tied for first. I guess I could have made it fit GolfWRX standards by just saying we shot a 31 on the front and tied for the win and just ignore the back 9 completely... next time I'll do better, lol.

Hahaha all good brother! Apparently the conditions were tough...wind and wet = no bueno for golf scores! Im sure as a WRXer you coulda dropped five more strokes if mother nature weren't a $4itH3ad

> @Barfolomew said:

> > @Mych said:

> > > @Barfolomew said:

> > > Wait wait did everyone just gloss over that a 67 won a 2 man scramble.... come on boys gotta step up when you rep WRX

> >

> > I was kinda surprised too. I will say that the course was drenched (cart path only) and was windy and playing long. We had 4 of our birdies in a 5 hole stretch of the front 9 and couldn't put anything together the rest of the round, so we were shocked that our 67 tied for first. I guess I could have made it fit GolfWRX standards by just saying we shot a 31 on the front and tied for the win and just ignore the back 9 completely... next time I'll do better, lol.

>

> Hahaha all good brother! Apparently the conditions were tough...wind and wet = no bueno for golf scores! Im sure as a WRXer you coulda dropped five more strokes if mother nature weren't a $4itH3ad

My partner and I were 8-10 caps... we really didn't have any business shooting a 67 but we scrambled well to hold together a bogey-free round with a nice stretch of birdies.