ANOTHER SCRAMBLE SCORE QUESTION- 48

[hackerboy]

Hi. Played in a 4 person scramble yesterday, with 10% handicap. It was a fairly easy course, par 70. The ladies tees have a huge advantage on the tough holes, and we had 1 lady (18 handicap) who could really drive it, 180+ yards. We used her drives on 9 holes, usually 100 yards to pin (from Men's tees would average 140-150). 3 guys were 7,7,18. Anyway, we played great and shot -12, with a net of -17. We thought we would have a chance to win, and learned the winning net score was -22. And this was an all men team, same ones who had won last year. 2nd place team was -20. I play the course all the time, and with everyone hitting from the Men's tees (without a lady) I don't think 4 PGA players would get to -18. In any event, my question is, what is the likelihood of a scramble team going -22 with only a 10% handicap? Is cheating that rampant in these events, or is it sour grapes on my part?

[oldhamer25]

It is possible. A team I was on went -17 no handicap scoring. Our team make up was 8,8,18,18. Another team played with us so it was legit. Always had a good shot and made almost everything we looked at. It was just one of those days. The other team shot -15 and they were all 4 under 10 handicap.

[Guia]

Scrambles have notoriously low scores, stacked teams, and people who can't count. The worst are the ones that use a string to finish out putts or that you can buy mulligans. I quit playing them many years ago.

[hackerboy]

[quote name='oldhamer25' timestamp='1414348391' post='10353495']
It is possible. A team I was on went -17 no handicap scoring. Our team make up was 8,8,18,18. Another team played with us so it was legit. Always had a good shot and made almost everything we looked at. It was just one of those days. The other team shot -15 and they were all 4 under 10 handicap.
[/quote]

Thanks. That's great putting. We made so many bombs to get to -12, and had the huge advantage of hitting from 50 yards closer than the winning teams by having a lady drive in play, seemed impossible to get crushed like that.

[hackerboy]

[quote name='Guia' timestamp='1414348847' post='10353523']
Scrambles have notoriously low scores, stacked teams, and people who can't count. The worst are the ones that use a string to finish out putts or that you can buy mulligans. I quit playing them many years ago.
[/quote]

That was my initial feeling. We had 36 teams, seems like they should have someone from each team keeping score of the guys behind them to confirm that outrageous scores are accurate.

[Guia]

36 teams is a big scramble.

I used to visit Maui about 4 times a year and worked at the observatory on the mountain. Beautiful island.

[bruinsPATSirish]

I have been part of a team that legitimately shot -20 for an 18 hole scramble. Scrambles are basically putting contests when you have some halfway decent players. Drain some putts and you have a low score

[Bushwood Country Club]

cheating is #rampant in scrambles. I too quit playing them a long time ago.

[SatelliteGuy]

48?

They cheated.

[hackerboy]

[quote name='Guia' timestamp='1414349610' post='10353577']
36 teams is a big scramble.

I used to visit Maui about 4 times a year and worked at the observatory on the mountain. Beautiful island.
[/quote]

Nice. I'd love to get in the observatory and see the scopes at night.

[hackerboy]

[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1414350147' post='10353627']
I have been part of a team that legitimately shot -20 for an 18 hole scramble. Scrambles are basically putting contests when you have some halfway decent players. Drain some putts and you have a low score
[/quote]

That's crazy low. We had several 170+ par 3's, all unreachable par 5's from the mens tees (we could get to 1 from our Lady drive).

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='hackerboy' timestamp='1414358451' post='10354145']
[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1414350147' post='10353627']
I have been part of a team that legitimately shot -20 for an 18 hole scramble. Scrambles are basically putting contests when you have some halfway decent players. Drain some putts and you have a low score
[/quote]

That's crazy low. We had several 170+ par 3's, all unreachable par 5's from the mens tees (we could get to 1 from our Lady drive).
[/quote]

It was a crazy looking scorecard. I wish I still had the picture from my old cellphone. We were all good players that can drive the ball well and played the white tees which gave us some eagle tries on a couple par 4's and on every par 5.

[deadsolid...shank]

[quote name='hackerboy' timestamp='1414358451' post='10354145']
[quote name='bruinsPATSirish' timestamp='1414350147' post='10353627']
I have been part of a team that legitimately shot -20 for an 18 hole scramble. Scrambles are basically putting contests when you have some halfway decent players. Drain some putts and you have a low score
[/quote]

That's crazy low. We had several 170+ par 3's, all unreachable par 5's from the mens tees (we could get to 1 from our Lady drive).
[/quote]

You said it was a fairly easy course, but the par fives weren't reachable. We're they unreachable for your team or could a bigger hitters get there?

It's an awfully good score, but do you know the makeup of their team. Maybe three real low handicaps and one guy just for his higher cap?

A team like that could go really low if there are no drive requirements. It always makes a guy suspicious, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

[hackerboy]

The course was a par 70, with only 2 par 5's. We had a 175-190 yard lady drive in play on 9 holes, including a par 5, so could reach and eagle that one. I suppose if the other team had 12 drives of 275 yards or more, nailed all the par 3's (180,170,163,130), and somehow hit 520 uphill twice without much run then they could do it. It just seems inconceivable factoring in enough strokes at 10% for that handicap to justify that level of play. Again, there are many excellent golfers on these forums who have been part of teams who have done this, it's just that these guys didn't fit the description. PLUS, they also won last year. So much good putting needed.

[deadsolid...shank]

It's questionable. But say they had a 35 andthree good fives. That is five strokes in team handicap. Meaning they shot 17 gross, that's awfully good, but doable. And it sounds like there must not have been a drive requirement if you guys used your lady's drive nine times. So their 35 maybe didn't have to hit any tee shots. The yardages aren't outlandish, with three good players I would expect they would have a decent look at birdie on every hole

I've been on your end, you go out and play well thinking that's as good as anyone should be able to do, only to find out it's not close. We,ve had the same thoughts, hmm, wonder how that happened.

But I've also seen a team (2 groups per hole) birdie or eagle every hole, so I know it can and does happen. Sometimes good players get really hot.