Who else has given up on scramble tourneys?

[DTXgolfer12]

I'm a competitive person by nature. You won't see me throwing clubs and cussing at the cart girl but I try my hardest to win. Especially in tournament play or when there's money on the line. I love playing to win something.

 

That being said I've just about given up on 2 and 4 man scramble tournaments. The last three tournaments I have played in have been a joke. The amount of Cheating at these things is ridiculous. I'm a good player and i can tell when someone is a good player. The last tournament i played in the guys who "won" were next to me on the range before we played. The reason i remember them was because they almost hit me several times with shanked shots. They dressed the part but were easily two of the worst players on the range that day. And they come into the clubhouse a full 4 shots better than anyone else on the course and no one questions it. And they walk away with $400+ in prizes.

 

I played in another tournament that was a $1,000 per team buy in. Winning team "claimed" a 22 under par score. A score that, even with mulligans, is straight up IMPOSSIBLE.

 

In the same tournament a guy in my group had the long drive. We watched a fully grown 50 year old man in the group behind us hit his ball in the water. Drive to the long drive marker. Write his name on it. and then plop his ball down 5 yards in front of it and play his shot into the green.

 

What is the point? Why not save the money and just go to the trophy store and buy yourself some self esteem?

[RSinSG]

You have to realize a scramble is not the same as playing golf on any competitive level. I learned a long time ago that if you go there with the intent of playing well to win you will be angry at the end of the day. They are notoriously long (6 hours or more) and they are full of cheaters. However, there is still a place for them and every year I go to a couple.

First of all you need to keep in mind it is to raise money for a good cause. (Hopefully this is why there is the scramble.) They could do a golf scramble, a Monte Carlo casino night, bake sale, car wash - whatever. The main purpose is to raise money. Having that in mind, when I play in a scramble I buy lots of door prize tickets, mulligan tickets, whatever they are selling tickets in order to help the charity or cause. Also, scrambles are good opportunities to bring along less proficient golfers so they can have a good time. I've posted this before that I had a really great time watching a novice golfer go crazy after making some birdie putts for our team. It was like he won a major event.

With the right mind-set scrambles can be fun. Unless you are a cheater don't expect to win anything other than a doorprize.

BTW - if I saw the guy behind me cheat like you did I would have driven back to him and asked what was up. Not surprised it happened though.

[stevepoz]

I play in a number of scrambles and do so for the charity/cause/client relations. Definitely not to "win" - that would just be a bonus.

[cwglum]

Oh ... where to begin.

It's like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard to me every time I hear a 30+ capper tell the group that "we left one on the table there, should've made that eagle on the short par-5" blah blah blah. Or the jackarse that tells you a putt doesn't break that much, or the "Knock it man" right while you start your putter back

A.) the cheating at these things is inevitable as described above

B.) I feel like I'm at the driving range for 6hrs, no thought going into any shots at all. I actually enjoy turning a horrible hole into only a bogey, or scraping out a tough par. I just get bored with point and shoot, go to the best ball, point shoot, etc.

.

[Roody]

I'm fed up with scrambles this season, but for a different reason than the OP lists. I'm in a Tuesday night golf league that seems to have turned into nothing more than a 2-man scramble every week. It used to be all match play, but that got changed about 3 seasons ago. I just prefer to play my own ball most days.

As for the OP's reason for being sick of scrambles, I hear ya on the cheaters. I try to make a point of not entering any scrambles that are competing for good prizes, because when that stuff is up for grabs it brings out the worst in people. Just stick to charity/for fun tournaments and set your expectation of winning to pretty low so as to not be disappointed.

[highergr0und]

I love scrambles. Day off work, some money to charity, usually some beers, and smack a ball around with no pressure. I don't give a rip what the other people are doing.

Scrambles with big entry fees for big cash prizes should have score keepers on each hole or even one per group. It would take what, $500 to $1000 out of the pot to ensure honesty?

[whiteda6]

I only play in 2 scrambles a year, both for Charity. I never expect to win. But I still get annoyed with the outcome. I played in one this week. A guy with a 1 handicap was paired with 3 guys at 25+ handicaps. They ended up winning the Net competition. They got 85% of the combined handicap benefit but I am sure they used 90% of the 1 hcp guy's shots. They only needed to used 1 drive each minimum. They posted a net 52 score.

[Shipwreck]

I'll sometimes do scramble events for friends work or charities, but just as everyone else has said, the cheating is pathetic. "Wow. You guys eagled every par 5 somehow? When not a one of you could hit a drive over 200 yards? Impressive...." You had how many chip ins? 10? That's gotta be some sort of record." My only hope at winning anything in those is the raffle they usually do.

On a side note, the last scramble I played pissed me right off. It was a pretty big one for a company, and they had quite the sponsor listing and a ton of prizes. Each par 3 closest to the pin got a prize (they even had big signs on the hole for it) but oh, the sponsor decided at the last minute, after the scores were put in, that those prizes were only IF you made a hole in one.....thanks buddy. I won one of the closest to the pins and got exactly zero for it because of that.

[needfasp3ed]

Scrambles are great if you set the right expectations for yourself. Go out and have a good time with a few buddies, if you end up getting flighted somewhere for $30 it's just a bonus.

[joey2aces]

First, if I am playing in a $1000 entry fee scramble, it better be 2 teams per group. If not, I am not playing in that one...with my money at least.

Second, if I had physically seen that man do that with the long drive, I would have gone back and called him out right there.

Third, scrambles are meant to help out a family in need, charity or office bragging rights... I go for the skins, not for the prizes.

[Cuja444]

I run a scramble every year and the winning team only gets there money back. I do this to keep away people just looking to win money. I dont want them there if thats the only reason they want to play. Its about having fun and raising some money. I also dont offer mulligans, scrambles are long enough and mulligans ive found increase the opourtunity to cheat.

[ckay]

Go to have a good time, entertain, donate some bucks to charity, and maybe win a couple of things in the raffle which I pay into for the cause. You want straight up golf, go play a sanctioned event.

[deadsolid...shank]

I play several scrambles every year.

If it's a charity scramble, I go in with the thought that it's a good cause and I have zero chance of winning.

But if it's a real, competetive one (and yes, they do exist) with a pricey buy in, it HAS to be two teams per hole. And not teams that choose who they're going to be paired with. I think if you get into a scramble that is expensive and they are only playing one team per hole, then you have to expect the ridiculous results.

[DavePelz4]

I'm a big fan of scramble eggs.

[cphrey]

it's always funny when a group of guys that you see on the course, unable to drive it further than 180 yards, end up with multiple eagles on the day and win. and by funny I mean annoying and I hate those idiot cheaters. how are you going to eagle a 550 yard hole when you cannot hit two shots 400 yards? one hole out...ok, 3? gimme a break.

[vietnameeh]

I play in them for charity not so much competition....

if you want to be competitive in a scramble format like in a legit event (not a charity for fun non profit event)... they have events that are regulated well... where you have a certain index for each person in your group ... use a certain amount of tee shots for each person... etc etc..

i love scramble cause alot of times its fun and the food is good....

[Dan Drake]

I play in a competitive one once a year. 2 teams of 4somes in each group. No cheating whatsoever, even with the copious amounts of booze consumed by some of the competitors. Quite a few local pros and scratch ams play. It's a blast, but you better bring it if you want to win. The champs last year had a local pro, 2 low single digits, and a guy who played in the match play portion of the US Am a few years back. They shot 57 - 55 to win by 2 shots.

Makes me chuckle when I see 4 18 'caps bring in a score of <55. Yeah, right.

[cphrey]

[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1440189635' post='12184866']
I play in a competitive one once a year. 2 teams of 4somes in each group. No cheating whatsoever, even with the copious amounts of booze consumed by some of the competitors. Quite a few local pros and scratch ams play. It's a blast, but you better bring it if you want to win. The champs last year had a local pro, 2 low single digits, and a guy who played in the match play portion of the US Am a few years back. They shot 57 - 55 to win by 2 shots.

Makes me chuckle when I see 4 18 'caps bring in a score of <55. Yeah, right.
[/quote]

Why? Billy Bob's putter was ON that day. LOL

[PeanutsDaddy]

I enter scrambles for the compliments. Warranted and unwarranted. I'm a man in need of some positivity.

So sorry your experience was a negative one tex. I hope you were able to tee it up with friends and a few laughs were had.

[Greenie]

I played in a scramble last year and the team in front of us shot 22 under. It's funny I didn't see them do all that. We were one of the teams to finish up early and turn in our scorecard. The -22 got done ahead of us but somehow they were the last team to turn in their score card. I saw one of the guys from that group keep coming into the room and check out the score board. When they announced they were still waiting on a scorecard they show up with their scorecard with the winning score of -22. What I though was hilarious was they whole time they were waiting out in the lobby to see what they had to beat we were grubbing out on some great food. By the time they came in to eat they had ran out of some of the really good food so they missed out. To top it all off they announced the top three scores and said they put all the prizes in to door prizes so there was no prize for winning but bragging rights.
When I go to a scramble it has to be for a good cause, good food and good door prizes. Forget giving a prize for a high score when a lot of people cheat to get it.

[Bob Cat]

I have a question. Seriously.

Played in a scramble today where the last guy on the CP list's name was scratched because someone saw him hit two balls and called him out on it.

What's worse, someone doing that on purpose or someone who doesn't know any better? (hitting two balls)

No mulligans were allowed or offered in this event.

[Moonlightgrm]

In my region, southern New England, we play money scrambles every weekend after Halloween. The season is winding down and the local public courses are looking for players. The cash brings them out in droves. Generally the format is 3-man scramble played in six-some's. This helps police the unscrupulous players. The rounds take over 5 hours but it's the price you pay for a level playing field. At $100 per player the pay outs are pretty good. Front, back, and top 3 overall cash. It's not uncommon to get a full field.

[MadGolfer76]

Scrambles are not competitions. They're fundraisers.

[seajohn]

[quote name='cwglum' timestamp='1440178644' post='12183732']
A.) the cheating at these things is inevitable as described above
[/quote]

Maybe for a very small scramble where there isn't anyone around to monitor groups full time, but even then, you could have groups before, following, or on adjacent holes monitor occasional results. Long drive holes could be set on holes where the fairway can be seen from several different holes, and/or each group should look back to watch the following group hit their drives (first group on long drive hole(s) should not be a random group, they should be a group with a known honest player(s). Same for closest to pin par 3's. Groups shouldn't advance so far they can't see the following group hit their shots onto the green, and the first group hitting to a closest to pin hole should have at least 1 known honest player.

How would the player monitoring work? Suppose you can watch the group following play the entire hole. You see their longest drive. You watch their approach shot as you clear the green and head to the next tee. You watch them play at least their 1st putt or chip. If they all miss that 1st putt, they aren't going to make a 3, even if you can't see their 4th shot. Groups need to turn in a scorecard with a score for each hole, not just the total score. Scores observed by monitors should be checked against posted scores.

Large charity events should have as a minimum, one monitor per hole, if not one monitor per group.

[deadsolid...shank]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1440193523' post='12185292']
Scrambles are not competitions. They're fundraisers.
[/quote]

We play a lot of scrambles that aren't fundraisers. They're very competitive tournaments. Our stroke play events have basically dissapeared, and that's what we have left.

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1440194650' post='12185400']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1440193523' post='12185292']
Scrambles are not competitions. They're fundraisers.
[/quote]

We play a lot of scrambles that aren't fundraisers. They're very competitive tournaments. Our stroke play events have basically dissapeared, and [b]that's what we have left.[/b]
[/quote]

That's too bad.

[deadsolid...shank]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1440196640' post='12185580']
[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1440194650' post='12185400']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1440193523' post='12185292']
Scrambles are not competitions. They're fundraisers.
[/quote]

We play a lot of scrambles that aren't fundraisers. They're very competitive tournaments. Our stroke play events have basically dissapeared, and [b]that's what we have left.[/b]
[/quote]

That's too bad.
[/quote]

I agree. And our problem is if we want to play in any of the state events, they are usually at the other end of the state and we're looking at a 400 mile drive.

So scrambles it is for us. Just have to know which ones are well set up.

[Warrick]

I have a charity one for my work tomorrow morning. I have worked from home for the last 4-5 years, so it will be alright to see some folks again. Tha main things is, raising money for underprivileged kids.

I am pounding the driver right now, so it may be fun playin with a few hacks.

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1440196975' post='12185606']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1440196640' post='12185580']
[quote name='deadsolid...shank' timestamp='1440194650' post='12185400']
[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1440193523' post='12185292']
Scrambles are not competitions. They're fundraisers.
[/quote]

We play a lot of scrambles that aren't fundraisers. They're very competitive tournaments. Our stroke play events have basically dissapeared, and [b]that's what we have left.[/b]
[/quote]

That's too bad.
[/quote]

I agree. And our problem is if we want to play in any of the state events, they are usually at the other end of the state and we're looking at a 400 mile drive.

So scrambles it is for us. Just have to know which ones are well set up.
[/quote]

It is all scramble format at my club as well. Once they figured out it would draw more cash for the club than a stroke play event, it was all down hill from there, unfortunately. There are times they are enjoyable, but they get boring after a while.

[bub72ck]

I play in a lot of scrambles with work. It's definitely work and not golf. Four hours with a client or prospect outside of the office is great for me.