I hate scramble tournaments!

[WUTiger]

Quote:

...   Every scramble tourney I've played, it's always DRIVER ->HYBRID->SHORT WEDGE->CHIP.      Thats fine if you're a long player - I just hate to try to kill every shot to hit it the farthest of the group ...

One skilled amateur I know says he usually has a HDCP "throw-away" round the first time he plays after a scramble, because he spent all day the last time trying to launch the big one for the team.

When I play in scrambles - especially with younger players - I'm often the one who makes the "safety" tee shot on the medium to short par 4s. An approach from 150 yards out in the fairway is better than 100 yards out from the treeline.

Besides people good with up and down, it also helps to have a couple of players who are decent with their irons. Three or four medium irons to within 10 feet can really help with the birdies.

Scramble ground rules can also make the event less stressful: no more than two putts per green on the green, and no more than a double bogie on any hole. These also speed up play.

[Grumpter]

I like a good scramble or two per season as long a they don't have mulligans or the like. The latest one I played in was with 1 guy who might barely have been able to break 100 on the course and 2 other guys that definitely couldn't have broken 100 (one guy had never played before). We ended up at +1. No mulligans, plenty of shots from Trees, Sand, other fairways, rough etc.

That is the first time ever I had a group end up over par. Most scrambles I am paired up with another guy about my caliber and 2 guys that would shoot 90+. Have carded a few rounds at double digits under without having a 'super group'. You guys should have tore that place up.

[x129]

16 mulligans doesn't mean they would have been 16 shots worse without mulligans.  There will be more than 1 mulligan per shot and sometimes the mulligan will not be used. Mulligans and the rest (strings) really change the game but as numerous posts over the years have stated, unless there are observers in each group, scrambles are all about who can cheat the most.

Originally Posted by montru

I must admit I don't like Scrambles, my daughter's high school golf team had a fund raising scramble tournament a couple of weeks ago. I they wanted $70 per person ($280 per team), in this economic climate it was hard to find people in this small town that could play that had not already signed up.

We came in -4, and came in the middle of the pack. The winning team came in -18, but we found out after that we could of bought "Mulligans" at $5 each, up to four per player, that made it 16 per fourball, the group that won had used all of their 16 mulligans, so, put the 16 shots back on the winning team and they were -2.

The winning team won $600 ($150 each).

Now, I know it's a fund raiser, and it's another way of getting money out of the players but I personally don't believe in mulligans in a tournament. the other three in my group were visiting from the UK and are not familiar with the format.

I won't be playing another one!

[Pope33]

I like scrambles, and win a lot of them actually. But they mess up my stroke play for at least a round or two following. Guess the reason is that I am the longest, and expected to be the longest, so I swing outa my shoes on nearly every drive. I always play to win, but have a lot of fun doing it. People that take it too seriously, are missing the point.

[sean_miller]

I used to detest scrambles because the worst team gets a prize as being the "most honest'. No, they cheated too. The "most honest" team is probably the one sitting between even par and -6 who counted all their strokes and sits there without a prize yet doesn't complain because that would be petty. Now I love scrambles. I ask to be on a team of hackers who has no chance. If we can get that trainwreck back to the clubhouse in red numbers it was a great day!!

[zipazoid]

I'm good with scrambles. They do tend to mess up my swing, as I tend to swing out of my shoes on tee shots.

I played in a very interesting scramble earlier this year. Wrote about it on my blog -

http://zipsclips.blogspot.com/2011/06/swinging-with-enemy.html

[awmgolfer]

I love scrambles but I love 2-3 person scrambles because you are grouped with other people and not on your own, minimizes the cheating. I will play in our local 4 person scramble but other then that I will only play in 4 player scrambles if I'm asked, don't go out of my way. However 2 and 3 person scrambles I will go looking for and really enjoy them.

[JerseyThursday]

Our club has a couple member scrambles a year and I always enjoy them. The pro makes the teams based on even disbursement player skill levels. It gives me chance to play with some people different than my usual group. It usually has drinks (including beer), a lot of trash talking between teams across the fairway etc. The thing I like most is each player on the team is rooting for each other, helping read putts, etc. which, on occasion, is a nice departure from the usual isolation inherent in an individual sport like golf.

[jamo]

I like scrambles. I played in one this summer where my team had a high advantage because we had two seniors who got to tee up from the white (middle) tees, and one of them was almost as long a driver as I am, so on a few holes we had a high advantage. On two par-fives we had just 125 in because they got to tee up from the front. That took a lot of pressure off me because we already used most of my approach shots. So we didn't cheat by stroke cutting, but we did get lucky. Lucky enough for second place I guess. ;-)

[Pope33]

Why is it that every team who doesn't win, thinks that the winning team cheated? It is possible to win and not cheat! I have gone 15 - 18 under and won, as well as gone 15 - 18 under and lost. I didn't accuse anyone of cheating, however. My goal is to 1. have fun 2. drink plenty and 3. Win if possible, but that is just an added bonus. People should not play in scrambles if they always accuse the winning team of cheating!!

[evan01]

Funny I have played on two different positions on scramble teams. First team a 2,4 5 and a 12 handicap team. they just play straight up no gimmicks and win most of the time  there is no winning prize but some cheap trophy the prize is the $$ that goes into my cousins foundation for ALS. The second outing is for a local music program low budget and the prize is $300 cash you can buy as many mulligans as you want and the people that win actually take the $$. The ALS outing has raised over $2 million dollars in 10 years big hitters of obviously but very generous, the music outing is local blue collar people trying to help local students and the jerks show up  just want the cheap cash! America baby it's a great place!

[Baynative]

Originally Posted by acs9331868

Scrambles are fun, but there is a big problem with them.  4 man scrambles are based on the honor system.  That is why I like 2 man scrambles.  There is always someone there to make sure you are not cheating or shaving strokes off your score.

We have a few big fundraiser scrambles a year that donate to good causes. If I make it two a couple of them it is never with the same group. But, there is one gang of four that cards a net 54, or 55 every time and wins all sorts of junk like long drive and closest to the hole. They are driving the participation down.

[k-troop]

Playing in an office scramble today.  Won't be my favorite round of golf this month, for the reasons stated above.  However, I realized it does have some benefits.

--Golf on a work day.  How can that be bad?

--It is one thing that I am very good at relative to my co-workers.  When we play flag football, I'm not a standout.

--It's a chance to spend some time with the folks in the office and support the organization doing something I really love.

--As the boss, gives me a chance to spend some personal time with folks in the office that I otherwise wouldn't have much interaction with.

So, all in all, it's a good thing.  After typing this, now I'm really looking forward to it!!

[BuckeyeNut]

I have a love-hate relationship with scrambles.  Please allow me to explain....   If it's during my personal time, NO, I will never play in one....not even if it's free.  I'd much rather play my own ball with my group (first tee time every weekend).  I get scramble invites every year and respectfully decline every time.  The 5-6hr scramble-thang' isn't my speed......

On the other hand, I do play in at least 5+ scrambles every year on 'COMPANY TIME' ........now THAT is a totally different situation!!  A weekday 10am shotgun on company time??......OK, count me in......I'm the office ringer, so I play in my share of those!  Hahaha...

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I have a love-hate relationship with scrambles.  Please allow me to explain....   If it's during my personal time, NO, I will never play in one....not even if it's free.  I'd much rather play my own ball with my group (first tee time every weekend).  I get scramble invites every year and respectfully decline every time.  The 5-6hr scramble-thang' isn't my speed......

I'm right there with you on that.  I only get about 5 rounds per month, maybe 6 if I'm taking some time off.  Don't like to waste them playing someone else's shot.

[kcgolfa1]

Originally Posted by acs9331868

Scrambles are fun, but there is a big problem with them.  4 man scrambles are based on the honor system.  That is why I like 2 man scrambles.  There is always someone there to make sure you are not cheating or shaving strokes off your score.

Totally agreed, I play in a 4-man scramble for work every year and its always the same team that wins with a 56 or 58 even though they are double digit handicappers. We've been trying for years to get scorers for each group to no avail.

[Kobey]

The main point of a scramble tournament is to have fun.  Some people might be taking them too seriously and expecting them to be like a real tournament.  In fact, as I posted in another thread, the USGA states that scramble formats are not covered under the rules of golf.  The rules for them are decided by the tournament directors, and the only rules I have ever been given in one are have fun and don't wreck the carts or damage the course.

Most people try to play a fairly honest game but it isn't mandatory, so if some people feel the need to cheat to win you should pity them instead of getting mad at them.

[HAVOC]

played in one scranble where the winning score was 49

second was 50