New Game: "Dickens" or "Two Cities"

[iacas]

A friend and I have invented a new game. We call it "Dickens" or "Two Cities" because, as you'll find out, the rules are reminiscent of "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Normal rules of golf apply. It's designed as a two-man game, and you can play it against another team of two. Handicapping you'll have to figure out for yourselves - or just try to get even teams to start.

Anyway, the rules of this game are as follows:

1) Both players tee off. The best drive is chosen and both play their next shots from there. It's up to you to determine whether the tee shot on a par three counts as a "drive" or a regular shot.
2) When putting, the best result is taken, similar to driving.
3) For all other shots that aren't a putt or a drive, you take the WORST shot between the two of you.

Add up the score just like in normal golf.

For example, with players A and B.

A drives it 250 down the middle on a 410-yard par 4. B slices it right. They play from A's ball.
A hits his ball onto the green, but B chunks his ball way 100 yards. They move to B's ball and play from there.
A gets his distance wrong and flies it 20 yards behind the pin. B hits to five feet. They play the worse shot - A's - and both have a 60-foot putt.
A hits his ball to two feet, but B misjudges the slope and is seven feet away. They play from A's ball, and he taps in for a five.

So again, you take the best putts and the best drives, but you play from the worst spots for every shot in between. If one player hits the green and the other misses, you play from the miss. Even when both players hit the green you take the worst result - then the best putts from there on out.

The game puts a lot of stress on every aspect of your game. It's almost like a reverse scramble (where you play the worst shot), but it isn't quite the downer a reverse scramble is because you can still make birdies (rare) and pars (fairly common if you don't totally duff a shot or if you both have a decent short game).

You can elect to play from slightly further forward tees than normal - that's what I and a 10-handicap friend do. We expect to shoot around even par, but we're both pretty good putters and have decent short games, and the "best drive" rule is handy on a tough driving course.

P.S. Try to be honest when assessing the "worst" shot. It may be one closer to the pin. For example, a short-sided approach to a green sloping away versus a long chip and run. When playing against opponents, they get to choose the worst shots - you choose the best ones.

Give this game a try and report back with your thoughts.

[Donald MacKenzie]

I just so happen to be playing in an outing with three foursomes this weekend. We'll have to give this a try and see what happens. I think, as with most golf games, it will be better with beer.

[Dent]

You have a great idea, not only is it different, but it can teach players to play their best in the worst situations and issue more of a challenge to the game!

Nice idea Erik!

[iacas]

We played this on Sunday with my college students. The best score was a 77. One team made a quintuple bogey on a par five because they hit two balls OB (we didn't count par three tee shots as "tee shots" per the "best shot" part above).

It was a pretty good success, and it really emphasized just getting the ball on the green instead of trying to pull off a hero shot. After all, you can stick it to tap-in range, but if your partner misses the green, the team is playing from off the green. If both players instead hit it to 30-40 feet, so be it.

[David in FL]

Similar to a worst shot scramble, except for the drive.

 I think there’s too much to subjectivity in defining “worst” shot. Short-sided in the rough vs in a greenside bunker… Worst could be one for one person and another completely for another person… 

Maybe your opponent gets to choose the shot that you/your team plays next?

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Similar to a worst shot scramble, except for the drive.

And the putting.

8 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Maybe your opponent gets to choose the shot that you/your team plays next?

Uhm:

On 5/21/2008 at 12:08 PM, iacas said:

P.S. Try to be honest when assessing the "worst" shot. It may be one closer to the pin. For example, a short-sided approach to a green sloping away versus a long chip and run. When playing against opponents, they get to choose the worst shots - you choose the best ones.

 

[Vinsk]

9 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Similar to a worst shot scramble, except for the drive.

 I think there’s too much to subjectivity in defining “worst” shot. Short-sided in the rough vs in a greenside bunker… Worst could be one for one person and another completely for another person… 

Maybe your opponent gets to choose the shot that you/your team plays next?

Play it with me...then there’ll never be a question as to which is the worst shot.😆

[David in FL]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

And the putting.

Uhm:

 

Missed that.

Yup

4 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Play it with me...then there’ll never be a question as to which is the worst shot.😆

True dat, big man!

[dudu3000]

Reviving this sweet post and game. Took an on-course lesson with @iacas and this game came up.

Looked for a two-ball game to play as a single, and thought it fit the bill. Found that this game was both forgiving and challenging, but helped me with every facet:

1) Tee shots - if you blew the first, you basically get a mulligan and get to take the better of the two shots - never screwed both balls.  

While I don't condone this crutch in general (feel you have to play the shots you make), I was relieved that in this format which rewards the better ball, it helped me move along at a solid pace, but get the satisfaction and fresh taste of a solid tee shot, and play and practice more of "my" approach shots. 

I chose to treat par 3s as approach shots, so too the worse of the two balls. Luckily for me, I found the greens (though not exactly pin seekers) on all the par 3, so it only impacted my putting starting distance/location.

In addition, when you absolutely stripe the first shot, it puts pressure on you to see if you can best it, or at the very least come up with similarly solid shot - which helps with consistency.

2) Approach shots - where my greatest need for improvement is, and where this game really forces you to make your score.  

Hit the green with the first? the second better as well - otherwise you are chipping/pitching. Again, it challenges you to make two solid shots in a row, which helps with consistency and getting more approach shots in on course and under "pressure" situations.

I enjoyed the thrill of hitting a green twice in a row (and sometimes besting a really good approach), and I enjoyed the practice (and did not find it deflating) of hitting with one, and then finding myself in a bunker or off green chipping to try and make my score.  

Helps you get realistic scrambling and short game practice.

3) Putting - for this, I simply putted out the worst of the shots once on the green.  Helps me specifically as I am working on lag putting and speed control. Playing just one ball out on the green helps you move along at a normal pace of play.

So for me - a guy who is working on improvement and not necessarily posting scores, who often plays alone and is relatively quick - this game helped me enjoy the day, play at a pace where I was not nipping at the group in front, and challenged me in a way simply playing 2 balls would not.

This game is going to be a regular part of my on-course experience, and I will try breaking it out next time I play in a pairing or 4-some.

[iacas]

@DrizZzY played it as a two-man the other day and shot 37 (+1) on the back nine at Whispering Woods, which I thought was a decent score. We counted par three tee shots as tee shots, and though we never did it, we said any hole-out was good.

So basically:

• Use your best tee shot.
• Use your best putt (from on the putting green).
• Hole-outs count.
• For any other shot, you're hitting from the worst of the two spots, including when both shots find the green on an approach or a chip (but then you get to choose the best putt from that spot).