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!