What is the deal with people CHEATING in a charity Scramble??

[CarlSpackler]

I agree that cheating is shameful and I see it all the time in outings that I am in. I also agree that the charity is the real winner, so I go basically to have fun and try to hit some good shots. I prefer that 2 man scramble to help prevent cheating.

[Guest]

I was there and saw exactly the same thing! It's too bad so many golfers leave their integrity in the cart shed when they go out to play! What ever happened to having dignity and honor?

[mirv]

i've played three scramble tournaments, and two of them, there were definitely some cheaters on the course. the third i'm pretty sure was legit all around because it was 2-man and you kept your partner team's score. i detest scrambles, but around here, that's just about all there is to play.

[MiniMoe]

Like a friend of mine once said.... "the only thing worse than being cheated is being out cheated."

I play in some scrambles for money during the summer here in Texas. If it is a three man, there are three teams that play together. If it's a 4 man, there are two teams that play together. And you can't play with someone you know real well. It helps keep the cheating down to a minimum.

[jorruss]

Two practices at scramble tournaments make it tough to score "honestly" - The first is the ability to buy mulligans. This is a great fund raising tool, so many scrambles do it. Many teams end up with 10 to 15 mulligans, so how do you police the use of them? You don't.

Another annoyance is the local pros posting scores as they come in, and the fact that the scoring pencils have erasers! I have observed teams waiting outside with the pencil ready for scores to be posted, then making "adjustments" or "addition corrections" and posting their score once the majority of the groups are in. Ever notice that the best scores are always posted last?

[CarlSpackler]

Two practices at scramble tournaments make it tough to score "honestly" - The first is the ability to buy mulligans. This is a great fund raising tool, so many scrambles do it. Many teams end up with 10 to 15 mulligans, so how do you police the use of them? You don't.

I played in a charity scramble once where you could by pieces of rope for $5 that would allow you to "rope the ball into the hole". i.e. - if you put a ball inside of 3' on a par three, you could "rope it in" for an ace. Again, great fund raising tool, but it allows a group to buy the tournament. Call me crazy, but I would rather win on a competitive basis and not through gadgetry. I think better outings use raffles and such to raise money, not mulligans etc.

[GDWindowpane]

be carefull questioning scores after the round...

My son and I played in our regular 9 hole Tuesday Mens league yesterday. Format this week was a two man scramble. We shot a 38 but birdied number 4 which is a very difficult hole. Handed in our card and as it was being posted I hear someone say very loud, "they shot a 38 and birdied number 4?!" Guess who cut our birdie on that hole, yeah the jerk who made the statement. Can't wait until we get paired with him. Time for a beat down...

[TheGeekGolfer]

I played in a charity scramble once where you could by pieces of rope for $5 that would allow you to "rope the ball into the hole". i.e. - if you put a ball inside of 3' on a par three, you could "rope it in" for an ace. Again, great fund raising tool, but it allows a group to buy the tournament. Call me crazy, but I would rather win on a competitive basis and not through gadgetry. I think better outings use raffles and such to raise money, not mulligans etc.

I just played in a 4-man scramble like this yesterday. Each person could buy a 'mulligan' package (3 mulligans, a 'throw', and 2 ft. of string). Well, we birdied every hole but 4 of them and had 1 eagle. So, we shot 57 (15 under) on a fairly tough course (and about a gusty 15-25 mph wind). We got 4th...there was a 55 and a 53 (believable). But, the winning 'score' was a 46 (26 on the front, 20 on the back). Yep, they claim to eagle 8 holes (4 par 5s, 3 par 4s, and an ace on a par 3) and birdie all the remaining holes. There is only 1 'drivable' par 4, and that's a 300 yard carry over water. Their shot on the par 3 was about 2 ft. away (mine was 4 ft.

, so there goes 1/4 of their 'string'. I could buy shooting a 50 (eagles on all the par 5s) or even a 49 (eagle the par 5s and then one within a foot or two on one of the par 3 or 4s). But a 46...yeah, RIGHT?!?! btw - I played in a 9-hole tournament like this once, we had 2 'mulligan' packages and shot a 12-under perfect round of golf on an easy course (one par 5 at 446yds, 3 par 4s at 300yds or less). I call BS... what do you guys think?

[TN94z]

I just played in a 4-man scramble like this yesterday. Each person could buy a 'mulligan' package (3 mulligans, a 'throw', and 2 ft. of string). Well, we birdied every hole but 4 of them and had 1 eagle. So, we shot 57 (15 under) on a fairly tough course (and about a gusty 15-25 mph wind). We got 4th...there was a 55 and a 53 (believable). But, the winning 'score' was a 46 (26 on the front, 20 on the back). Yep, they claim to eagle 8 holes (4 par 5s, 3 par 4s, and an ace on a par 3) and birdie all the remaining holes. There is only 1 'drivable' par 4, and that's a 300 yard carry over water. Their shot on the par 3 was about 2 ft. away (mine was 4 ft.

Could they buy more than one package per player? I call BS or a crap load of money invested!!

[sean_miller]

Could they buy more than one package per player? I call BS or a crap load of money invested!!

I would too, but the last time I called BS someone reported me.

[PrairieParson]

This has been a eye opener to me. I appreciate the comments. I couldn't play an event like that if I knew people were cheating. Best policy might be to skip the event, and just give the charity the money, minus green fees, cart, prizes etc. The golf seems like a waste of time if some are cheating.

[TheGeekGolfer]

Could they buy more than one package per player? I call BS or a crap load of money invested!!

They were supposed to only allow one package per player, but who knows?

Update: I wrote an email to the director of the tournament (a local church, tournament was for a charity for Rwandan Orphans, because there were some other issues with the tournament). Anyway, he offered to refund my entry fee, but I just told him to keep it as the real reason was to support the charity. I just offered some suggestions for next time to make it more fun and attract more players.

[TN94z]

This has been a eye opener to me. I appreciate the comments. I couldn't play an event like that if I knew people were cheating. Best policy might be to skip the event, and just give the charity the money, minus green fees, cart, prizes etc. The golf seems like a waste of time if some are cheating.

I wouldn't skip them just because some are cheating as the money is usually for a good cause and they are really fun. You just have to go out there and not worry about winning or losing. Just go have fun with everyone and if you win, then that is a plus.