do you like scramble format golf?

[tjy355]

While a scramble is contested on a golf course using golf balls and golf clubs, it's not really golf is it?

I accept them for what they are - a social event to raise money for charity and an excuse to drink lots of beer. There is no reason at all to adopt a competitive attitude, no matter how low you go, someone always comes in lower. Cheating in a scramble is pretty much accepted, encouraged even.

Yes and please don't confuse the terms BEST BALL and BETTER BALL (real golf formats) with a scramble.

[flanagan]

They have their place, and I look at them as more entertainment, but plan on overswinging and going for everything.

What is really becoming a problem where I play is finding groups playing their own private "scrambles" on Saturdays or Sundays during peak tee time hours. The idea that four people on carts = four people on carts no matter what "format" they are playing doesn't cut it.

[bogeyhitter25]

I like Scrambles because it's pretty cool to see the winning score be some number like 57 or 58 (depending on the course).

[TheJuice]

I have only played in 1 scramble. It was my first round of golf in 6 years. I was playing with 3 of my friends who had all played in high school and continued to play some in college. I would say they are all around a 10 handicap, just a guess. Needless to say, we did not use 1 of my shots. Is that a record or something? You would think one of my long puts or chips would have made it, but no - I just had to feel worthless for 4+ hours.

[Jay-Bird]

I like 'em fine. Any excuse to crack open a beer at 8:00 a.m. works for me.

[rjfan91]

I play in about a dozen a year and look at them as a reason to BS with the group I am playing with. I don't mind playing and have only seen one time when I suspected cheating (a 51? c'mon..). Then again, I am not someone that calls sandbagging on people that shoot below their posted handicaps either. The groups I play with are usually 13 - 17 handicaps and a 61 is about normal for us on a 6500 yard course.

My only gripe is with pace of play. They tend to take a long time because of folks unwilling to right off a lost ball.

[Bullitt5339]

I'm playing in one on October 8th. Every time there's a scramble and the company wants to field a couple teams, we get paid to play golf for that day. So, that makes any scramble a great day in my book.....

I like playing them from time to time, and when you field your own team with all friends, add in a cooler, and you've got a recipe for a good time, some bad golf, and some creative score keeping. As long as you don't take it too seriously, it's a blast.

[cosmic charlie]

It raises money for charity and that's a good thing.  However I hate playing in a "hit-n-giggle".  Call me a golf snob, but these tournaments are designed for the golf hick, people whose only "golf" they know is scramble, usually played with borrowed clubs.  It totally mocks the game.  It break the 1st fundamental rule:  Play the ball as it lies.  It's not about golf at all.  It's drinking, eating, raffles, picture taking and socializing.  It pains me to see non-golfers buzzing around in carts, thinking they are in a bumper car.  Poor shots are laughed at, etiquette is thrown out the window, tee shirts and mulligans are the norm, gimmicks are common and people shout at thier friends across the fairways with no awareness that others are hitting. Almost nobody replaces divots, fixes ball marks, or makes any effort to finish in a reasonable time.  Yes, some play because its better than work and their boss picks up the $100 tab.  $100 for an all day round of "silly golf" shared between 4 players?  That means one round costs $400!  But whatever, it's fun, lots of prizes and for a good cause and that's great.   Maybe I should just lighten up, but I'll pass for now.

[ghalfaire]

I like scrambles. I think they are fun to play and you get to do things that you wouldn't normally do. Especially the holes that I wouldn't dare hit driver when playing my own ball, but with the scramble you get to grip and rip and see what happens. Anytime you can write down a score in the 50's is a good time.

This.  In the summer I usually play a 4 man scramble (an ABCD tournament) about once a month at a club I belong to.  We sometimes have shot selection restrictions so the team with the better A player doesn't always win.  While I wouldn't want to play a scramble every day it is a fun variation from the usual $5 Nassau best ball we play most of the time.