Scrambles- Do you assume winners cheat?

[ilikefishes]

Shoot 58 today in an event, and there was a 54, 55 and 56. BS is what I have to say.

[grubby98]

I think cheating happens a lot in scrambles.  I played in one a few weeks ago.  My entire team of 4 where golfers with handicaps less than 5.  I can hit it over 270 and another partner can reach 300 when he tries but is inconsistent.  We shot 16 under.  Winning team shot 18 under, not one of the players on that team is a 10 handicap or less on a good day.  Not to mention on a par 3 closest to hole I was no more than 6 inches from the pin on closest to hole, and I lost to one of those teams that beat us.  They said they knocked it to a foot or so.  Pissed me off, but I didn't want the prize of a cheap putter anyways.

I refuse to play in any more unless its for a charity that I want to suppose and I'm out there having fun and drinking with friends.  I don't mind 2 ma scrambles or 3 man scrambles if there are 2 teams together so nobody cheats.

[Spitfisher]

My opinion to the original post is minus 13 is about the likely lowest score without purchased or uunpurchased mulligans. I've played scrambles with real good golfers, guys that can putt and bomb the ball. personally I hate mulligans. Mulligans are an invitation for honest players to cheat. If you are running a tournament and you wish to raise some more money, sell "red tees" for a flat fee of 50-100 dollars it allows 4 different players ONE chance each on a hole of their choosing to tee off from the red tees. not only does it make money, but it also speeds things up a bit and with the right shot on the right hole it will likely make scoring easier. Not to be used on the longest drive hole

[newtogolf]

My opinion to the original post is minus 13 is about the likely lowest score without purchased or uunpurchased mulligans. I've played scrambles with real good golfers, guys that can putt and bomb the ball. personally I hate mulligans. Mulligans are an invitation for honest players to cheat.

If you are running a tournament and you wish to raise some more money, sell "red tees" for a flat fee of 50-100 dollars it allows 4 different players ONE chance each on a hole of their choosing to tee off from the red tees. not only does it make money, but it also speeds things up a bit and with the right shot on the right hole it will likely make scoring easier. Not to be used on the longest drive hole

I like that idea, thanks for sharing.

[Aguirre]

My opinion to the original post is minus 13 is about the likely lowest score without purchased or uunpurchased mulligans. I've played scrambles with real good golfers, guys that can putt and bomb the ball. personally I hate mulligans. Mulligans are an invitation for honest players to cheat.

If you are running a tournament and you wish to raise some more money, sell "red tees" for a flat fee of 50-100 dollars it allows 4 different players ONE chance each on a hole of their choosing to tee off from the red tees. not only does it make money, but it also speeds things up a bit and with the right shot on the right hole it will likely make scoring easier. Not to be used on the longest drive hole

Yeah, I do move up holes at my event.  Mulligans not only slow down play, but as you said, they are abused.  The players love the move-up holes, as it makes the Par 5s reachable for groups that don't have huge bombers off the tee.

[GHIN0011458]

ABSOLUTELY there is cheating in every single four man scramble I have ever played in. I will never play in one again unless it is free for me or is for charity. I am way too competitive to tolerate the cheating. I stacked a team with 4 guys who played college golf and we shot -16 and we got beat by 2 by some guys wearing jean shorts in their 60's. I also had another time where we lost by a stroke and the team who won had not 1, not 2, but THREE EAGLES on par 4's. I have hit a ball 340 yards only to have it crushed past me by 70 yards. I get if it goes 345.. but 410? Really? So I quit doing them. I play in two man best balls those are the most fun and I played in a 3 man because you play with a team you don't know.

I wish golf in general would ditch scrambles and play best ball. There needs to be more individual tournaments too.. Maybe it is just my mindset but why play golf if you wont even enter an individual flighted event. I see so many guys who claim they shoot mid 70's it makes me sick. They dress in the 60's at scrambles, somehow win them but we never see their names at real events throughout the area. I guess there are just a lot of guys who are +2's out there who decide competitive golf isnt for me so I will just play four man scrambles. SCRAMBLES are the farthest thing for real golf. Challenge yourselves, sigh up for best ball or individual events.

[NJpatbee]

Yes, I have seen cheating in most scrambles I have played in and just try to avoid scramble formats.

[BuckeyeNut]

A scramble is a bastardized form of golf, and the scrambles of today are even are bastardized form of this format these days.  At the check-in, unlimited mulligans and Tiger Drives can be purchased, etc, etc, etc........(soon to be replaced with Rory drives)

Even if a group follows the rules, a crazy low score is a must.  My issues with the cheaters is they cheat to win the prizes at the end.   I often question the results, but it's about collecting money for charity..........if a host can collect more $$ for the cause by selling mulligans and long drives, it's a good thing.  I am a golf purist and cringe at the unrealistic results, but I remind myself this is for a cause!!  A team still needs to hole putts, and I doubt some of the scores even with mulligans.

Any team that fudges the score to win prizes is a disgrace to humanity......but then again, at least they contributed to the cause!  ...a double edge sword!??  LOL

[Gary L]

I don't have to assume there's cheating going on, I've seen it first hand and it's the worst.  I was in one--a big shotgun start--so everyone except two groups showed up at the clubhouse after the round about the same time and turned in their card.  A half-hour later, one of the two missing groups showed up, but they didn't come in. Only one guy did, checked out the scoreboard, went back out and 5 minutes later the group came in and turned in their scorecard.  Surprise!  They were in first place.  The last group showed up 10 minutes later and they didn't even try to hide their cheating.  They sat down in the middle of the room without turning in their card, checked out the numbers on the board and finished filling out their card with everyone watching.  Surprise, Surprise!  They won the tournament.  One of the guys in my group saw the cheaters in the parking lot and nearly started a fistfight.

[Ramoffroader]

The area I play has four person scramble touraments all the time. Most of them have what we call a super skins game where the teams put in another $100.00 on top of the entry fee just to get in this skin pool. These tournaments will have 40 plus teams in them. We always play in eightsomes (two teams per hole) to make sure no cheating is going on and all scores are legit. The golf courses don't like this but they allow it. They complain about how slow it makes play and it ties up there course for the day. I run one tournament and help at three others and have noticed the golf cource seems happy when i pay them $5000.00 for the green fees and they rent out all there carts and sell alot of beer and food.  I play an average of 15 tournaments a year and only 3 on my own ball. We have had no issues with cheating because the teams watch each other.

[galunga]

always that one group. I was asked to go get the long drive marker since the last group "didn't know" they had to bring it in. Anyway, I went to get it and the guy whose name was on it cheated.

How do I know???

Because my tee shot was past the 200 yd marker and where he stuck it in the ground was 2 yards behind it.

I know the guy so I told him nice shot.... he said,"Dude... I was like a foot in front of you. Great drive though."  I told him it was odd that he would put the stake where he did and he stopped smiling. "You calling me a cheater?"  "No, I said, your face just did."

I wasn't going to call him out in front of everyone and I didn't... but he sure made quick work of telling people the story.

He 'won' closest to the pin too.