scramble vs. best ball

[lastings]

Guys, I have a question for you..   

I am hosting a big golf tournament, but it is for fun.   It's 20 guys from my winter hockey league, mostly all terrible golfers.   
We'll have 3 golfers that regularly shoot in the 80's, maybe 3 the regularity are in the 90's, and all the rest regularly in the 100's.   

People all want to do 2-man teams, and play some sort of a tournament.   but, given the varying skill levels, no handicaps, and little interest in playing a handicapped game, I'm having a hard time thinking of a way that any given team could have a chance.   

My fist thought is to have a few teams play best ball while the rest play scramble.   maybe pair each of the 80's guys with one of the 90's guys, and have those teams play best ball.  Then pair the 100's guys together and have them all play scramble.  but, I'm not sure if that evens out the playing field.   

 

So, how many strokes do you think the advantage of playing scramble is worth?  

Let's 2 players, both 12 handicaps, play a best ball round at an average course.   whats a good score?   3-5 over, maybe?  more, less?

Let's 2 players, both 12 handicaps, play a scramble round at an average course.  whats a good score?  2-4 under?  more, less?

 

 

 

 

 

[Midpack]

  Quote

My fist thought is to have a few teams play best ball while the rest play scramble.   maybe pair each of the 80's guys with one of the 90's guys, and have those teams play best ball.  Then pair the 100's guys together and have them all play scramble.  but, I'm not sure if that evens out the playing field. 

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I'd agree it's not likely pitting low handicappers playing best ball vs high handicappers playing a scramble will even out the playing field - especially playing 2-man teams.

But who doesn't like a scramble? I'd just rank everyone as best you can and put together five foursomes each with an A, B, C and D player. They should have fun, especially if there's some social during and after.

Edited June 20, 2017 by Midpack

[No Mulligans]

  On 6/20/2017 at 7:54 PM, lastings said:

Let's 2 players, both 12 handicaps, play a scramble round at an average course.  whats a good score?  2-4 under?  more, less?

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Scramble handicap calculator: http://www.leaderboard.com/scramcap.htm

6 strokes for a course with a slope of 113, so I'd say if they play well they would be 6 over.

For best ball I've got nothing.  The USGA does discuss HI adjustments for best ball competitions (for two man best ball 90% of handicap). http://www.usga.org/handicapping-articles/what-the-multiball-allowances-mean-to-you-25506.html  But that is to level the playing field when all are playing best ball and and may not necessarily translate to expected scores.  So, I wouldn't think you could use that in your specific situation.

Edited June 20, 2017 by No Mulligans

[woodzie264]

  On 6/20/2017 at 8:21 PM, Midpack said:

But who doesn't like a scramble? I'd just rank everyone as best you can and put together five foursomes each with an A, B, C and D player. They should have fun, especially if there's some social during and after.

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I put together a neighborhood tourn in the Spring and Fall each year and do exactly this - the winning team is never more than 3 strokes ahead of the last place team. Good times had by all

[WUTiger]

  On 6/20/2017 at 8:21 PM, Midpack said:

But who doesn't like a scramble? I'd just rank everyone as best you can and put together five foursomes each with an A, B, C and D player. They should have fun, especially if there's some social during and after.

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Great idea here. With only 20 golfers, you don't want to make it too complicated.

Also, you might want to skip giving the teams mulligans. These slow down play, and not every team has a skilled accountant who will only allow allotted second tries.

Avoid two-man teams, as the skill level isn't there.

[Aguirre]

Scramble. I cannot stress this enough, given your description of the event. Everyone will have more fun.

[David in FL]

Just go to a bar and drink...

[roamin]

  On 6/21/2017 at 6:32 AM, David in FL said:

Just go to a bar and drink...

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...and then play the scramble. 

[Grass Destruction]

I agree that a scramble sounds best in your situation. If you're handing out any prizes, then I suggest doing a random draw so every team still has a chance to win something. So maybe 1st and 2nd get a prize and then draw for any other prizes. 

[longdrive23]

Have a prize for the" most honest team" ,I.e: team that came last, and give them each a ball retriever!

[jkelley9]

  On 6/21/2017 at 2:19 PM, longdrive23 said:

Have a prize for the" most honest team" ,I.e: team that came last, and give them each a ball retriever!

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Lol that's an awesome idea. 

[jkelley9]

  On 6/21/2017 at 2:19 PM, longdrive23 said:

Have a prize for the" most honest team" ,I.e: team that came last, and give them each a ball retriever!

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My company golf tournament last year (nearly a year ago to date, as our next tournament is this coming Saturday) I played in a 4-some of "friends" of the company, so I was the only company employee. We played captain's choice and we played the "string" game and also each had a mulligan. I was probably playing around a 12hc or something that time of year, and 2 of the people in my group were probably an 8 and a 14. The other guy was probably a 16-20.

We played ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENALLY! It was the most awesome round of golf of my life. So exciting to have 3 people miss big and then someone hit a wicked awesome shot. Or all miss the fringe putt and someone clutch putts it. We had something like 7 strokes from the string. We came in 17 under I think. The winning team was 17 under as well and won it because of the lowest handicap hole and our scores on that hole. And they had a couple really good golfers on their team (low single digit).

But ever since that tournament everyone thinks I'm a liar lol. Which was so funny because as we're coming down 14, 15, 16th holes I'm telling these guys "you guys, my co-workers are going to think I'm a crock of s****, we may need to start sucking lol. Nobody is going to believe us." Sure enough I got tons of crap later about it from co-workers.

[Dave2512]

Scramble

 

Edited June 21, 2017 by Dave2512

[tristanhilton85]

Scramble is probably the best way to go.

[cutchemist42]

  On 6/20/2017 at 9:53 PM, No Mulligans said:

Scramble handicap calculator: http://www.leaderboard.com/scramcap.htm

6 strokes for a course with a slope of 113, so I'd say if they play well they would be 6 over.

For best ball I've got nothing.  The USGA does discuss HI adjustments for best ball competitions (for two man best ball 90% of handicap). http://www.usga.org/handicapping-articles/what-the-multiball-allowances-mean-to-you-25506.html  But that is to level the playing field when all are playing best ball and and may not necessarily translate to expected scores.  So, I wouldn't think you could use that in your specific situation.

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Until seeing this, I never knew a Florida scramble existed!

[Buckeyebowman]

How much work do you want to make for yourself? Forget about handicaps, just do a scramble!

Played a scramble for our final field day in our league. I thought I got "stuck" with an octogenarian who could barely walk, let alone hit a ball out of his shadow! Turned out he could putt the eyes out of the hole! Had played the course for 50 years and knew how every putt broke!

If he didn't make, he sure showed us the line and the speed!

[lastings]

ok..   got it.  4-man scramble is easiest.   

But, for various reasons we need to go with 2vs2 teams.   (we're pitting defensive pairs against wing pairs..   and there's already a bet in place about which Defensive pair will go the lowest, and a few other reasons..  )    

if it's two man scrambles, The teams that have the 80's golfers are easily going to win.   

not to disregard your opinions, but really what I am trying to figure out is

 

'how many strokes better should a 2-man scramble team be vs. a 2-man bets ball team of equal skill?'   

 

 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

Look, nothing is ever going to be perfect. Just do the best you can matching up the teams. If somebody bitches a bit too much, just ask them if they want the job since you'd be glad to give it to them. Suddenly, your word will be as the word of God!

Lots of people like to bitch. Almost nobody wants to do the work!