If you've ever played a round of golf with friends, chances are you've played a scramble. The scramble format is one of the most popular ways to play the game, and for good reason: it's fast-paced, relatively easy to understand, and above all, it's a ton of fun. But what exactly is a scramble? Let's take a closer look.
A scramble is played with a team of 4 players. Each player in the group tees off on each hole. Once everyone has hit their tee shot, the team decides which shot was the best and everyone else picks up their ball and walks to that spot. From there, each player hits their second shot, and the process repeats itself until the ball is in the hole. The key to success in a scramble is working together as a team to make smart decisions about which shots to go for and which ones to leave behind.
The scramble format is often used in tournament play, especially charity events. That's because it's a great way to get a lot of people involved without slowing things down too much. And since everyone is playing from the same spot on each shot, it levels the playing field somewhat, making it more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Scrambling Strategy 101
Scrambles are notoriously difficult to win. That's because in order to be successful you need to have a team of players firing on all cylinders. One bad hole can quickly derail your team's chances of victory.
The key to winning a scramble is to be aggressive whenever you can because pars are not good enough. The goal is to put your team in the best position to succeed on each individual hole, and although that means making smart choices it often means going for broke because you need to make birdies.
By being aggressive you will also be forced to rely on your teammates. The good news is scrambles tend to bring out the best in everyone. That means that even the most mediocre of players will often step up and hit some unbelievable shots when it really matters. It happens all the time.
On the tee, it can be wise to have your most accurate driver play first and hopefully find the fairway. This will take the pressure off your longer hitters and allow them to swing freely and hopefully position your second shot further down the fairway.
On approach shots adopting a similar strategy works just as well. You want to find the green with your first shot so each subsequent player can attack the pin more aggressively. Even if the next three golfers miss the green you will still be putting for birdie.
When it comes to putting you want the first putt to show the line for the better putters to follow often saving your best putter for last. However, sometimes when you have a real makeable putt it can be wise to have your best putter go second or third. This way they won't have the pressure of being the last to putt and having to make it.
Finally, don't forget that communication is key in any sport - but especially in a golf scramble. You'll need to talk with your teammates about what shots you should hit, what club selection you should use, how much this putt will break, etc. The more you communicate with each other, the better your chances will be of coming out on top when all is said and done.
A scramble is one of the most popular formats for playing golf with friends. So next time you're looking for a fun way to mix things up on the golf course, give the scramble format a try. You might just find that it's your new favorite way to play!
And to give your team the best chance of winning make sure someone in the group has a rangefinder so that you can dial in the right distances. If you're in the market for a new rangefinder see below.
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