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New (to me) scramble rule - WTF?

StLCardsFan

StLCardsFan

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So my company bought four entries in a scramble tournament next month and I get to play. I see the info sheet and on there it states that the team must use each players tee shot at least twice during the round. What is that all about? Is this becoming commonplace for scrambles? I have never heard of such a thing before.
 
StLCardsFan said:
So my company bought four entries in a scramble tournament next month and I get to play. I see the info sheet and on there it states that the team must use each players tee shot at least twice during the round. What is that all about? Is this becoming commonplace for scrambles? I have never heard of such a thing before.
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It helps with cheaters.Prevents them using one one persons ball who can drive the ball longer then most
 
That is one that is common in most of the ones I have played in too. I was always under the impression it just helps get everyone involved but don't really know the true meaning of why it has been a rule in the scrambles I have played in.
 
Our club uses that one. For the opening day, they created teams based on handicap, with four different flights and one player from each flight on each team. The rule was everyone's drive had to be used at least three times.
 
ClairefromClare said:
Our club uses that one. For the opening day, they created teams based on handicap, with four different flights and one player from each flight on each team. The rule was everyone's drive had to be used at least three times.
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im playing that format on monday. i dont like it too much, but its common
 
Yep. I see it almost every time too.
 
I played in one that did that, too. It was 3 times each if I remember correctly. No biggie. It's not like you're going to win the scramble anyway. No matter what score you post, some other team will come in 13 strokes under it. Happens all the time.
 
Shoot...every scramble I play in has different rules. I played in a 27 hole scramble where we shot 29 under par and finished fifth place.:at-wits-end:
 
klaymon said:
I played in one that did that, too. It was 3 times each if I remember correctly. No biggie. It's not like you're going to win the scramble anyway. No matter what score you post, some other team will come in 13 strokes under it. Happens all the time.
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One of my all time favorite golf terms: "Pencil Whipped"
 
I'll have to remember that.

Nice signature line by the way. That guy is a riot! I'm actually liking him more each episode.
 
This rule has been in place for every scramble I have played too.
 
Same here, Grogger. Every one I've been in too.

Actually, though, it's more of a request than a rule, since no one polices it. We've always done it though. In fact the last one I was in, I was the only person who teed off of #18 because I needed one more drive!
 
BigLeftyinAZ said:
It helps with cheaters.Prevents them using one one persons ball who can drive the ball longer then most
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I don't see how using one persons drive all the time could be considered cheating. So what if they can hit the ball further than everyone else. More power to them.

My feeling is that in a scramble you hit four shots and take the best of the four. Now it is hit four shots and choose not who's is the best, but who's is good enough to take to make sure they get their two shots in. It seems like this rule is in place so that one or two good golfers can't dominate the round and each team is more equal. If one person can hit a good drive on 12-14 holes and that ball gets played how is that unfair to the other teams? If that player is better, that is the point of a competition.

Then what about approach shots or putting? Why is it limited to just tee shots? Some guys can putt lights out if they get 2 or 3 looks at it before they hit. Why is the potential there for that team to get to use all of the putts or approaches of one person, but the guy who can hit good drives can only be used 12 times?

I not saying that I will hit a great drive on every hole that we can use. My gripe is that with some players you might have to take what you can get. One player might be 60 yards behind the best drive, but since that was his best shot of the day, and we don't know if it will come again, we better use it now. To me it just seems like a way to take the club out of someones hands. Which to me, isn't the purpose of a competition.
 
I think the whole problem is that most people take the fun out of this. If I was the worst player in the group, I would want my drive used atleast once. These are supposed to be about fun and there always ends up being a few groups that take them far too seriously.

Just my take.
 
I don't have a problem with the rule.

Using one person's drive all the time is not cheating if there isn't a rule saying you have to use everyone's drive at least three times. It's just a rule. If it's critical for you to play in scrambles where there is not to be a rule requiring the use of everyone's drive, I'm sure there are scrambles around that don't have that rule that you can enter. Scrambles are supposed to be fun anyway (in my opinion), not some cut-throat competition. As long as they tell you the rules ahead of time, what's it matter? You said your company bought the entry anyway, so if it's fine with them, what's the problem?




StLCardsFan said:
It seems like this rule is in place so that one or two good golfers can't dominate the round and each team is more equal.
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Exactly. But if it's that important for them to win a for-fun scramble, they will find a way. Like I said, no one polices this "rule" and I am sure many teams do not follow it.

StLCardsFan said:
If one person can hit a good drive on 12-14 holes and that ball gets played how is that unfair to the other teams? If that player is better, that is the point of a competition.
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It's a scramble. It's not a real competition.

StLCardsFan said:
To me it just seems like a way to take the club out of someones hands. Which to me, isn't the purpose of a competition.
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Again, it's a scramble, not a real competition.
 
I have seen different rules depending on the number of players in the scramble.

Two man teams often have 4 drives each; four man -- three drives. And most people look at the drive as tee shots -- so par 3's count. With fairly matched players, two man teams have all the "reguired" play done before the back 9.

Additionally many I have been in have a required number of second shots. Again chips and putts are strokes -- so par 3's are in play.

Similarly some scrambles have mulligans ( $5 per or the like ) or some trick hole -- drive to this spot and you can drop on the green or outright buy strokes. You are out for fun after all, right?


My best addition was peoria scoring. No handicaps. At the end, the teams are handicapped by picking 6 secret holes -- typically 2 par 3, 4 and 5, one each from front and back nine. That team score times 3 minus par is your handicap. It is a real equalizer and often leads to some surprise finishs.


The only serious issue with scrambles is length of play. Between once a year golfers and everyone mulling over each shot - deciding who hits first each time, what is the distance, no one being ready after the previous person hits; it is very slow. And do not get me started on putting as a group.

So pack lots of sunscreen and patience and have a nice time.
 
We use that rule in our weekly work scramble as well, 9 holes, must take at least one drive from each.
 
We just completed a charity golf event here - 3rd time I've been involved - and we've always used that requirement in the format.
 
JB said:
I think the whole problem is that most people take the fun out of this. If I was the worst player in the group, I would want my drive used atleast once. These are supposed to be about fun and there always ends up being a few groups that take them far too seriously.

Just my take.
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Exactly.
This tends to even up the playing field & gets everyone involved. We play this type of format a couple times a year & everyone seems to enjoy it, even the bad golfers.
 
I always try to pair up with 25-30 handicaps in these events just for fun, my buddy who is a 1.5 index always bugs me to team up with him so we can "hammer" everybody (my driving ability with his short game would almost make a + player lol) but it just doesn't seem right somehow.
 
where i work we used to be part of a bigger parent company that included an unrelated company that was fairly close by, and we would have 2 scrambles a year... one would do the 2 drives and be flighted and the other wouldn't do either of these. the one where it was 2 drives and flighted was more fun because you never knew what the score was that was gonna win.....all you could do was do your best and see where you ended up...so meaning unless you shot extremely low, you were basically shooting for winning the second flight...and if you cheated, you could cheat yourself right out of $$.....
 
Just played in a scramble event a month ago that had NO drive requirment but you had to play the ball from the fairway. If you didn't have a ball in the fairway the longest shot was used and moved back to the fairway with a 1 stroke penalty. Also if a ball was in the fairway that shot had to be used could not take a penalty. Rule for the par 3's is ball had to be on the green or collar to be used, if not ball had to be moved to the drop area and a 1 stroke penatly.
 
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