Scramble Season - Good or Bad for the game?

[Golfn' Dude]

I just posted an article on my site about how scrambles can actually be good for your golf game. I don't think I've ever really believed that until this year. I've seen it with my buddy. His whole mindset and approach has changed and his game is pretty rock solid right now.

 

So scrambles...good or bad for the golf the game???

[silver & black]

I vote good for your game.

 

Scrambles allow you to try some things you might not try when you're playing for a score. Generally, unless there is some real money to be won, scrambles are just fun. You get to play with your buddies and just drink beer and have a good time, and isn't that what golf is all about anyway; enjoying yourself and having fun?

 

Scrambles allow lesser skilled people to contribute to the round. I've never played in a scramble where all involved didn't make a good drive, approach shot, chip or putt that pulled our ass out of the fire. Even fairly bad players get to feel good at least once in a scramble.

 

I love to play in them. It's just a fun day.

[whiskey golf]

I think scrambles are good for golf. For the most part, they're meant to be fun and when I have played in them, they are very enjoyable. Takes a lot of pressure off and let's you enjoy the game.

[hckymeyer]

There's only one thing I don't like about scrambles, and that's playing behind them

 

Honestly though I do love me some scrambles, but if I had a dollar for every time someone called it Best Ball I would be able to buy a new driver every year.

[Golfn' Dude]

That's hilarious! I'm with you. We could likely buy 2 drivers and a set of clubs each for every time it was called best ball!

There's only one thing I don't like about scrambles, and that's playing behind them

 

Honestly though I do love me some scrambles, but if I had a dollar for every time someone called it Best Ball I would be able to buy a new driver every year.

[Golfn' Dude]

It is a great day. And you're right...I've always enjoyed playing with players that don't normally have the game to play in these or contribute. It's fun to encourage them and have some fun.

 

I guess my buddy was onto something. I've never seen him hit it so good. Especially off the tee. The dude has easily picked up 20-yards and his iron play his so solid. Great to see.

 

I vote good for your game.

 

Scrambles allow you to try some things you might not try when you're playing for a score. Generally, unless there is some real money to be won, scrambles are just fun. You get to play with your buddies and just drink beer and have a good time, and isn't that what golf is all about anyway; enjoying yourself and having fun?

 

Scrambles allow lesser skilled people to contribute to the round. I've never played in a scramble where all involved didn't make a good drive, approach shot, chip or putt that pulled our ass out of the fire. Even fairly bad players get to feel good at least once in a scramble.

 

I love to play in them. It's just a fun day.

[Golfn' Dude]

And playing behind them or in them can be a bit of a headache for sure. That is the only problem with 'best ball'

 

There's only one thing I don't like about scrambles, and that's playing behind them

 

Honestly though I do love me some scrambles, but if I had a dollar for every time someone called it Best Ball I would be able to buy a new driver every year.

[Golfn' Dude]

Yep. Yep and yep. Good call.

 

It's supposed to be fun. But funny how golfers think it kills their games.

 

Wish I was playing in one soon. I'll have to look for one.

 

I vote good for your game.

 

Scrambles allow you to try some things you might not try when you're playing for a score. Generally, unless there is some real money to be won, scrambles are just fun. You get to play with your buddies and just drink beer and have a good time, and isn't that what golf is all about anyway; enjoying yourself and having fun?

 

Scrambles allow lesser skilled people to contribute to the round. I've never played in a scramble where all involved didn't make a good drive, approach shot, chip or putt that pulled our ass out of the fire. Even fairly bad players get to feel good at least once in a scramble.

 

I love to play in them. It's just a fun day.

[Golfn' Dude]

When playing with golfers that don't play as well it's especially fun. Takes the pressure off. Have some fun. They cheer for you and you for them. At the end of the day everyone walks away feeling good.

 

I think scrambles are good for golf. For the most part, they're meant to be fun and when I have played in them, they are very enjoyable. Takes a lot of pressure off and let's you enjoy the game.

[RoverRick]

I would rather not play in a scramble. I will take the other side of the issue, and say that it is not particularly good for your golf game. Off the tee, a scramble is all about hitting the ball as hard and far as you can. That is not golf. Often, statistics show that it is better to lay up to a full club approach distance than pound the ball as far as you can and have a partial shot to the green. In many cases, if you were to do this on your own it would bring large numbers into play.

 

Approach shots are all about firing at the pin, damned the consequences because you have two or three or four or five chances. It does not matter how close the bunkers or hazards are, fire at the flag and hope for the best. Since you have several opportunities only the last person one person has to play safe.

 

And putting is all about direction and distance, and to me, 3-6 people trying to make the same putt really does not tell you anything. Most of the time the others in the scramble are such poor putters that you never really know if the ball broke that way or they hit the putt so poorly it appeared to break.

 

I much prefer to play my own ball. Also, when possible, I would rather play in the same group as my opponents. There is something about hitting it so close to the flag that you can almost hear your competitor's butt cheeks tighten. Even better is when you make a poor shot and your opponent thinks he has the easy win when out of no where you make a saving shot. Or the look on someone's face when you drain putt after putt. That is true golf to me. But I had that done to me last week and did not enjoy it near as much. Haha.

[Sluggo42]

They are fun, but so many cheater in them! We have played behind groups where the best shot of the 4 was coming out of the woods, shot after shot, and suddenly they check in at -17 for the win. We played really well at -13 or -14 and get smoked...

[Golfn' Dude]

It's funny you say that as i was never really a fan of scrambles in terms of what it can do to your game. Always had a good time with my buddies playing in them.

 

But I'm tellin ya...the difference I've seen in my buddies game that I wrote about in my article is quite impressive. For him it worked and filtered into everything else.

 

And your comment about putting...that is the thing I don't like about scrambles...watching everyone putt or even moreso people telling you or giving you a line when they generally aren't that good of putters. I roll the rock pretty good actually...probably the best putter on earth so I like to go first when I'm confident with the line. People don't think second spot is all that great but if I have any confusion on the line then I'd like to see the first roll.

 

People think to put the best last...man that's seeing 3 putts miss...too many bad thoughts...

 

I would rather not play in a scramble. I will take the other side of the issue, and say that it is not particularly good for your golf game. Off the tee, a scramble is all about hitting the ball as hard and far as you can. That is not golf. Often, statistics show that it is better to lay up to a full club approach distance than pound the ball as far as you can and have a partial shot to the green. In many cases, if you were to do this on your own it would bring large numbers into play.

 

Approach shots are all about firing at the pin, damned the consequences because you have two or three or four or five chances. It does not matter how close the bunkers or hazards are, fire at the flag and hope for the best. Since you have several opportunities only the last person one person has to play safe.

 

And putting is all about direction and distance, and to me, 3-6 people trying to make the same putt really does not tell you anything. Most of the time the others in the scramble are such poor putters that you never really know if the ball broke that way or they hit the putt so poorly it appeared to break.

 

I much prefer to play my own ball. Also, when possible, I would rather play in the same group as my opponents. There is something about hitting it so close to the flag that you can almost hear your competitor's butt cheeks tighten. Even better is when you make a poor shot and your opponent thinks he has the easy win when out of no where you make a saving shot. Or the look on someone's face when you drain putt after putt. That is true golf to me. But I had that done to me last week and did not enjoy it near as much. Haha.

[RoverRick]

I roll the rock pretty good actually...probably the best putter on earth so I like to go first when I'm confident with the line.

 

 

You can not be the best putter on earth. That is me. At least that is what I tell myself about 18 times a round. Since I am the greatest putter in the world, all I have to do is hit the drive in the fairway, and the approach on the green. I can make the putt from anywhere.

 

The truth is I do not always make the putt but it sure makes the rest of the game easier. I putt first in scrambles. I do not want someone to tell me what they think usually.

[apprenti23]

I LOVE scrambles!

 

When I'm playing in a scramble i still play my own game and never really try to murder drives. When I play a normal round of golf I never lay up and always fire for pins anyway so the driver off the deck or punch cut three iron is nothing outside the ordinary. The good thing is when I don't pull them off I don't have to try and get up and down. I have played 5 and 1/2 rounds this year four of which were scrambles (four victories).

 

I never watch other people putt for the line but I will help them read the putt. If I know xyz player hits his putts with an outside in and open faces his putts or so and so likes to block everything that'll really help them read their putts.

 

Played in a scramble this past Friday with a buddy who's a decent stick playing off of 4.5 and two of our other copper buddies who couldn't shoot under 120 if their lives depended upon it. The good one hits a driver really well and I proceeded to hit it 35 paces past him (he walked it off). He said "man I hit that one as hard as I could." I replied "I was just trying to hit it on the center of the face." We shot -13 and won by five- donated the first place prizes, closest to the flag, and longest drives back to the second place teams- and had an absolute ball.

 

The trick is just play the way you normally play. It's just like gambling, once you start winning don't increase your bets, stick with what you're comfortable with.

[Golfn' Dude]

Trust me...I am the best putter on earth...if not pretty damn close to it.

 

You can not be the best putter on earth. That is me. At least that is what I tell myself about 18 times a round. Since I am the greatest putter in the world, all I have to do is hit the drive in the fairway, and the approach on the green. I can make the putt from anywhere.

 

The truth is I do not always make the putt but it sure makes the rest of the game easier. I putt first in scrambles. I do not want someone to tell me what they think usually.

[Golfn' Dude]

You're absolutely right about what you said...putters put different spin on their putts, stroke it differently...lag putts differently, even see the line differently. But seeing the line differently all comes down to how you normally putt the ball in your everyday rounds of golf, and how you're accustomed to seeing things. I feel the break with me feet when I'm walking around the green or around my line so that gives me a different feel to it where guys bend down and look and give their two cents worth. Normally it doesn't jive with what I'm feeling or seeing.

 

And you're right, it is important to play like you normally do. I keep saying though, playing in a couple of scrambles has completely turned my buddies game around.

 

I LOVE scrambles!

 

When I'm playing in a scramble i still play my own game and never really try to murder drives. When I play a normal round of golf I never lay up and always fire for pins anyway so the driver off the deck or punch cut three iron is nothing outside the ordinary. The good thing is when I don't pull them off I don't have to try and get up and down. I have played 5 and 1/2 rounds this year four of which were scrambles (four victories).

 

I never watch other people putt for the line but I will help them read the putt. If I know xyz player hits his putts with an outside in and open faces his putts or so and so likes to block everything that'll really help them read their putts.

 

Played in a scramble this past Friday with a buddy who's a decent stick playing off of 4.5 and two of our other copper buddies who couldn't shoot under 120 if their lives depended upon it. The good one hits a driver really well and I proceeded to hit it 35 paces past him (he walked it off). He said "man I hit that one as hard as I could." I replied "I was just trying to hit it on the center of the face." We shot -13 and won by five- donated the first place prizes, closest to the flag, and longest drives back to the second place teams- and had an absolute ball.

 

The trick is just play the way you normally play. It's just like gambling, once you start winning don't increase your bets, stick with what you're comfortable with.

[wbealsd]

I play in a social scramble league every week and the nice thing about it is that we've got some folks that are new to the game and, as was mentioned earlier, everybody ends up making at least a shot or two they can feel good about. My partner just started playing this year and made some very nice putts last night, so I think it's a great way to help new players from feeling too discouraged when they're just starting out.

[Golfn' Dude]

Absolutely agree...

 

I play in a social scramble league every week and the nice thing about it is that we've got some folks that are new to the game and, as was mentioned earlier, everybody ends up making at least a shot or two they can feel good about. My partner just started playing this year and made some very nice putts last night, so I think it's a great way to help new players from feeling too discouraged when they're just starting out.

[revkev]

A few thoughts about scrambles:

 

1. They are great for socializing and they are fun.

 

2. I don't know about your game but they are not good for my game. But then again I'm not a good scramble partner. I'm normally the A player on my team and I don't have the attribute that everyone looks for in a scramble - distance - my strength is to plod away and make pars, lots of them - not a good scramble strategy.

 

3. Totally agreed on the higher handicappers - its great for them to get a window into how lower handicappers play and think and they still have a chance to contribute to the cause.

 

4. I try to play in a few every season but certainly don't go out of my way to play in them - they just don't fit my game that well.

 

5. If you really want to help a higher handicapper put them in an alternate shot tournament where their partner is a lower handicapper. It's an eye opener for both members of the partnership.

[Golfn' Dude]

#5 is a very interesting thought you had. I've never looked at it that way to be honest with you. But you're right, it would be an eye opener for both...

 

A few thoughts about scrambles:

 

1. They are great for socializing and they are fun.

 

2. I don't know about your game but they are not good for my game. But then again I'm not a good scramble partner. I'm normally the A player on my team and I don't have the attribute that everyone looks for in a scramble - distance - my strength is to plod away and make pars, lots of them - not a good scramble strategy.

 

3. Totally agreed on the higher handicappers - its great for them to get a window into how lower handicappers play and think and they still have a chance to contribute to the cause.

 

4. I try to play in a few every season but certainly don't go out of my way to play in them - they just don't fit my game that well.

 

5. If you really want to help a higher handicapper put them in an alternate shot tournament where their partner is a lower handicapper. It's an eye opener for both members of the partnership.

[JohnD]

I just posted an article on my site about how scrambles can actually be good for your golf game. I don't think I've ever really believed that until this year. I've seen it with my buddy. His whole mindset and approach has changed and his game is pretty rock solid right now.

 

So scrambles...good or bad for the golf the game???

 

They don't help golfers learn the rules!