SCRAMBLE

 

In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole. The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shots from that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed.

When played as a foursome, teams are usually constructed with an A player, B player, C player and D player, with those players designated based on handicaps.

 

The A player would the low-handicapper, the D player the high-handicapper.

A scramble might require A and B players to tee off from the back tees and C and D players from the middle tees; or A's from the back, B's and C's from the middle and D's from the front; or the tournament organizers might specify that all players play from the same set of tees.

For variations on the Scramble, see Texas Scramble and Ambrose Competition.

Also Known As: Ambrose Competition when a group handicap is in use; Texas Scramble when at least four tee balls of each group member must be used.

 

The variation in a Texas Scramble is that at least four drives of each member of the team must be used during the course of the round: At least four drives hit by Player A, four by Player B, and so on. In a regular scramble, a great driver might have his tee ball used on every hole. A Texas Scramble eliminates that possibility and allows even the weakest driver on the team to get into the action

 

If the scramble is called an "Ambrose," it means that handicaps are used in play, with a fraction of the total handicaps of the group members serving as one handicap for the group.

For example, if it's a 2-person scramble, the handicaps of the two players are added together and divided by 4. For a 3-person scramble, divide by 6; for a 4-person scramble, divide by 8.

The arithmetic produces one group handicap which is used during play.

Also Known As: Scramble, 2-man scramble, 3-man scramble, 4-man scramble

 

In a Florida Scramble, the twist is that the player whose shot is selected doesn't get to play the next shot. So in a Florida Scramble with teams of four, all four players tee off, the best shot is selected, then only three players hit their second shots.

 

The best of the second shots is selected - and the player who hit it sits out the third shots; and so on until the ball is holed.

A Florida Scramble can help spread the "best shots" around among teammates, but it does mean that one player has to sit out every shot.

 

definitions excerpted from http://golf.about.com/cs/golfterms/