36 Hole Eclectic Tournament

  Each player plays 36 holes. From his two cards, he selects his best score on each hole. The winner is the player with the lowest total score for the selected 18 holes. A percent of the course handicap is used.

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4 Man Scramble

  Each team consists of  four players. On every hole, each team member drives and the best drive is selected by the team Captain. Each team member then plays a second shot from the spot where the selected drive lays, and the best second shot is selected. This process is repeated until the hole is completed. Each member of the team must have his tee shot count at least 3 or 4 times.

 

Dropout Scramble

  There are a number of different golf formats called a scramble. 
The Dropout Scramble is based on the simple rule that on any hole, no golfer may hit back-to-back shots.

• All players tee off and select the "best" drive.

• All players, except the one whose drive was selected, hit the team's second shot. The team then chooses the "best" second shot.

• All players, except the one whose 2nd shot was selected, hit the team's third shot.

• The process continues until the ball is holed out.

No handicap strokes are used because teams are assigned based on individual handicaps.

How do you handicap a scramble?

Generally, a scramble is un-handicapped if the teams are drawn from groups of A, B, C and D players.

If teams are self-picked, however, it is recommended that a two-person scramble team's handicap is the total of 35% of the A player's handicap plus 15% of the B player's handicap. For a 4-person team, the team's handicap is computed as the total of 20% of the A player's handicap, 15% of the B player's handicap, 10% of the C player's handicap and 5% of the D player's handicap.

Frequently, scrambles are handicapped simply as 50% of the best (A) player's handicap.

 

RCGA Info:

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Q. What handicap allowance should be used for a scramble?

A. Since a scramble is not played under the principles of The Rules of Golf, it will not be found in the manual. However, this recommendation seems to work well for most groups, regardless of minimum number of drives required or other special conditions: 
 

4-Person Scramble* 2-Person Scramble*

20%A 35%A

15%B 15%B

10%C   

5%D   

* Based on a percentage of Course HandicapTM

 

What is a "Shamble"?​

 A "shamble" is an event in which teams of 2 or more players all hit from each tee, select the best result, then continue play of the hole from that location with their own ball. The resulting team score may be a total of individual scores or a best ball or total of best balls of the team. A shamble is usually handicapped as a team best-ball event would be handicapped.

 

Best Ball
 In the best ball format, on each hole a specific number of players count their best net or gross score. This can be the best single score from a 2-player team, the best two scores from a 4-player team, or other variations. In some events, only the best net scores are used, while in others, both gross and net may apply.

 

Kickers' Tournament  
 The host draws a number, advising players that it is, for example, between 60 and 70. Players select their own handicaps without knowing exactly the number drawn. The player whose net score equals, or is closest to, the number drawn is the winner. This is a good type of tournament to schedule when accurate handicap information for a large percentage of the players is not available.

 

Blind-Holes Tournament

 The winning score is based on only nine holes, selected individually from among the 18 to be played. The holes are not selected until after all golfers have left the first tee, so that the players have no knowledge of the holes that will count until they have finished play. Half handicaps are usually used to derive the net totals.

 

Blind Partner
 This is an 18-hole stroke-play round with 90% handicaps. Players may play with anyone of their choice. Partners are not drawn until the last group has teed off, so a player does not know his partner's identity until after the round has been completed. Winner is the team with the lowest better-ball score.

 

Best Ball - Yellow Ball Tournament  
 This is two tournaments in one. The first  part is played recording the best net score for the team - usually four man teams. The second part is the net score made with the "yellow ball." The yellow ball passes from player to player depending on the hole being played. The yellow ball must be returned to the committee at the end, or the team is disqualified from the yellow ball part of the tournament. The score made with the yellow ball can count in both tournaments. Each player must play the yellow ball on the holes designated for him by the committee. The term yellow ball refers to a ball different in colour or having special identifying marks.

 

Two Man Alternate Shot ( Pinehurst or Haig ) Tournament  
 In this tournament, a team consists of two players. Each player hits a tee shot. The second shot is played by hitting the partner's ball. The team then selects a ball and this ball is played with each member of the team alternating shots until the ball is holed out.
If the ball selected was last hit by player (A), player (B) will hit the next shot and vise versa.
On par three holes, the selection of an alternate shot ball is done immediately after the tee shot. The score recorded for each hole is the team gross score. 

Alternate Shot - (Variation)
A true alternate shot format is also used for some events.

At the discretion of the team, one player tees off on odd-numbered holes and the other tees off on even-numbered holes. The players alternate hitting shots on each hole until the ball is holed out.

The team handicap is 50% of total handicap for the two players.

 

Team Match Play  
 Two man teams use their individual best ball score in a Match Play format. Each player takes his handicap strokes on the stroke holes as indicated on the score card. The team then uses its lowest individual net score in an attempt to win the hole from the other team.

 

Quota Points
  In quota point play, points are awarded based on the individual's net score on each hole. Points are awarded as follows:

• 1 for a bogey

• 2 for a par

• 3 for a birdie

• 4 for an eagle

• 5 for a double eagle

Usually, 100% of a player's handicap is used to calculate the net score. The number of players whose scores are counted for quota points varies from event to event.

 

1-2-3- Best Ball

 "1-2-3 Best Ball" is a competition format for 4-person teams. Each player on the team plays his own ball throughout the round. On each hole, a predetermined number of the lower scores is used.

One the first hole, the lowest score among the four players counts as the team score. On the second hole, the two lowest scores become the team score. On the third hole, the three lowest scores become the team score. On the fourth hole, it's back to the one lowest score, and so on throughout the round.

1-2-3 Best Ball is a good way to keep all the players involved in the fate of their team.

 

Lone Ranger
 Lone Ranger, also called Money Ball, puts the onus on one player per team per hole to come through with a good score. Players in a group of four rotate as the "Lone Ranger;" on each hole, the score of the designated Lone Ranger is combined with the low score of the other three team members for the team score.

 

Chicago
 Chicago is a golf game whose format is based on golfers beginning their rounds with negative points. In Chicago, players start with a negative amount of points, based on handicaps, then add positive points during the round. The idea is to get from the negative to the positive, clearing your "hurdle" (the term used for your starting total of negative points) by as much as possible.

Negative points begin at -39 for scratch golfers. A 1-handicapper starts with -38, a 2-handicapper with -37, and so on up to a 36-handicapper who starts with -3 points.

During the round, positive points are added on this basis:

• Bogeys are worth l point
• Pars are worth 2 points
• Birdies are worth 4 points
• Eagles are worth 8 points

Not everyone will be able to clear their hurdle, so the highest point total - whether that is 15 or -15 - wins.

Chicago can be a tournament format for individual stroke play, or a betting game among buddies. The winner might get a set amount agreed upon before the round, or the differential in final points can be used, with each point worth a set amount.
 

 

Designated Round
 In this tournament a player can designate any round to count as his tournament round. The designation must be made prior to teeing off and a witnessed score card must be handed in to the committee. At the end of the tournament period, say four weeks, the four lowest net scores play off to determine the first, second, third and fourth prize winners.

 

2-Man No Scotch
 In the 2-Man No Scotch golf tournament format, team members tee off, then switch balls, each playing the second shot from where the balls lie. Beginning with the third shot, the two team members play out the hole as a scramble, and record the one low ball as the team score.

  

Calcutta

 Definition: The term "Calcutta" describes a type of auction-pool wagering that can be applied to golf and many other sporting events. In golf, a Calcutta is most common at a tournament featuring 4-person teams, but a Calcutta can be held in conjunction with any type of golf tournament.

In a Calcutta, golfers bid, auction style, on the golfer or team who they think will win the tournament (you can bid on yourself or your own team, too). All the money raised through the "auction" goes into the pot. At the end of the tournament, those who "won" the team that then won the tournament get a pre-determined payout from the auction pool.

The precise rules of a Calcutta can vary from place to place; many tournament organizers employ software programs that apply odds and determine win-place-show amounts. Perhaps the simplest and most common Calcutta payout is 70 percent of the pool to the "owner" of the winning tournament team, 30 percent to the "owner" of the second-place tournament team.

Among other variations is one that allows a golfer to buy back half of himself or his team from the winning bidder. For example, your team is "won" in the auction by Team X; if this rule is in effect, you can pay half of Team X's winning bid back to Team X in order to buy back half a stake in your own team. If your team then wins the tournament, your team and Team X split the Calcutta payout.