How to win a golf scramble:
- Pick the right team
- Choose the right playing order
- Ride the momentum
- Warm up properly
- Stay Positive and Have Fun!
Golf scrambles can be a ton of fun! They are even more fun when your group plays well!
There is nothing better than having a fun day on the course and making plenty of birdies.
Many golfers used to playing golf individually and grinding over every shot, the team aspect of the golf scramble format is a great change of pace and often is a blast, especially when the team is playing well.
Golf scrambles are the typical format at most golf outings that are usually raising funds for a team, non profits or an association. There are also competitive tournaments both locally and nationally that allow golfers to enjoy the competition of golf in a team format!
Regardless of your reason for playing a scramble, there are some strategies that will help you have a fun day, shoot your best possible score and potentially win some hardware or money at the end of the day.
Hosting an Outing? Check it out: Golf Scramble: Golf’s Popular Outing Format!
Even at the social based golf outing, there is often “skin” money on the line! Follow the strategies below to win your next golf scramble or at least take home some money or bragging rights!
Update: I would add one more to the list! Don’t give up after the 12th hole. Many teams assume everyone is going to be playing great and pack it in too soon. Stay the course and keep grinding away to your best score possible!
How To Win A Golf Scramble: 5 Key Strategies
I have played in many golf scrambles over the years and have been fortunate to win many of the scrambles. It is a special time and a cool accomplishment. The 5 strategies below will help make the day rewarding and an opportunity to bond with your team!
How To Win A Golf Scramble – Pick The Right Team
LIke most sports, the team with the most talent has the best chance to win. You want to try to gather the best four golfers that you know that enjoy some competitions. Some people might try to stay find the best putter or a long driver, but the reality is if you get golfers that are all low single digit handicap golfers, you will be in great shape.
However, you may not know that many quality golfers. This is when you turn to the strategy of picking golfers based on their specialized skill they might bring to the team. Here are some examples:
- The Long Hitter: This is typically the former athlete that can hit the driver over 280 yards. There is a significant difference between hitting approach shots from 155 yards vs 115 yards. The extra 40 yards this golfer will provide can go a long way!
- The Great Putter: This is typically a person that was a very good golfer at one time, but maybe doesn’t play as much now, but can still roll the ball on the green. This could also be the senior golfer who may be losing some skill, but can still knock in the putts!
- The Tee Advancement Golfer: Many tournaments or outings allow different sets of tees to be used based on gender or age. If the course provides a big advantage from one set of tees, having a mix of golfers could be a major advantage.
- The Laser Iron Golfer: This is the person that seems to always hit shots inside of 10 feet. They may not be a great driver of the ball, but when it comes to irons, they can hit it close!
- The Competitive Golfer: This is the person that has played golf in different competitive situations and rises to the occasion. When there is a 10 foot putt to be made, they step up and knock it in. They might have the nickname of “Mr. or Mrs. Clutch!”
3 Keys to Building an Effortless Swing
How To Win A Golf Scramble – Choose The Right Playing Order
There are teams that decide to always hit in the same order, while others will mix it up based on whether the shot is a tee shot, approach shot, or a putt. Here are some tips based on where you are hitting the shot from if you are a team that wants to mix up the order.
- Off The Tee: If you have a straight driver of the ball, have this golfer tee off first. This helps relieve some of the pressure once you have a ball in the fairway. Next the person with the best combination of accuracy and distance should go next. Save your longer hitters for the 3 and 4 spot. These golfers may need to adjust if you are still seeking a playable ball by the time it is their turn.
- Approach Shots: Pick a golfer that is good at hitting the middle of the green. When you are over 125 yards or more, hitting the center of the green on the first shot is important. If you are inside 125 yards, everyone should be shooting for the flagstick. You need to make bridies to win a golf scramble! Save your best iron player for last and allow this golfer to seek pins all day long.
- Putting: If you are putting from over 30 feet away, pick the best lag putter to go first. Inside of 30 feet, go from worse putter to best putter. The goal of the first putter is to ensure they give everyone a read and keep the ball within 2 feet to allow for an easy tap in. The worst thing is when the first putters blast the ball past the hole. This ruins the read and the pressure starts to mount.
- Par 5 2nd Shot: If you have some power hitters, par 5s become great opportunities for guaranteed birdies and even a chance at eagle. There are two options here. First option – On these shots allow your longest hitters to go first and go for the green. If they fail the 3rd or 4th golfer can now lay up. Second option – have the weakest golfer or shortest hitter lay up and then let the better golfers go next. If you are confident the last person can lay up with a high level of success, I like saving this shot for last. This give one more opportunity to go for it on the 4th shot if the other shots are in play and in decent shape. You increase your chances of a potential eagle.
Why Is Golf So Popular? (Top 5 Reasons)
How To Win A Golf Scramble – Ride The Momentum
Let the round come to you and remain patient. If you start pressing on the first hole, the pressure picks up and can cause golfers to perform below their ability. Golf takes a long time! Four hours is a long time, stay patient and continue to compete!
Find those momentum builders and get going! Ride that momentum for several holes and allow the hot hand to take over. Team dynamics are usually interesting. Some golfers are really serious, while others like to have a great time and joke around. This goes back to building the team and finding the right combination.
The Golf Swing Step by Step Guide
How To Win A Golf Scramble – Warm Up Properly
Scrambles often come down to the putting, especially when there are a lot of quality golfers in the tournament. Get to the course an hour before tee time and make sure you hit some shots on the range, but spend at least 20-30 minutes on the putting green.
Getting used to the speed, the break and the overall conditions of the putting greens will go a long way in helping your team.
Hit driver and wedges at the range to replicate what shots you will hit most that day. If you get there in plenty of time, even playing the shots hole by hole in your head on the range can help you mentally prepare and get comfortable with the shots ahead of you that day!
How To Win A Golf Scramble – Stay Positive and Have Fun!
Golf is supposed to be fun! Keep in mind the perspective that at least you aren’t at work! Have fun, stay positive and the results will often reflect the preparation that you put forward.
Even if you are a more negative person, expressing that outwardly can start to bring others down on your team. While you may be able to be negative when golfing by yourself, know that your comments and negative outputs might keep your team from reaching the full potential.
Plus nobody likes the negative person! Be a good teammate and lift others up!
How To Win A Golf Scramble – Final Thoughts
Like anything, you will want to play in numerous scramble formats and start to build your own strategies and what works for your team. Golf is fun and scrambles bring the team together!
Make sure you embrace the day and play with a grateful heart. This will help overall in any golf format. Life is too short to get angry and not enjoy this wonderful game! Enjoy the journey!
Looking To Take Your Game to The Next Level?
Golf is a journey. To help you in your journey, you need to be able to practice 12 months a year. One way to do this is with a portable launch monitor. Whether you set this up as a golf simulator like I did, or you simply buy the launch monitor, net and a hitting mat you can be on your way to getting the feedback and the practice sessions necessary to help you reach your goals.
Some of the key information that you will be able to received immediately after every swing includes:
- Ball Speed
- Club Speed
- Launch Angle
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
While many won’t have $16,000 to spend on a Trackman, there are some great affordable options that can be used at your local driving range, on the golf course or in your garage or house as part of a practice area of golf simulator setup.