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4 ball scramble

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  • 17-07-2018 11:25am
    #1
    diar1000
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭


    Hi, im organising a team to play in a 4 ball scramble next weekend.
    Handicaps are taken into account. I'm don't have a mark, but one lad that is playing with me has a mark of 2.
    Would I be better off getting 2 other lads that have low marks or high marks/no mark?
    Thanks Sean


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    #2
    prawnsambo
    Registered Users Posts: 13,375 ✭✭✭✭prawnsambo


    diar1000 wrote: »
    Hi, im organising a team to play in a 4 ball scramble next weekend.
    Handicaps are taken into account. I'm don't have a mark, but one lad that is playing with me has a mark of 2.
    Would I be better off getting 2 other lads that have low marks or high marks/no mark?
    Thanks Sean
    Marks? :confused:


    Do you mean handicaps?


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    #3
    diar1000
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭diar1000


    yes sorry


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    #4
    prawnsambo
    Registered Users Posts: 13,375 ✭✭✭✭prawnsambo


    If it's handicaps you mean, it's 1/10th of the combined handicaps of the four players and in a three ball, it's usually 1/8th.

    So if the four players have handicaps of, say: 6, 10, 14, 20 that would add up to a combined handicap of 50 and a team handicap of 5.


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    #5
    diar1000
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭diar1000


    prawnsambo, so you think i would be better getting decent golfers with a high handicap to increase my chance of winning


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    #6
    prawnsambo
    Registered Users Posts: 13,375 ✭✭✭✭prawnsambo


    diar1000 wrote: »
    prawnsambo, so you think i would be better getting decent golfers with a high handicap to increase my chance of winning
    Best to have a mixture. Often scrambles require that all players have at least three tee shots, so you have to balance it a bit. But a high handicapper may be a good putter or good around the green and may just be a bit short or wayward off the tee. So you can benefit from their handicap and at the same time they can contribute to the score.


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    #7
    diar1000
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭diar1000


    Thanks for all your info.


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    #8
    Seve OB
    Registered Users Posts: 15,895 ✭✭✭✭Seve OB


    diar1000 wrote: »
    prawnsambo, so you think i would be better getting decent golfers with a high handicap to increase my chance of winning

    well logic dictates that will always give you a better chance of winning.

    For a scramble though, in theory the best team would be someone off a really low handicap, who has the potential to go around in level par or better. then 3 guys with high handicaps who can hit the ball, and maybe make a few scoring shots.

    remember though, you will also need 3 drives per player


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    #9
    HighLine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭HighLine


    diar1000 wrote: »
    prawnsambo, so you think i would be better getting decent golfers with a high handicap to increase my chance of winning

    My advice for what it's worth... concentrate on having a good day and an enjoyable round of golf rather than trying to plan a win in advance.


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    #10
    charlieIRL
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,193 Mod ✭✭✭✭charlieIRL


    HighLine wrote: »
    My advice for what it's worth... concentrate on having a good day and an enjoyable round of golf rather than trying to plan a win in advance.

    That's the best advice you are going to get.


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    #11
    prawnsambo
    Registered Users Posts: 13,375 ✭✭✭✭prawnsambo


    HighLine wrote: »
    My advice for what it's worth... concentrate on having a good day and an enjoyable round of golf rather than trying to plan a win in advance.
    Yeah. You always get surprise showings in scrambles. People who are wobbly on the tee, suddenly find it a lot easier when they know almost for certain that they'll be playing their next shot from the fairway. They're great fun and a very enjoyable format. So enjoy. :)


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    #12
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,134 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Seve OB wrote: »
    well logic dictates that will always give you a better chance of winning.

    For a scramble though, in theory the best team would be someone off a really low handicap, who has the potential to go around in level par or better. then 3 guys with high handicaps who can hit the ball, and maybe make a few scoring shots.

    remember though, you will also need 3 drives per player

    I dont think this is true.
    You are better off with 3 scratch guys and one high guy.
    The high guy gives you 2-3 shots.
    The scratch guys will bring in the scores.

    With 3 scratch guys hitting every shot you will be looking at birdie on pretty much every hole.
    With only 1 you are all reliant on him.


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    #13
    Seve OB
    Registered Users Posts: 15,895 ✭✭✭✭Seve OB


    GreeBo wrote: »
    I dont think this is true.
    You are better off with 3 scratch guys and one high guy.
    The high guy gives you 2-3 shots.
    The scratch guys will bring in the scores.

    With 3 scratch guys hitting every shot you will be looking at birdie on pretty much every hole.
    With only 1 you are all reliant on him.

    Can work different ways really. 3 high guys 18ish who can play golf and make the shots though.... That's the key. That will give you a handicap of 6 or 7. All subjective though, need to make the shots on the day.

    Generally you are going to be looking at about -13 or so to win one of these


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    #14
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,134 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Seve OB wrote: »
    Can work different ways really. 3 high guys 18ish who can play golf and make the shots though.... That's the key. That will give you a handicap of 6 or 7. All subjective though, need to make the shots on the day.

    Generally you are going to be looking at about -13 or so to win one of these

    Ah well if you have 3 bandits then obviously that skews things, but its very hard to play to 90% lower than your handicap...unless you are off scratch since you don't lose any shots.

    Typically, ignoring the fact that you are a top quality golfer, 3 of your players having 100% of their handicaps puts you at a distinct advantage over the field.

    Far more than the 6 shots you would get from the 3 18 handicappers, unless of course they are banditos.

    Add in the pressure of having to take 3 drives from everyone and its very rare that it works out better than the scratch team.


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    #15
    mighty magpie
    Registered Users Posts: 981 ✭✭✭mighty magpie


    Our place had 2 ball scramble at the weekend. 1/4 of combined handicap.

    -10 won it. two 16s shooting 3 birdies and 1 bogey.


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    #16
    Seve OB
    Registered Users Posts: 15,895 ✭✭✭✭Seve OB


    Why is it that everyone who has a handicap of over about 14 but who is actually able to hit a decent ball is always called a bandit.
    I'm not biting any more, am done here.


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    #17
    spacecoyote
    Registered Users Posts: 8,498 ✭✭✭spacecoyote


    I would have thought that generally a group of low handicap players should fair better overall.

    4 people off 5 would give a handicap of 2

    4 people off 18 would give a handicap of 7

    I'd expect the 4 guys off 5, using best ball every time to outshoot the 18s by more than 5 shots


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    #18
    prawnsambo
    Registered Users Posts: 13,375 ✭✭✭✭prawnsambo


    Seve OB wrote: »
    Why is it that everyone who has a handicap of over about 14 but who is actually able to hit a decent ball is always called a bandit.
    I'm not biting any more, am done here.
    It's an unfortunately prevalent opinion on this forum. I often walk away from threads because of it.

    My usual retort is that handicaps are part of the game. If you don't like it, fcuk off and play bowls.


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    #19
    sydneygolfdude
    Closed Accounts Posts: 84 ✭✭sydneygolfdude


    Seve OB wrote: »
    Why is it that everyone who has a handicap of over about 14 but who is actually able to hit a decent ball is always called a bandit.
    I'm not biting any more, am done here.

    its actually ridiculous when you think about it. say your playing off 15. you actually have to be able to hit a decent ball quite regularly to get around the course to that handicap. But if you take the opinion of a lot of people on this forum, anyone over the handicap of 14 that doesn't spend 4 hours hacking it around the course on a Sunday is a bandit...


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    #20
    Fann Linn
    Registered Users Posts: 7,782 ✭✭✭Fann Linn


    sydneygolfdude wrote: »
    its actually ridiculous when you think about it. say your playing off 15. you actually have to be able to hit a decent ball quite regularly to get around the course to that handicap. But if you take the opinion of a lot of people on this forum, anyone over the handicap of 14 that doesn't spend 4 hours hacking it around the course on a Sunday is a bandit...


    Bandit so! And proud of it.


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    #21
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,134 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Seve OB wrote: »
    Why is it that everyone who has a handicap of over about 14 but who is actually able to hit a decent ball is always called a bandit.
    I'm not biting any more, am done here.

    I dont believe anyone said that tbf.
    I have played with plenty of high handicappers and the vast majority of them are correctly handicapped.

    However you did say "3 high guys 18ish who can play golf and make the shots though"

    If you can "make the shots" then your handicap is too high.


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    #22
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,134 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    spacecoyote wrote: »
    I would have thought that generally a group of low handicap players should fair better overall.

    4 people off 5 would give a handicap of 2

    4 people off 18 would give a handicap of 7

    I'd expect the 4 guys off 5, using best ball every time to outshoot the 18s by more than 5 shots

    Exactly.
    And its even better when you get scratch guys.
    You are effectively giving a scratch golfer 3 chances at every shot. When you apply that to putting its going to be a very low round.


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    #23
    cordy1969
    Closed Accounts Posts: 129 ✭✭cordy1969


    Having not played any scramble over here but playing loads in Australia, I have found what works best is to cater your team around how people play.

    Find 2 guys who hit long drives but are wild and mid to high handicappers.
    Find 1 guy who is a low handicap and chips like there's money on every shot.
    And lastly a consistent low handicap with a great all round game.

    Not sure if that works here but works a treat in Australia.


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