Okay, so I’ve been meaning to try out this “golf shamble format” thing for a while now. Heard some guys talking about it at the course, and it sounded like a fun way to mix things up. So, I grabbed three buddies – Mark, Steve, and Phil – and we decided to give it a shot last Saturday.
First things first, we had to figure out the rules. None of us had actually played a shamble before, so it was a lot of Googling on our phones while we were warming up on the range. Basically, we learned that everyone tees off, just like normal.
Figuring out the Basics
- Tee off: Like a regular game.
Then, and here’s the twist, you pick the best drive out of the four. We used a highly scientific method of “that one looks good” and “yeah, that’s probably the furthest”. No arguments, surprisingly. We’re usually pretty competitive, but I guess we were all just excited to try something new.
- Pick the best drive: The most crucial, and slightly subjective, part.
From there, everyone plays their own ball from that chosen spot, all the way into the hole. So you’re not playing a scramble where everyone keeps hitting from the best shot. You’re basically playing your own ball, but with a HUGE advantage on the tee shot.
- Play your own ball: From the spot of the chosen best drive.
We decided to play it with low net scoring. Meaning, we used our handicaps, and the lowest individual net score on each hole was the team score. I think you can do it a bunch of different ways, but this made the most sense for us.
- Scoring：Low net team score.
The Actual Round
The round itself was a blast. Mark, who usually struggles off the tee, was suddenly striping it down the middle because we kept picking Steve’s drives (the guy is a machine). It definitely boosted everyone’s confidence, and the scores showed it. We were all shooting way better than usual.
There were a few funny moments. Like on the par-3 6th, where we all somehow managed to hit it in the water after picking Phil’s “perfect” tee shot. We had a good laugh about that one. And on the 12th, Steve actually shanked his second shot after we’d used his amazing drive. Goes to show, even a great tee shot doesn’t guarantee a good score!
The Verdict
Overall, the shamble format was a huge success. It sped up play, made it more enjoyable for the higher handicap players (like me!), and we still got to play our own ball for most of the round. We’re definitely going to do it again. I’d recommend it to any group looking for a fun, less stressful round of golf. Just be prepared for some good-natured ribbing when someone messes up a great tee shot!
