Last Updated on March 30, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
I love a good scramble. As a golf professional, I think it’s so much fun to bring the team element into the game and let golfers of all levels play together. In fact, my husband, myself and the kids will play scrambles sometimes and everyone loves it. I’ve heard golf shamble vs. scramble format referred to incorrectly for many years. I’m here to set the record straight and help you get these two formats straightened out in your head.
Golf Shamble vs. Scramble Format: TLDR
The golf scramble format allows every golfer to tee off, and then the best shot is chosen, and every golfer plays from this position. This process repeats until the ball is in the hole. The golf shamble format has all four players tee off, the best shot is chosen, and then every golfer plays their own golf ball all the way into the hole.
What Is The Golf Shamble?
The shamble is an interesting format that makes it easier to get off the tee box. The shamble format works like this:
- Four players tee off
- The best drive is chosen
- Every golfer plays their own ball into the hole
You may not be playing from your original drive location but for the rest of the hole you are on your own. If you are one of those players with a 30 yard slice off the tee, you’ll love this format!
In a golf shamble, the lowest player’s score for the hole is usually the only one that counts. You can have both a gross and a net shamble competition.
What Is A Golf Scramble?
The scramble is your classic golf team event. The scramble works like this:
- Four players tee off
- The best drive is chosen
- All four golfers play from this location
- The next best shot is chosen
- All four players play from this location
- The process repeats until the ball is holed
You can hit a lot of bad shots in a scramble and still have a good team hole. The scramble gives every player a chance to participate toward the team score. It’s a perfect format for new players who would be on the course for 8 hours if they had to play their own ball all the way around.
What’s Better – Golf Shamble or Scramble? (Player Opinions)
I have to admit, I enjoy the golf scramble better than the shamble format in most situations.
Here’s why.
If I’m going to play my own ball most of the way through the hole, I’ll just play my own ball. The whole point of a team event like this is to enjoy playing a competition with other golfers. The shamble just feels more like a pass on a bad drive than it does a team even.
However, there is one exception here.
If you are playing a charity event at a really great private country club (one you may not get out on otherwise), the shamble is a better way to see the entire course.
Now that you have my two cents, here’s what others are saying about golf shamble vs. scramble:
I prefer Shamble because it allows me to really play my own game after the drive. It’s the perfect mix of team effort and individual performance. Plus, my slice never counts against me.” – Alex.
“Scramble is my go-to format for charity events and fun rounds with friends. It takes off the pressure and just adds a little more fun.” – Casey.
“Shamble is my favorite because it feels more like real golf after the tee shot; if you are playing a real course, you want the shamble. – Jordan
“I lean towards scramble; we cheer each other on and laugh more on the course. I’ll play a nine hole scramble with friends any chance I get.” – Taylor.
Tips For Winning Shamble Format
Even if shambles and scrambles can be about the fun and enjoying time with friends; it’s still fun to win. Here are a few tips for winning your next shamble format:
- The worst driver of the ball goes first.
- When you have a good one, let the best driver on the team really go for it and try to get some extra distance.
- Change up the order around the greens; if a golfer has a birdie putt that could help the team, let someone get in for par first – the birdie shooter will have less pressure.
- Also, don’t worry about the furthest from the hole going first; if you have somebody 8 feet away who is putting for a double bogey, let them go and learn a little from the line.
- Pay close attention to net holes where one player may get an extra shot – you can save a lot of strokes by helping this player out on those stroke holes.
Tips For Winning Scramble Format
You can use my shamble tips in the scramble format as well. However, there are a few extras:
- Keep that same order of worst player going first throughout the entire round.
- If you have to use a minimum number of drives, use them right away
- Don’t always choose the shot that’s the closest to the hole. Sometimes, a little uphill chip from the fringe is better than a putt that is a downhill slider to a pin.
- Never make a bogey! You have four players, you should be able to make a par between all of you, when you bogey in a scramble it really costs you against the field.
- Go ahead and get aggressive if another player is safe, even if you normally wouldn’t attack a pin now is the time to do it.
The Real Test: Scramble vs. Shamble vs. Best Ball
I’ve had actual arguments that required the use of the USGA rules book to explain to golfers the difference between scramble and best ball.
In fact, I’ve had so many people come to me and mix up scramble and best ball through the years that I almost stopped believing the true definitions myself.
So do yourself a favor and get this straight:
- Scramble: all players tee off, choose the best shot, all players hit, choose the best shot, and repeat into the hole.
- Shamble: all players tee off, the best drive is selected, and all players play their own ball into the hole.
- Best Ball: play your OWN golf ball the ENTIRE hole; at the end of the hole, the BEST BALL (lowest score) is the only one that counts.
There you have it. No more excuses, no more mixing up the format. Best ball is just regular golf, but one (or sometimes 2) score counts for the team. That’s it.
I know it’s confusing that in the scramble format, you pick the best shot and play from there, but it’s different than a best ball.
Final Thoughts
What do you prefer? The shamble vs scramble format, or would you rather skip them both and play your own golf ball? Let us know in the comments which one is best for your game. I’m a scramble person myself and you’ll have a hard time convincing me a shamble is better.
