The Blathering Duffer
Scoring Methods and Games
Vol. 25.03_A
Winter is over, Rainy season nearly done, April flowers will soon be blooming. The beginning of Golf Season is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere now! To get you in the mood, I thought I’d give you several different games you can play with your friends that may make the game even more fun. I really like #3,#5,#10,#11,#12, #13 and #14. I think Bingo Bango Bongo (#13) may be my favorite and the Vegas Scramble (#14) would be a fun!
3) Stableford Scoring. In the 1800’s an English Doctor had such a high score he invented a new scoring method that didn’t feel as penalizing and Highest Score Wins! This is a popular scoring method in Britain even in many amateur competitions. The low HCP golfer may like to assign points as Par=1, Birdie=3 Eagle=5, Albatross=7. For us higher HCP golfers I like starting with Bogey=1, Par=2, Birdie=3, Eagle=7 and Albatross=8. If you would score greater than Bogey, Pick up your ball as anything else gets ZERO points.
4). Molave. Similar to Stableford with a tweak. Hole in 1 on a Par 3=7. Otherwise, maintain the same scoring you have in Stableford, but on a Par 4or5 an Albatros=8. Or increase all those by 1 for us high HCPers playing Bogey=1: Hole in 1=8 and Albatross=9.
5). Shamble not quite a scramble. This is a great game to help the short hitters or golfers with driver problems play well. Simply pick the best drive out of the bunch and everyone hits from that spot. From there on, play your own ball. You get the best distance of the group, but feel like you are competing with your own skill otherwise.
6). Scramble is what most of us are used to. Everyone Tees off, pick the best ball to play, everyone plays from there. Pick the best ball from the next shot and so on. Always play the better ball and take a group score. Often used in fun tournaments.
7). Texas Scramble is similar to a Scramble, but whose ever ball is chosen to play cannot hit the next shot. This rotates the sitter around all players and makes it more likely that everyone will have their shot used throughout the round.
8) Four Ball (Team Format) You’ll see this at Ryder and Solheim Cups. Everyone plays their own ball. Once the balls are holed, record best score for your team.
9). Greensomes (Team Format) is a 2vs2 game. All players hit their Tee shot. Each team selects best ball and then alternate shot from there forward until the ball is holed.
10) Skins is a gambling game. Decide how much money/hole is up for grabs. I’m cheap, so I’d be game for $1/hole. A golfer Must win a hole outright to take the money. If no one wins the hole, $ rolls over to next hole. It keeps rolling over until there is a winner. Then the next hole is worth $1 again…. Or whatever you agreed on.
11). Flags reminds me of the game capture the flag played by kids. You can use HCP with this too. Use the Par of the hole to determine the stroke used for closest to the hole. Wherever your shot finishes for that Par stroke, put your tee down. Closest to pin wins the hole. If a low HCP player plays a high HCP player, the higher HCP player will get an extra stroke on holes appropriate to their HCP.
12). Wolf (best with 4) another gambling game. Agree on $/hole. Select order and keep it through the match. Rotate through who tees off. Keep order. Throw a Tee to decide who is the Wolf to start. The wolf can select a Partner or go Lone Wolf. Everyone plays the hole normal. If the wolf is not beaten, they stay wolf. If the wolf (or their partner) wins, they take the money. If there is a partner, wolf splits the $ with the partner. If there is no winner on the hole, the $ rolls over. The wolf changes only when they lose the hole. The winner of the hole becomes the new wolf and takes the $ ion offer for the hole.
13). Bingo Bango Bongo Allows you to keep your score as normal but with added game of points for Bingo: 1st on Green, Bango: closest to pin and Bongo: first in hole. To be fair, Furthest away always plays 1st. Keep a separate score card for the Bingo Bango Bongo points.
14) Vegas Scramble Roll of the Dice. Use order of tee off to determine Golfer #1-4. Tee off then roll the die to determines whose ball you take. If 5 or 6, take the best ball. Continue normal scramble from there. (If you only have 3 golfers and die rolls on 4, roll again.) One of those big fuzzy dice hanging from your car mirror would be Fun to use!
15) Alternate Shot or Foursomes (Team Format) is another format used in Ryder and Solheim Cups. Its a 2vs2 match and is exactly as it sounds. Each team selects the first player to tee off. Then they alternate who plays the ball until it is holed out. Team with lowest score wins the hole. The one caveat to this is that teams must also alternate who tees off, no matter who finished the previous hole. Player A tees off on all odd holes and Player B tees off on all even holes.
Have Fun and Have a Great Golf Year!
Scoring Methods and Games
Vol. 25.03_A
Winter is over, Rainy season nearly done, April flowers will soon be blooming. The beginning of Golf Season is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere now! To get you in the mood, I thought I’d give you several different games you can play with your friends that may make the game even more fun. I really like #3,#5,#10,#11,#12, #13 and #14. I think Bingo Bango Bongo (#13) may be my favorite and the Vegas Scramble (#14) would be a fun!
- Stroke Scoring is the usual scoring method we all know. Straight up, how many strokes did it take you to get the ball in the hole.
3) Stableford Scoring. In the 1800’s an English Doctor had such a high score he invented a new scoring method that didn’t feel as penalizing and Highest Score Wins! This is a popular scoring method in Britain even in many amateur competitions. The low HCP golfer may like to assign points as Par=1, Birdie=3 Eagle=5, Albatross=7. For us higher HCP golfers I like starting with Bogey=1, Par=2, Birdie=3, Eagle=7 and Albatross=8. If you would score greater than Bogey, Pick up your ball as anything else gets ZERO points.
4). Molave. Similar to Stableford with a tweak. Hole in 1 on a Par 3=7. Otherwise, maintain the same scoring you have in Stableford, but on a Par 4or5 an Albatros=8. Or increase all those by 1 for us high HCPers playing Bogey=1: Hole in 1=8 and Albatross=9.
5). Shamble not quite a scramble. This is a great game to help the short hitters or golfers with driver problems play well. Simply pick the best drive out of the bunch and everyone hits from that spot. From there on, play your own ball. You get the best distance of the group, but feel like you are competing with your own skill otherwise.
6). Scramble is what most of us are used to. Everyone Tees off, pick the best ball to play, everyone plays from there. Pick the best ball from the next shot and so on. Always play the better ball and take a group score. Often used in fun tournaments.
7). Texas Scramble is similar to a Scramble, but whose ever ball is chosen to play cannot hit the next shot. This rotates the sitter around all players and makes it more likely that everyone will have their shot used throughout the round.
8) Four Ball (Team Format) You’ll see this at Ryder and Solheim Cups. Everyone plays their own ball. Once the balls are holed, record best score for your team.
9). Greensomes (Team Format) is a 2vs2 game. All players hit their Tee shot. Each team selects best ball and then alternate shot from there forward until the ball is holed.
10) Skins is a gambling game. Decide how much money/hole is up for grabs. I’m cheap, so I’d be game for $1/hole. A golfer Must win a hole outright to take the money. If no one wins the hole, $ rolls over to next hole. It keeps rolling over until there is a winner. Then the next hole is worth $1 again…. Or whatever you agreed on.
11). Flags reminds me of the game capture the flag played by kids. You can use HCP with this too. Use the Par of the hole to determine the stroke used for closest to the hole. Wherever your shot finishes for that Par stroke, put your tee down. Closest to pin wins the hole. If a low HCP player plays a high HCP player, the higher HCP player will get an extra stroke on holes appropriate to their HCP.
12). Wolf (best with 4) another gambling game. Agree on $/hole. Select order and keep it through the match. Rotate through who tees off. Keep order. Throw a Tee to decide who is the Wolf to start. The wolf can select a Partner or go Lone Wolf. Everyone plays the hole normal. If the wolf is not beaten, they stay wolf. If the wolf (or their partner) wins, they take the money. If there is a partner, wolf splits the $ with the partner. If there is no winner on the hole, the $ rolls over. The wolf changes only when they lose the hole. The winner of the hole becomes the new wolf and takes the $ ion offer for the hole.
13). Bingo Bango Bongo Allows you to keep your score as normal but with added game of points for Bingo: 1st on Green, Bango: closest to pin and Bongo: first in hole. To be fair, Furthest away always plays 1st. Keep a separate score card for the Bingo Bango Bongo points.
14) Vegas Scramble Roll of the Dice. Use order of tee off to determine Golfer #1-4. Tee off then roll the die to determines whose ball you take. If 5 or 6, take the best ball. Continue normal scramble from there. (If you only have 3 golfers and die rolls on 4, roll again.) One of those big fuzzy dice hanging from your car mirror would be Fun to use!
15) Alternate Shot or Foursomes (Team Format) is another format used in Ryder and Solheim Cups. Its a 2vs2 match and is exactly as it sounds. Each team selects the first player to tee off. Then they alternate who plays the ball until it is holed out. Team with lowest score wins the hole. The one caveat to this is that teams must also alternate who tees off, no matter who finished the previous hole. Player A tees off on all odd holes and Player B tees off on all even holes.
Have Fun and Have a Great Golf Year!
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