How to Win a Scramble

A scramble is not the true game of golf, but it is the most fun. Four guys using strategy and shooting rounds in the 60’s. I have way more fun playing in scrambles than playing 18 holes of stroke play. There a lot of players that go into a scramble with no strategy, but that’s a mistake. You can strategize to win and still have fun.

You don’t need four great golfers to win a scramble, although that would make it a lot easier. Most of us are average golfers and need to find a way to construct a great team with four average players. A team with handicaps of 4, 5, 5, and 6 are not necessarily going to beat a team with handicaps of 4, 6, 9, and 12. The key is to have four players that have different skill sets. Here are the four players you need:

The Leadoff: This player does not need to be a long ball hitter or have a low handicap. The leadoff player needs to do three things: hit fairways, hit greens, and putt well. I always tell the leadoff hitter that the team doesn’t need to use any of their shots for them to have a successful day. If the leadoff guy hits fairways and greens, it will take pressure off of the rest of the team and the other three players can be relaxed. This player also needs to make great lag putts. Every putt should be a tap in at the worst. Nothing is worse than having your first putter miss a putt by four feet and the other three players have to bear down to get one close instead of trying to make it. That is where you can lose a scramble.

The 2-Hole: The second player in the scramble needs to be similar to the leadoff player. I like the 2-hole player to have a little more distance off the tee, but that is not necessary. This player needs to be able to hit any fairways and greens that the leadoff player misses so that the next two can relax, hit hard drives, and shoot for pins. If the leadoff man is hitting the ball well, the 2-hole needs to be able to hit the ball a little farther and shoot closer to pins. I also like the second hitter to be an excellent chipper. It’s nice to have a guy that is great around the greens, just in case.

The Homerun Hitter: The third player does not need to be consistent, although it is obviously nice if he is. I call this spot the homerun hitter because the third player needs to hit long drives and shoot for pins. Hopefully one of the first two hitters hit the fairway so that the third guy can rip one. Hopefully one can also hit the green so he can shoot for the pin instead of the middle of the green. This is the guy that can hit a par 5 in two or make a long par 4 seem short. It’s very difficult to win a scramble without a guy that can bomb the ball.

The Anchor: The most important player on the team is the anchor. The anchor needs to be a good all-around player and has to be strong mentally. If you think a four-foot par putt is tough by yourself, imagine a four-foot par putt in a scramble when your team is counting on you after three other guys already missed the putt. There is more pressure on the anchor than any of the other three players. I was in a scramble a few years ago when I was an anchor. I was on a par 4, the first golfer hit it out-of-bounds, the second golfer chunked it in the weeds, and the third golfer also hit it out-of-bounds. It was up to me to hit a good drive in play. You need a strong minded fourth player to win a scramble. It is possible to win without a strong leadoff player, 2-hole guy, or homerun hitter, but it’s impossible to win without a solid anchor.

The one thing I didn’t mention is that you should try to have at least three good putters on the team. You won’t win a scramble with zero or one good putter and it’s difficult with only two.

Once again, this is a way for average golfers to succeed in a scramble. Obviously four anchors make the ideal team, but we don’t all have that option…

Even if you can’t win, remember that the most important thing about a scramble is to have a great time no matter how you play.