Scramble Strategy

Every shot counts twice as much.

• Pick the best driver, not the longest. A ball in the fairway always beats one in the rough, even if it's 20 yards back.
• Use the better putter last. The second putter should read the line and confirm speed; the first putter takes the aggressive try.
• Alternate aggressive and safe on approaches. If partner A goes at the pin, partner B should aim for the center of the green.
• Communicate wind and break. Two brains only help if you share what you see.

Play the percentages as a team.

• Order your tee shots: safe player hits first, bombers swing freely after. You need at least one ball in play.
• Let the shortest putter go last. The other three putt aggressively to make it; the anchor putts for the save.
• Use handicaps wisely. High-handicap players should take the safer layups; low-handicap players attack pins.
• Assign roles: one player is the green-reader, one manages yardages, one watches wind, one keeps pace.
• Don't let everyone putt from the same line. Read from both sides of the hole when allowed.

It's you versus one opponent, not the course.

• Press when ahead, protect when behind. A 2-up lead lets you play safe; a deficit forces you to attack.
• Never make a double. In match play, one big number can lose two or three holes instantly.
• Study your opponent's weaknesses. If they can't chip, force them to chip.
• Concede short putts early to build goodwill, but make them putt knee-knockers when the match is tight.
• Play the hole, not the scorecard. A bogey that halves the hole is fine if your opponent made bogey too.

Every shot counts against the field.

• Avoid the big number above all else. A triple bogey is far worse than three pars in stroke play.
• Play for your average, not your best. Pick targets and clubs based on the shot you hit 8 out of 10 times.
• Recover smart. Punch out, take your medicine, and give yourself a chance at one-putt par.
• Stay patient after a bad hole. The tournament isn't over because of one double — but it might be after two.
• Know the rules. Stroke play has stricter penalties; protect yourself with correct drops and procedures.