Just when you thought the 4-person scramble couldn’t get any more irrelevant, the format has hit a new low. Just recently, a group actually turned in a score of 46 and officially put the final nail in the coffin of the format. As the pro announces the score, there is an spontaneous chorus of boos and disgust at the alleged score. By the way, the score included a hole in one on a 381 yard par-4 plus an albatross.
Forget all the semantics of were there mulligans, were handicaps involved, and even the lame was there string involved, there’s a problem here. The problem is that a once beloved and fun format for golfers of all abilities has been ruined by gimmicks and cheating.
I remember one of the last 4-person scrambles I played in back about 5-years ago. It was a straight-up 4-person scramble with no mulligans and the such. We had a pretty stacked team mostly and shot 14-under on a windy day. It was one of those rounds where everyone was contributing and the team was making 20-footers and in all day long. We make our way back into the clubhouse and turn in the card and wait. Sure enough, one of the last groups in shot something like 18-under. We and everyone in the room knew the team and there was no way.
A few hours later, I got a call from my buddy on our team. The just of the call was are you believing this? How can these people even show their faces? Where is the honor in the game of golf anymore? Then he paused and said “listen closely.” There were a few seconds of silence that was followed by a loud thump. What was that, I asked? He stated with a sense of finality and resolution “that was my second place plaque going into the garbage can.”
The much beloved and fun 4-person scramble has certainly hit rock bottom with this latest “46 fiasco.” Maybe it can be a wake-up call. If you’re just going out for a day of fun on the course and could care less about the scores, enjoy your day. If it’s for a good cause, just let me make a donation and skip the “golf.”. However, for anyone with a competitive bone in their body, changes have to be made so we can re-embrace the format.