Scramble Golf Format
Also known as: Ambrose, Captain’s Choice, Texas Scramble, Best Shot
The Scramble is one of the most popular team golf formats, used in charity events, corporate outings, and casual rounds alike. Every player on the team hits every shot, and the team picks the best one each time. It’s fast-paced, beginner-friendly, and produces lower scores than any other format.
At a Glance
- Type
- Team game
- Team size
- 2–24 players (most commonly 4)
- Scoring
- Stroke play or Stableford
- Handicaps
- Off by default (Scramble) or on (Ambrose)
- Wins
- Lowest team score
The Rules
- Each team member tees off on every hole.
- The team selects the best shot out of all the tee shots.
- Every player then plays their next shot from that spot.
- The team again picks the best shot and everyone plays from there.
- This continues through every shot, including putting, until the ball is holed.
- The team records one score per hole. The team with the lowest total score wins.
Example Hole
A four-person team is playing a par 4:
Ambrose (Handicap Scramble)
Ambrose is identical to a Scramble in how the game is played — the only difference is that handicaps are enabled. This makes it fairer for teams with mixed skill levels.
In Ambrose, the team’s handicap is calculated by combining a percentage of each player’s individual handicap. The default percentages in Squabbit are:
| Team size | Player handicap percentages |
|---|---|
| 2 players | 35% + 15% (ordered by handicap) |
| 3 players | 25% + 20% + 15% |
| 4 players | 25% + 20% + 15% + 10% |
For example, a 4-person team with handicaps of 10, 16, 20, and 24:
The team’s net score is their gross score minus the team handicap. These percentages are fully customizable in Squabbit.
Scoring Options
Both Scramble and Ambrose support the following scoring methods:
Stroke Play (default)
The team’s total strokes over all 18 holes are added up. Lowest total wins. This is the standard and most common way to score a Scramble.
Stableford
Instead of counting total strokes, the team earns points on each hole based on their score relative to par. Higher point total wins. This can speed up play since a team can pick up the ball once they can no longer score points on a hole.
Match Play (VS games only)
When playing team vs team, each hole is won, lost, or tied. The team that wins the most holes wins the match. This option is only available when playing a VS game (see below).
VS (Team vs Team)
Scramble and Ambrose can also be played as a head-to-head VS game where two teams compete directly against each other. In VS mode, the recommended team size is 2 players per team.
When playing VS, the handicap percentages change — each player’s handicap is weighted equally (for example, 50% each in a 2-person team). You can also choose to use Compare With Lowest handicap usage, which strokes off the lowest handicap in the group so the best player plays at scratch.
Setting Up in Squabbit
To create a Scramble or Ambrose game in Squabbit:
- Create a new tournament or casual game.
- Under format, choose Scramble (no handicaps) or Ambrose (with handicaps).
- Set your team size. The default is 4 players per team.
- Optionally change the scoring type from Stroke Play to Stableford.
- Add players and assign them to teams.
During the round, only one score needs to be entered per hole — the team’s chosen score. Every player on the team shares the same scorecard.