Okay, so today I tried out this “shamble golf” thing. I’d heard about it, but never actually played it. Basically, it’s like a scramble, but with a twist.
First, we all teed off, like normal. We were a foursome, and let me tell you, my drive was terrible. Sliced it right into the rough. But, that’s where the shamble part comes in.
Picking the Best Drive
We all walked over to where our balls landed and picked the best drive of the four. Thankfully, my buddy John had a pretty good one – straight down the fairway, maybe 250 yards out.
So we all dropped our balls near John’s ball, within a club length, I think. That’s the cool part – everyone gets to play from the best tee shot.
Playing Our Own Ball
Now here’s the difference from a regular scramble. From that point on, we each played our own ball. No more picking the best shot after each hit. It was like a regular stroke play round, but we all started from the same, awesome spot.
- I used my 7-iron for my second shot. Not my best, a little short.
- John hit a nice approach, close to the green.
- One of the other guys ended up in the bunker. Ouch.
- And the fourth guy, well, he’s a bit of a wild card. Let’s just say he had an “adventure” getting to the green.
Finishing the Hole
We all putted out, counting our own strokes from that second shot onwards. So, you still get an individual score, but that great starting position helps everyone, especially us high-handicappers.
I ended up with a bogey on that first hole, which, considering my usual game, felt pretty darn good! It was a fun format, and definitely sped up play. We finished the round in a decent time, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I think I’ll try to arrange a game like this with my friends next week.
