What Is a Golf Scramble vs. Best Ball?

Walking up to the first tee for a tournament and hearing the format is a Scramble or Best Ball can cause a moment of panic if you're not sure what they mean. While both are fun team-based ways to play golf, they are fundamentally different experiences. This guide will clearly break down how a golf scramble and a best ball format work, highlight the key differences between them, and give you simple strategies to help your team come out on top, no matter which one you're playing.

Deciphering the Golf Scramble: The Ultimate Team Game

Of all the golf formats out there, the scramble is arguably the most popular for casual, charity, and corporate golf outings - and for good reason. It’s a low-pressure, highly-social format that allows golfers of every single skill level to contribute, have a great time, and post some incredibly low scores.

How a Scramble Works: A Step-by-Step Guide

The concept of a scramble is built on pure teamwork. You combine the best efforts of your foursome into one spectacular team score. Here’s how it unfolds on every single hole:

1. Everyone Tees Off: All four players on your team hit their drives from the tee box.
2. Select the Best Shot: The team walks or drives up to where all four balls landed. You decide which tee shot is in the best position. This might be the longest one in the fairway, or it could be a shorter one that gives you a better angle to the green.
3. Everyone Hits from the "Best Spot": The players whose shots were not chosen pick up their balls. All four players then take their next shot from the location of that best tee shot. Typically, you place your ball within one club-length of the original spot, no closer to the hole.
4. Repeat the Process: You continue this sequence for every shot on the hole. You hit four approach shots, pick the best one. You hit four chips, pick the best one. When you get to the green, everyone putts from the spot of the best approach shot.
5. Hole Out and Record One Score: The first player to sink a putt finishes the hole for the entire team. You write down that single team score on the scorecard and move to the next hole.

Imagine your foursome on a par 4. Player A bombs a drive 280 yards but into the right rough. Player B hits a safe shot 220 yards into the middle of the fairway. Player C and D miss the fairway completely. Your team chooses Player B's shot. Everyone gathers their balls and hits their second shot from that perfect fairway spot, turning a potentially tricky hole into a straightforward one for everyone.

Why You'll Love a Scramble

• Accessible to Everyone: A scramble is the great equalizer. Got a beginner who’s never played before? Perfect. Their one good shot all day could be the exact one your team needs. A terrible shot doesn't penalize the team, so the pressure is virtually gone.
• Encourages Bold Play: Since only the best shot counts, you're free to play aggressively. Go for that drivable par 4 or fire directly at a tucked pin. If it doesn't work out, chances are a teammate will play a safer, more reliable shot to back you up.
• Builds incredible Camaraderie: There are high-fives all day long in a scramble. You’re all working together, cheering each other on, and celebrating every great shot as a team victory. It’s less about individual performance and all about the collective effort.

Simple Strategy to Win Your Next Scramble

Even though it’s for fun, a little strategy goes a long way. The difference between a good and a great scramble team often comes down to their approach.

• Establish a "Batting Order": On the tee, have your most consistent player hit first to guarantee a ball is in play. This takes the pressure off your other teammates and allows the long-hitters to swing for the fences without fear. The same goes for approach shots - let the reliable iron player go first to get one on the green.
• Putting Strategy is Huge: Don't have your best putter go last! Let one or two players go first to show the others the line and speed of the green. The a more confident putter can then watch and learn. By the time the third or fourth player putts, they should have a great read and be able to roll it in with confidence.
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Your team is a toolkit. Is someone a fantastic chipper? Let them handle majority of the shots around the green if their ball is chosen. Is someone money with their wedges from 100 yards? Their approach shot is probably the one you'll be taking. Identify who does what best and lean into those strengths.

Understanding Best Ball (Four-Ball): Your Game, The Team's Score

Best Ball, often called Four-Ball in more formal events like the Ryder Cup, maintains the team element but places a much greater emphasis on individual play. Think of it as a hybrid between regular stroke play and a team format.

How Best Ball Works: A Different Kind of Teamwork

While the name sounds similar to a Scramble, the execution is entirely different. In a Best Ball format, there is no picking the "best shot" and playing from there. You play your own game from start to finish.

1. Everyone Plays Their Own Ball: Each of the four players on your team plays their own golf ball from the tee box, all the way until it's in the hole. You play the hole exactly as you would during a normal round.
2. Record Each Player's Score: After the hole is complete, each player has their own individual score. Player A might have made a 4 (par), Player B a 5 (bogey), Player C a 4 (par), and Player D a 6 (double bogey).
3. The "Best Ball" Counts: The team looks at all four individual scores and takes only the lowest one as the official team score for that hole. In the example above, the low score is a 4. The team writes "4" on the scorecard, and the 5 and 6 are effectively erased.

This format is fantastic because it allows you to enjoy playing your own round while contributing to a team effort. Your good holes help the team, and on your bad holes, you have a partner to hopefully pick you up.

Who is a Best Ball Format For?

Best Ball is generally better suited for golfers who are comfortable playing their own ball and keeping an individual score. If you love the challenge of navigating the course on your own but want the backup and camaraderie of a team, this format is perfect.

It adds an exciting layer of strategy, as partners can play off of each other's strengths and in-round performance. The pressure is on you to perform, but you also have a safety net, which can be very liberating.

Winning Strategy for Best Ball Tournaments

Strategy in Best Ball is less about organizing who-hits-when and more about managing risk as a team.

• Pairing Aggressive &, Conservative Players: The classic Best Ball strategy. On a tee shot, one player’s goal is simple: hit the fairway. Just get the ball safely in play. This frees up their partner to be aggressive - to try and cut a corner or fly a fairway bunker. If the aggressive play works, great. If not, the team's "safe" ball is already waiting in the short grass.
• Communicate Constantly: Before you putt, know where your partners stand. If one of your teammates is already in for a safe par, and you have a 15-foot putt for birdie, you can be much more aggressive with your stroke. You know the par is already secured, so give the birdie putt a real chance to go in instead of lagging it safely.
• Never Give Up on a Hole: In your regular weekend game, if you hit your tee shot out of bounds, you might feel defeated. In Best Ball, this is when you really need to grind. If your partner is in trouble, your score becomes that much more important. Scrambling to save a bogey can often be the score your team needs to win the hole if everyone else is having a tough time.

Golf Scramble vs. Best Ball: The Key Differences at a Glance

To put it all together, here is a simple head-to-head breakdown of the two formats.

How the Shots are Played

Scramble: A true team effort. After every stroke, you choose the single best shot, and every team member plays their next shot from that one location.

Best Ball: An individual effort within a team structure. Every player plays their own ball from tee to green on every single hole.

Scoring

Scramble: Your team has only one score per hole, which is the result of a sequence of best shots (e.g., best drive, best approach, best putt).

Best Ball: Your team takes the single lowest individual score from one of the team members as the team score for that hole.

Pace of Play

Scramble: Generally much faster. You're hitting from the same spot and picking up all but one ball after each stroke.

Best Ball: Can be slower, as it plays more like a traditional round of four individual golfers.

Skill Level Suitability

Scramble: Excellent for all skill levels, especially beginners and high-handicappers. It takes away the intimidation of poor shots.

Best Ball: Better for players who are confident in playing their own ball and want a blend of individual and team competition.

Final Thoughts

Both scramble and best ball formats are fantastic ways to make golf a shared experience. A scramble is a fun, social, low-stress day where teamwork trumps all, perfect for players of any ability. Best ball offers a more competitive test, challenging your individual skills while still giving you the comfort and strategy of a team. Knowing which is which allows you to show up ready to contribute and have a fantastic time on the course.

Whether it’s a Scramble and you're all deciding on the best way to attack a hole, or it's a Best Ball and your partner needs you to recover from a tough spot, having a clear game plan is what makes a difference. This is where I find having something like Caddie AI transforms your preparation. When you're standing on the tee or facing a challenging lie, you can get instant, expert advice right there in your pocket. It helps you make smarter on-course decisions and contribute to your team with more confidence, no matter the format.