Scrambles and best ball are two of the most common formats for golf events and charity tournaments but many amateur golfers confuse the two. It’s not usually about how to play them but rather which one is which. To be fair, a scramble feels like the best ball: everyone hits, you pick the best shot and you move on. That’s where the confusion starts. Here’s your simple guide to understanding and playing both formats the right way.

How to play a golf scramble

Scrambles are a team event. Everyone hits from the same spot and you keep choosing the best shot until the ball is in the hole. It’s a format that speeds up play, takes some pressure off and, for many golfers, it’s also a lot of fun. Here are the basic steps to play a scramble:

Everyone on the team tees off. The team selects the best shot. From that spot, all players hit again. Repeat until the ball is holed. One team score is recorded for each hole.

How to play a best ball tournament

Best ball focuses more on individual play. Everyone plays their own ball for the entire hole but only the one lowest score counts for the team. It’s still a team format but your individual performance matters more here.

Each player plays their own ball from tee to hole. At the end of the hole, the lowest individual score is used as the team score. All players continue playing their own ball on each hole. Most best ball tournaments have both a gross and net division.

Which format is better?

Whether you enjoy scrambles or best ball formats will probably be a personal opinion more than a true determination of which one is better.

Scrambles are ideal for golfers of all levels. It doesn’t matter what you shoot. Everyone gets to play and most players contribute at some point. If you’ve got a great team, they can be a blast.

The downside of a scramble is that you won’t really play the course the way you normally would. You won’t leave with your own score and, for some serious players, that can be frustrating.

Best ball is perfect for golfers who want to track their own game while still enjoying a team format. You’ll play the full course and see what you shot but it puts more pressure on you to deliver solid scores. For golfers new to the game, the best ball format may not feel like the right fit just yet.

Final thoughts

Now you know the difference between best ball and scramble. Always check with the tournament committee to see if there are additional variations for the best ball or scramble you are playing in. Which one would you rather play?

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