Shamble
Scramble off the tee, your own ball after that
A shamble starts like a scramble and finishes like best ball. The team picks the best drive, then each player plays their own ball into the hole and the better score counts. Short hitters get help off the tee, but everyone still has to hit their own approach shots and putts.
- Players
- 2 vs 2 (also played with teams of 4)
- Handicap allowance
- No USGA standard; CupTracker defaults to 75%
- Pace
- Between a scramble and best ball
- Best for
- Groups that want a scramble with more skill
How shamble works
- 1
Everyone tees off
All players on the team hit a tee shot.
- 2
Pick the best drive
The team chooses the best drive and everyone places a ball at that spot.
- 3
Play your own ball in
From the chosen drive, each player plays their own ball until it’s holed.
- 4
Apply strokes
Each player gets their own strokes from their reduced handicap, off the low player in the match.
- 5
Take the better net score
The team’s score is the better net score on the hole, just like best ball.
Scoring example: one hole of a shamble match
Par 4, stroke index 9. Course handicaps at 75%: Sam 6, Alex 15, Ryan 9, Ben 12. Off Sam, Alex gets 9 strokes, Ryan 3 and Ben 6. On stroke index 9 only Alex gets a stroke.
| Player | Team | Gross | Stroke? | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam | A | 5 | — | 5 |
| Alex | A | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Ryan | B | 4 | — | 4 |
| Ben | B | 5 | — | 5 |
Both teams played from Sam’s and Ryan’s drives. Team A’s best net is 4 (Alex) and Team B’s is 4 (Ryan), so the hole is halved.
Handicaps in shamble
The USGA has no recommended allowance for a shamble. Because the team picks the best drive, a lower percentage than best ball (90%) is common; 75–85% is typical.
Agree on the allowance before the round, then play strokes off the low player as in best ball.
Pros
- Short hitters get the help of the team’s best drive
- Still tests approach shots and putting individually
- Faster than best ball because there are fewer bad drives to chase
Cons
- Less familiar than scramble or best ball, so explain it on the first tee
- No standard handicap allowance, so you need to agree on one
When to play shamble
Play a shamble when your group wants the fun start of a scramble but the individual competition of best ball. It works well as a second-day format after an opening scramble.
Shamble in CupTracker
Shamble is a built-in 2 vs 2 format. CupTracker applies 75% of course handicap by default and scores it like best ball (better net score counts). You can change the allowance for a whole round or for one group.
Mix it with other formats across your rounds, or even within one round. Building your event is free; you pay when you publish it to your group.
Shamble FAQs
- What is a shamble in golf?
- A shamble is a team format where everyone tees off, the team picks the best drive, and then each player plays their own ball from there. The best score (or a set number of scores) counts for the team.
- What handicap allowance should you use for a shamble?
- There’s no official USGA allowance. Most groups use 75–85% of each player’s course handicap; CupTracker defaults to 75%.
- Is a shamble the same as a best ball?
- Almost. The difference is the tee shot: in a shamble the team picks one drive and everyone plays from there, while in best ball each player plays their own ball from the tee.
