when you get to the long drive hole in a scramble and you feel you have a decent chance to win the thing do you stick with your normal golf ball or do you switch it out for something else?
Scramble tournament - Long Drive ?
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Last: 8 yr ago by proudaggie02
I never feel I have the chance to win unless I am in the last group.
I stick with my normal ball and play like any other hole.
I stick with my normal ball and play like any other hole.
Play my normal ProV1x, but make sure it's a new one or at least in good shape. Only time I ever change in a scramble is if it's a really low percentage shot (ex: fairway ends at 290 & it's a really long carry over water to a green surrounded by bunkers... and one of my teammates already hit an ideal layup).
I guess it depends on what your normal ball is...
The game is too mental for me, so staring at a different ball would mess me up.
The game is too mental for me, so staring at a different ball would mess me up.
quote:
I never feel I have the chance to win unless I am in the last group.
I stick with my normal ball and play like any other hole.
Are you implying you don't have a chance due to cheating?
I win long drive probably 75% of the time, and there's only been once that I've had a serious doubt that I was cheated out of winning.... based on how well I hit it & what the size/athleticism of the guy who beat me.
Yes. I have seen too many closest to the pin and long drive holes won by the last group to trust anyone in a scramble.
quote:
Yes. I have seen too many closest to the pin and long drive holes won by the last group to trust anyone in a scramble.
This.
Scrambles aren't about winning anything. They're about making sure you get your money's worth in beer, food, and freebies.
I played in a company tournament one time and left my ball hanging over the edge for an ace on a closest to the pin.
I got into the clubhouse to see that somebody else had one closest to the pin on that hole. I asked politely if he had holed out and he says:
My ball was hanging over a little more than yours was....
I laughed him off and then realized he worked for my direct competition. I took every order I could from there on out even if the margins were skinny. At the next years tournament he is giving me hell for being so cheap and I tell him:
I guess my orders are little more cost effective than yours are.
I got into the clubhouse to see that somebody else had one closest to the pin on that hole. I asked politely if he had holed out and he says:
My ball was hanging over a little more than yours was....
I laughed him off and then realized he worked for my direct competition. I took every order I could from there on out even if the margins were skinny. At the next years tournament he is giving me hell for being so cheap and I tell him:
I guess my orders are little more cost effective than yours are.
I'm long enough to go for it, but more often than not I miss the fairway from swinging too hard. I've only actually won one once. My prize: A dozen Precept Laddies..... I'm not sure you can even buy a dozen, I've only ever seen the 24-pack at Walmart.
I'm always way more skeptical of Closest to the Pin.
I'm always way more skeptical of Closest to the Pin.
I like that my club's MGA events dont do long drive but pay out top 3 cloesest to the pins on all par 3s and they mesaure with a tape measure.
I'm always skeptical about any performance based winnings at any scramble. Would much rather see prizes given away by drawing there than tied to a score.
I'm always skeptical about any performance based winnings at any scramble. Would much rather see prizes given away by drawing there than tied to a score.
^
Disagree- I have horrible luck in drawings.
My scramble winnings more than pay for my golf balls for the year.
The only contest that really hurt was a CTP for a $1,200 tv last year, but they had an official measuring distances. I hit it a couple feet with only 4-5 groups left to play.
The best long drive payout was either $200 or $250 cash at an oil/gas tourney in Amarillo.
Disagree- I have horrible luck in drawings.
My scramble winnings more than pay for my golf balls for the year.
The only contest that really hurt was a CTP for a $1,200 tv last year, but they had an official measuring distances. I hit it a couple feet with only 4-5 groups left to play.
The best long drive payout was either $200 or $250 cash at an oil/gas tourney in Amarillo.
played a company tourney where I won closest to the pin and we were the 5th or 6th of 25ish groups to play the hole. Pin was on the back of the green and I was the only person to get my drive back there.
Other than that, not sure I've ever actually won anything in a tourney.
Other than that, not sure I've ever actually won anything in a tourney.
I always carry a few Pinnacles or something else that's rock hard to tee off in scrambles then I'll switch over to my Pro-V1 for the rest of the hole.
I just save my mulligans for the long drive holes.
I was the first or second group to come along the long drive at the latest outing at bridlewood and my drive held up. Of course it was mostly aggies, and aggies don't lie, cheat or steal.
I played in a superintendent event in February at AT&T oaks in san Antonio where they host the Valero. We played that morning where it was misting with 30 mph north winds and the temp was around 33. There was actually ice on the flagstick and it was the most miserable I have ever been in my life.
I did however win 2 ctp that day. One was 3'11" and the other 31ft. I was the second group the play on the 31 footer and just wrote my name down as an oh, what the hell. Can't believe it held up but it was a miserable day on a challenging course.
I did however win 2 ctp that day. One was 3'11" and the other 31ft. I was the second group the play on the 31 footer and just wrote my name down as an oh, what the hell. Can't believe it held up but it was a miserable day on a challenging course.
I am fairly long off the tee and have won countless long drive prizes. There used to be a lot of four-person scrambles around here (Bastrop area). The cheating got so bad that almost all of the events have switched to three-person scrambles so that two threesomes are paired together on each tee box. It is amazing to see the difference in the scores that win now. Not only that, but, the CTP and long drive markers are much more believable.
quote:
Yes. I have seen too many closest to the pin and long drive holes won by the last group to trust anyone in a scramble.
Agreed.
Scrambles are at least 50% cheating. Closest to the pin, long drive, and scores.
It's really sad. I get some individuals would cheat for gain, but really sad an entire team does. I'd never be able to support that.
My buddy runs a charity tourney and basically 1st-3rd prizes are very minimal, instead having a drawing (everyone getting something) afterwards with the big prizes.
My buddy runs a charity tourney and basically 1st-3rd prizes are very minimal, instead having a drawing (everyone getting something) afterwards with the big prizes.
quote:
I win long drive probably 75% of the time, and there's only been once that I've had a serious doubt that I was cheated out of winning.... based on how well I hit it & what the size/athleticism of the guy who beat me.
Really. Let me get this straight. To win 75% of the time that means you have to hit 75% of your fairways, since you can't use mulligans in a long drive competition. Which is interesting because even Bubba Watson (59.20%) and Dustin Johnson (52.24%) couldn't win 75% of the time. On top of that, each time you hit the fairway , you have to hit it well enough to beat all your fellow competitors.
Well...
quote:quote:
I win long drive probably 75% of the time, and there's only been once that I've had a serious doubt that I was cheated out of winning.... based on how well I hit it & what the size/athleticism of the guy who beat me.
Really. Let me get this straight. To win 75% of the time that means you have to hit 75% of your fairways, since you can't use mulligans in a long drive competition. Which is interesting because even Bubba Watson (59.20%) and Dustin Johnson (52.24%) couldn't win 75% of the time. On top of that, each time you hit the fairway , you have to hit it well enough to beat all your fellow competitors.
Well...
Long drive is usually only one hole during a scramble. He's not saying he outdrove everyone on 14/18 holes every round... If you're a long and semi-accurate off the tee, I don't see why you couldn't win a lot of long drives at scrambles.
quote:played with a guy that was a legit 25 yards longer than everyone else in the tourney off of the tee and was a 60% fairway guy. I was his partner on one occasion that he got screwed (he hit the ball 340 into the middle of the freaking fairway and the tourney director DQ'd him for cheating). That was the third time in 3 years he complained about that happening.quote:
I win long drive probably 75% of the time, and there's only been once that I've had a serious doubt that I was cheated out of winning.... based on how well I hit it & what the size/athleticism of the guy who beat me.
Really. Let me get this straight. To win 75% of the time that means you have to hit 75% of your fairways, since you can't use mulligans in a long drive competition. Which is interesting because even Bubba Watson (59.20%) and Dustin Johnson (52.24%) couldn't win 75% of the time. On top of that, each time you hit the fairway , you have to hit it well enough to beat all your fellow competitors.
Well...
To make things better, our playing partners had a combined 3 range trips between them for golf experience. He was paired with them because the tourney director (also head of sports leagues for the company) had a genuine hate for the guy. I was just an innocent sacrificed in their "rivalry".
quote:I think this is a nearly-annual topic where I'm reminded how much cheating there is in scrambles in Texas. I don't think it's much of a problem in Colorado. I've won a bunch of scrambles here with -13 to -16.quote:
Yes. I have seen too many closest to the pin and long drive holes won by the last group to trust anyone in a scramble.
Agreed.
Scrambles are at least 50% cheating. Closest to the pin, long drive, and scores.
quote:Growing up, the Westinghouse teams (read asians) would alway put the pin 2 feet behind the hole, so they would never have more than a 2 footer to clean up any misses.quote:I think this is a nearly-annual topic where I'm reminded how much cheating there is in scrambles in Texas. I don't think it's much of a problem in Colorado. I've won a bunch of scrambles here with -13 to -16.quote:
Yes. I have seen too many closest to the pin and long drive holes won by the last group to trust anyone in a scramble.
Agreed.
Scrambles are at least 50% cheating. Closest to the pin, long drive, and scores.
I've only played in 2 charity scrambles were -16 would have placed/won. They were both for a church group raising money for water wells in Sudan and there were probably only 12 teams total in it.
Every other scramble I've played in -18 didnt even place. If you weren't -18-n where n is the number of par 5's then you weren't winning.
Every other scramble I've played in -18 didnt even place. If you weren't -18-n where n is the number of par 5's then you weren't winning.
I think it depends on the type of scramble you're playing in as well. I haven't played in too many scrambles, but from the stories I've heard, it's the O&G ones in Houston that have the ridiculous scores winning. The two I've played in (A&M Engineering career fair and Montgomery County A&M club), I don't think any cheating was done.
The career fair winning score was 59, which was actually my team. We had 2 guys around a 5 handicap, and me, about a 12 at that time.
The Montgomery county one had a winning score of 55, but each team could buy up to 20 mulligans. We shot a 60 and finished 5th or 6th. Even the long drive was only about 30 yards ahead of me and I probably put one out there about 280.
The career fair winning score was 59, which was actually my team. We had 2 guys around a 5 handicap, and me, about a 12 at that time.
The Montgomery county one had a winning score of 55, but each team could buy up to 20 mulligans. We shot a 60 and finished 5th or 6th. Even the long drive was only about 30 yards ahead of me and I probably put one out there about 280.
My driving is like my weener. Pretty long but not long enough to win any contests.
quote:That's nuts. Are you talking gross?
I've only played in 2 charity scrambles were -16 would have placed/won. They were both for a church group raising money for water wells in Sudan and there were probably only 12 teams total in it.
Every other scramble I've played in -18 didnt even place. If you weren't -18-n where n is the number of par 5's then you weren't winning.
I won a scramble at Black Horse-North in Houston with -14 last year. And it was a huge oil/gas tourney (IPAA).
quote:
Long drive is usually only one hole during a scramble. He's not saying he outdrove everyone on 14/18 holes every round... If you're a long and semi-accurate off the tee, I don't see why you couldn't win a lot of long drives at scrambles.
Huh? Of course it's only one hole.
Still, simple math says that if he plays in a bunch of scrambles and wins 75% of the long drive competitions, then he has to hit 75% of his fairways on all those "one" holes.
That is something neither Bubba or Dustin could do.
^
Lolz
Lolz
quote:Really... and there's posters on here who can vouch for me.quote:
I win long drive probably 75% of the time, and there's only been once that I've had a serious doubt that I was cheated out of winning.... based on how well I hit it & what the size/athleticism of the guy who beat me.
Really. Let me get this straight. To win 75% of the time that means you have to hit 75% of your fairways, since you can't use mulligans in a long drive competition. Which is interesting because even Bubba Watson (59.20%) and Dustin Johnson (52.24%) couldn't win 75% of the time. On top of that, each time you hit the fairway , you have to hit it well enough to beat all your fellow competitors.
Well...
Your logic is off though. I don't have to hit 75% of my fairways; I only have to hit 75% of 1 fairway per scramble... and this 1 fairway is typically one of the widest fairways on the course. To make sure my numbers were right, I put a little thought into it after you called me out. I won 5 out of 6 long drive contests last year. I can't remember every scramble from 2013, but I won at least 3 that year..... I think I played in "only" 4-5 in 2013 because my wife was pregnant.
With respect to hitting it well enough to beat competitors, I tend to not worry about that unless I know a long-drive competitor is in the field. I'm just trying to get it in the fairway with a pretty hard swing and a ball flight that is best for the current wind & ground conditions. When I was in my prime, I often hit 3w to make sure I was in the fairway. I don't have that luxury anymore, as I don't have anywhere near the strength/speed/flexibility I had when I competed in long drive. Back then, I averaged 330+ on course (sea level) over the span of 2-3 years, and I was always 370-380 in competition when I got my clubhead speed into the 140's. And yes, I'm aware my on-course average was longer than Bubba and DJ. I also had at least 30 pounds, 3-5 mph, and a large amount of strength on them with my on-course swing. Then again, they make millions playing golf for a living.
Keep in mind that Bubba and DJ average 315 when they're playing in conditions where a bad miss could cost them thousands and thousands of dollars. If Bubba or DJ was at a charity scramble where there were no consequences for missing a fairway I'm betting they'd hit it further than 315.
I've seen proud hit once. He can hit the ball really really far. His ball flight looks like a pro's.
I've seen proud hit once. He can hit the ball really really far. His ball flight looks like a pro's.
quote:Yeah. Talking gross. I think most of the one's I've played in are known for cheating though. Although it's entirely possible that they just brought ringers in that play college golf. I know this was the case one time and I don't doubt that 3 college golfers and 1 3-4 handicap could birdie every hole and eagle all the 5s.quote:That's nuts. Are you talking gross?
I've only played in 2 charity scrambles were -16 would have placed/won. They were both for a church group raising money for water wells in Sudan and there were probably only 12 teams total in it.
Every other scramble I've played in -18 didnt even place. If you weren't -18-n where n is the number of par 5's then you weren't winning.
I won a scramble at Black Horse-North in Houston with -14 last year. And it was a huge oil/gas tourney (IPAA).
But for that to happen every time? I doubt it.
it also depends on the course.
a 4-man scramble winning score is usually at least 14 under. 5-man scramble is probably at least 16 under. It approaches -18 and lower if the course is easier (e.g. - all par 5s reachable, driveable par 4s, etc). Mulligans are a factor too.
I just played a best-ball tournament at Lions here in Austin this past weekend and for 36 holes the winning team was 18 under. So that's a two-man best ball (not scramble) shooting -9 per round. A lot of that has to do with quality of the players, yes, but the par 5s out there are a joke. Hole 2 - I went D-5i. Hole 8 - D-6i. Hole 12 - D-7i, Hole 14 I screwed up my tee shot, but usually D-4ior5w. Those could all be long par 4s, and the par would be 67, not 71.
A lot of factors determine winning score but I can understand shooting -15 under and not even placing.
Averaging 340 per drive seems to be a bit of a stretch, but there i always one in every scramble that looks unattainable from the tee, at least for me.
a 4-man scramble winning score is usually at least 14 under. 5-man scramble is probably at least 16 under. It approaches -18 and lower if the course is easier (e.g. - all par 5s reachable, driveable par 4s, etc). Mulligans are a factor too.
I just played a best-ball tournament at Lions here in Austin this past weekend and for 36 holes the winning team was 18 under. So that's a two-man best ball (not scramble) shooting -9 per round. A lot of that has to do with quality of the players, yes, but the par 5s out there are a joke. Hole 2 - I went D-5i. Hole 8 - D-6i. Hole 12 - D-7i, Hole 14 I screwed up my tee shot, but usually D-4ior5w. Those could all be long par 4s, and the par would be 67, not 71.
A lot of factors determine winning score but I can understand shooting -15 under and not even placing.
Averaging 340 per drive seems to be a bit of a stretch, but there i always one in every scramble that looks unattainable from the tee, at least for me.
I use to win scrambles and long drives on an occasional basis...
After 18 you have a good idea what a winning score might be...
I say use to, abut the last 5 years, actually as my game has gotten better, it's become a joke!
The cheating is past cheating it's so blatant it's freaking just comical. Has a team turn in a 48... 48! Not sure where to even start.
You guys seeing the same thing?
After 18 you have a good idea what a winning score might be...
I say use to, abut the last 5 years, actually as my game has gotten better, it's become a joke!
The cheating is past cheating it's so blatant it's freaking just comical. Has a team turn in a 48... 48! Not sure where to even start.
You guys seeing the same thing?
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