Okay, so the other day, me and a couple of buddies decided to try something different out on the course. We’d heard about this format, a shamble, and thought, why not? Sounded less pressure than everyone playing their own ball the whole way, especially with Dave hitting slices into the next county lately.
Getting Started
We got to the course, usual routine. Grabbed the carts, loaded the bags. Weather was decent, bit cloudy but warm enough. The starter guy gave us the quick rundown. He said, basically, everyone tees off on each hole. Then, the team picks the best drive out of the bunch. Big decision time, right? Whose drive gives us the best shot for the next one? After picking the spot, everyone plays their own ball from there until they hole out. Seemed simple enough.
Hitting the Fairways (Sort Of)
First tee, everyone swings away. Predictably, Mike bombs one down the middle. Mine was okay, bit left. Dave… well, Dave was Dave, found the trees. So, obviously, we picked Mike’s ball. We all dropped our balls near his spot in the fairway and took our second shots. It felt a bit weird at first, not playing my own drive, but hey, being 280 yards out in the middle after my usual push-fade? I wasn’t complaining much.
This pattern continued. Tee off, pick the best drive, play your own ball in. It definitely sped things up, especially on the Par 5s. Instead of searching for three or four balls in the rough, we were usually playing from a decent position thanks to someone hitting a good drive.
- Everyone gets to hit a drive, which is fun.
- You benefit from the team’s best tee shot.
- You still play most of the hole yourself.
The Middle Stretch
Around the 6th hole, things got interesting. It was a tricky Par 4 with water down the right. Everyone got a bit nervous on the tee. I hit a low hook, Dave managed a sky ball that barely cleared the forward tees, and Mike, our usual hero, topped his into the rough about 100 yards out. Just as we were about to resign ourselves to playing Mike’s topped shot, Steve, quiet Steve, pipes one perfect, slight draw, right down the middle. We all just looked at each other. Steve saved us! We ended up using his drive, and it felt like a real team effort for a change, not just relying on Mike.
Honestly, playing from the best drive spot took some pressure off the tee shot, but then the pressure was kinda back on for the second shot. You’re in a good position, you feel like you should hit a good shot. Sometimes that worked out, sometimes… not so much. I definitely chunked a few approach shots from perfect fairway lies. Felt pretty stupid doing that.
Wrapping It Up
We finished the round faster than usual. Tallying up wasn’t too complex since we just used our individual scores from the second shot onwards (after picking the best drive, that hole’s score was your individual score from that point). It was less stressful than a straight-up game, but maybe not as… pure? You didn’t totally own your score from start to finish because the drive wasn’t always yours.
Overall? Yeah, it was a good change of pace. Good for a casual round when you don’t want to grind over every single shot from tee to green. Lets everyone feel like they contributed, especially off the tee. Not sure I’d want to do it every single time I play, I still like the challenge of playing my own ball all the way, warts and all. But for a fun day out with mixed-skill buddies? Thumbs up. We actually didn’t lose as many balls as usual, which is always a bonus for the wallet.
