Alright, so today I wanna talk about this thing called “shamble golf format”. Now, I’m no pro, but I do love hitting the green with my buddies, and this format has really spiced things up for us recently.
So, a few weeks ago, my usual golf crew and I were getting a bit bored with the same old routine. You know, the usual stroke play, best ball, etc. We wanted something different, something that could be fun but still keep the competition going. Then, my buddy Tom, who’s always up-to-date on these things, mentioned the “shamble” format. We were all like, “Shamble? What’s that?”
Tom explained it to us, and honestly, it sounded pretty cool. Basically, in a shamble, everyone tees off like normal. But then, here’s the twist: we pick the best drive out of the group, and everyone plays their own ball from that spot until they hole out. Each player keeps their own score, just like in regular stroke play.
We decided to give it a shot the next weekend at our local course, Wolf Creek Golf Club. I gotta say, I was kinda excited. First off, we all went to the driving range to warm up. I grabbed my driver and started practicing, focusing on getting a good, solid hit. I also did some putting practice to get a feel for the greens.
When we got to the first tee, we were all pumped. We decided to play in two teams of two. Tom and I were one team, and the other two guys, Mark and Dave, were the other. We all teed off, and wouldn’t you know it, Mark, who’s been having a bit of a slump lately, absolutely crushed his drive. It was easily the best of the bunch.
- First Hole Excitement: We all played from Mark’s drive location. It was a great feeling, starting the hole from such a good position. I managed to par the hole, which felt pretty good considering it was a tough par 4.
- Team Strategy: Tom and I started talking strategy between shots. Since we were using the best drive, we could really go for it on our second shots. It was a different dynamic than what we were used to, but it was fun!
- Mid-Game Adjustments: Around the middle of the round, we started to get a better feel for the format. I noticed that on holes where the best drive was in the rough, it was actually more challenging. It made us think more about course management and shot selection.
- Putting Practice Pays Off: My putting practice really paid off. I sunk a few long putts that I normally wouldn’t have, which was a great feeling. I guess I must pay attention to those “don’t use too much or too little power when putting” tips! Also, I kept reminding myself to not take too long to shoot.
- Close Finish: The round ended up being really close. We were neck and neck with Mark and Dave all the way to the 18th hole. In the end, they edged us out by a stroke, but it was a blast.
The Aftermath
After the round, we all agreed that the shamble format was a winner. It was competitive, it was fun, and it was different. It also gave some of the higher-handicap players a chance to contribute more, which was great. Plus, it sped up the pace of play since we weren’t searching for lost balls in the woods after every tee shot.
We’ve played a few more rounds using the shamble format since then, and it’s quickly become our favorite way to play. We even started experimenting with different variations, like using the worst drive instead of the best one, just to make things even more interesting! If you’re looking for a way to shake up your golf routine, I highly recommend giving the shamble format a try. It’s a great way to have some fun, enjoy some friendly competition, and maybe even improve your game.
