Page type: Regional rules guide
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Regional conventions and their limits
In Australia, Ambrose is a team scramble in which players choose the preferred shot and the team continues from that spot. Golf Australia’s alternate-formats guidance gives 2-person Ambrose as a club-level option and notes that extra conditions, such as requiring each player’s drive to be selected at least three times, can be added. It does not establish one national Ambrose formula. Golf NSW’s current NSW Ambrose is a specific example: a 2-person, 9-hole nett competition for golfers with a Golf Australia handicap. Handicap treatment, minimum drives, ball-placement limits, team size, tee arrangements and tie-breaks therefore belong in the event’s Terms of Competition. WHS Appendix C lists recommended allowances for standard two-, three- and four-player scrambles (35/15%, 30/20/10% and 25/20/15/10% by handicap rank), but a committee should not automatically transplant those recommendations to every Ambrose event. The Rules of Golf provide the competition framework; Ambrose’s selection and team-scoring mechanics are supplementary event conditions.
Table
| Item | Regional reference |
|---|---|
| Format | Ambrose |
| Region | Australia |
| Local name | Ambrose; often described elsewhere as a scramble or team scramble, but Australian event names and conditions vary |
| Rules context | Rules of Golf Rule 3.1; WHS Appendix C |
Worked example
Illustrative only: if an event’s Terms of Competition set a two-person Ambrose handicap at one-quarter of the combined handicaps, Alex (10) and Ben (18) have a team handicap of (10 + 18) / 4 = 7. If their gross team score is 79, their nett score is 72. The event must confirm that formula; it is not a universal Australian Ambrose rule.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.1; WHS Appendix C
Sources: archive.golf.org.au , www.golfnsw.org.au , www.usga.org , www.randa.org , golfselect.com.au
Common questions
Is Ambrose an official Rules of Golf format?
Ambrose is a recognised competition arrangement in Australian golf, but its team-selection, drive-count and handicap conditions are set by the event. The Rules of Golf supply the general competition framework rather than one complete Ambrose formula.
What handicap allowance applies to Ambrose in Australia?
There is no single national Ambrose allowance evidenced here. The committee should state the method in the Terms of Competition. WHS Appendix C gives recommended scramble allowances for standard two-, three- and four-player scrambles, but those percentages should not be assumed to govern every Ambrose event.
How many drives must each player use in an Australian Ambrose?
The number is event-specific. Golf Australia describes a possible rule requiring each player’s drive to be selected at least three times, while other competitions may choose a different condition. Check the event sheet rather than treating three drives as a national minimum.
Is Ambrose the same as a scramble?
Ambrose uses the scramble idea of selecting a preferred shot and continuing as a team. In practice, Australian organisers may use Ambrose for several team-scramble variants, so confirm the competition’s team size, placement and handicap conditions.
Can a two-person Ambrose be nine holes in Australia?
Yes. Golf NSW’s NSW Ambrose is a specific 2-person, 9-hole nett competition. That named event is an example of local delivery, not evidence that every Australian Ambrose must be nine holes.
Does an Ambrose score automatically count as an individual handicap score?
Do not assume so. Ambrose is a team format with a shared score, and any handicap or score-submission treatment depends on the competition and applicable handicap rules. Follow the organiser’s Terms of Competition.