Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose Ambrose when the group wants a collaborative team scramble, selecting the best shot and ranking a team’s gross or net strokes under published event Terms. Choose Snake when players want an informal putting side bet in which successive three-putts transfer the pot and the final holder pays.
Ambrose in brief
A team scramble where partners choose the best shot and continue from it.
Snake in brief
A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot.
Table
| Comparison | Ambrose | Snake |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A team scramble where partners choose the best shot and continue from it. | A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot. |
| Players | Minimum 2 players; ideal 4 players per team in a conventional event. This is a team-versus-field stroke-play arrangement, not a head-to-head match by definition; event Terms may set another team size. | Minimum 2 players; ideal 3-4 players in an individual field. It can run alongside a head-to-head match, but Snake itself is not a match-play competition. |
| Scoring unit | Strokes: the team records one gross score for each hole and ranks total gross or net strokes over the round, according to the event Terms. | Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser. |
| Handicap method | Ambrose has no single universal handicap convention. For a four-player scramble, WHS Appendix C recommends 25% of the lowest Course Handicap plus 20% of the next, 15% of the next and 10% of the highest; for three players it recommends 30%/20%/10%, and for two players 35%/15%. Apply the allowance to unrounded Course Handicaps as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, and have the Committee state the allowance and rounding in the Terms. These scramble recommendations are guidance for organised competitions, not proof that every Ambrose event uses them. | No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage. |
| Money settles how | No money settlement is inherent. If players agree stakes, settle after the round from the agreed gross or net team ranking, or use a separately stated side game; record the amount, tie-break and payment rule before tee-off. | Agree a fixed dollar amount per three-putt before play. Add that amount to the pot each time, then have the final snake holder pay the pot to the other players; agree in advance whether the amount doubles, how unfinished rounds are handled and how any tie is resolved. |
| Pace | Usually slower than ordinary individual stroke play when comparing the same number of players, because each team plays multiple shots from each position and then discusses which ball to select. Actual pace depends on team size, course traffic and the event's selection rules; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured fact. | Usually the same as ordinary stroke play when everyone holes out in turn, but it can be slower if players debate whether a putt counts or add a separate token-and-settlement routine. |
| Best for | Club days, charity events and social team competitions where players want shared decisions and a forgiving team result. Four-person teams are a practical choice when the organiser wants broad participation, but the event should publish its drive minimums, shot-selection procedure, handicaps, ties and any local conditions. | Three or four players who want a simple putting-focused side bet alongside their normal round or another agreed game, with clear stakes and no gimmes unless the group agrees otherwise. |
| Weakness | The name does not settle the important local details: team size, minimum drives, whether every player must contribute a selected shot, handicap formula, limits on repeated selections and tie-breaks can vary. Without written Terms, teams can apply different versions of Ambrose and dispute both fairness and pace. | The final loss can depend on one late three-putt rather than overall scoring, and informal conventions differ on putts from the fringe, conceded putts, doubling and the payout. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. In this explicitly selected Ambrose event, Alex's side selects a shot at each stage and records 4; Ben's side records 5. The team sizes, selected-shot procedures and gross or net contest are event terms. Under a chosen last-three-putt Snake rule, Alex holds the Snake at the end and pays $2 to each of Ben, Chris and Dana: net −$6 for Alex and +$2 for each other player. Agree the trigger before play.
Rule reference: WHS Appendix C (recommended scramble allowances and unrounded Course Handicap basis); Rules of Golf Rule 3 (team-side and stroke-play framework; neither Ambrose nor Snake is a named standalone format)
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.golfdigest.com
Common questions
How do Ambrose and Snake score differently?
For Ambrose: Strokes: the team records one gross score for each hole and ranks total gross or net strokes over the round, according to the event Terms. For Snake: Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser.
How do handicaps apply in Ambrose vs Snake?
Ambrose: Ambrose has no single universal handicap convention. For a four-player scramble, WHS Appendix C recommends 25% of the lowest Course Handicap plus 20% of the next, 15% of the next and 10% of the highest; for three players it recommends 30%/20%/10%, and for two players 35%/15%. Apply the allowance to unrounded Course Handicaps as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, and have the Committee state the allowance and rounding in the Terms. These scramble recommendations are guidance for organised competitions, not proof that every Ambrose event uses them. Snake: No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage.
When should I choose Ambrose instead of Snake?
Choose Ambrose when the group wants a collaborative team scramble, selecting the best shot and ranking a team’s gross or net strokes under published event Terms. Choose Snake when players want an informal putting side bet in which successive three-putts transfer the pot and the final holder pays.