Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose Bingo Bango Bongo when a small group wants individual points for distinct hole events rather than one shared team score. Choose Texas scramble when four players want repeated contributions to a single team total, with tee-shot minimums and other event terms agreed beforehand.
Bingo Bango Bongo in brief
A three-point-per-hole game for first on the green, closest to the pin and first holed.
Texas scramble in brief
A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots.
Table
| Comparison | Bingo Bango Bongo | Texas scramble |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A three-point-per-hole game for first on the green, closest to the pin and first holed. | A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots. |
| Players | Minimum: 2 players in an individual group; ideal: 2 to 4. Everyone plays their own ball, and the points are awarded to individuals rather than head-to-head sides. | Minimum: 4 for the standard Texas scramble; ideal: a four-player team, with multiple teams in the field. It is a team stroke-play arrangement rather than an individual or inherently head-to-head format. |
| Scoring unit | Points per hole: one Bingo for first on the green, one Bango for closest to the pin after all balls are on the green, and one Bongo for first to hole out. Three points are available per hole; the group should agree how ties, a missed green and any unclaimed point are handled before starting. | Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms. |
| Handicap method | There is no WHS allowance specifically prescribed for this informal points game. A Colorado Golf Association article says handicapping is not necessary; it also notes that longer hitters can have an advantage in the first-on-the-green contest. If Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana want a net-score variant, the Committee or group must write its own terms rather than automatically transplanting a stroke-play or match-play percentage. WHS Appendix C says allowances are applied to unrounded Course Handicap, but its listed formats do not include Bingo Bango Bongo. | For a four-player scramble, WHS Appendix C recommends 25% of the lowest Course Handicap, 20% of the second, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest, applied to unrounded Course Handicaps as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap. Texas-specific terms may set a different allowance, and the committee should publish it; do not substitute Handicap Indexes directly. |
| Money settles how | The format has no inherent stake. If the group agrees on $1 per point, total each player's points across the round and settle the difference at the end; alternatively, settle each hole's points as they are recorded. State the dollar value, tie treatment and whether a three-point sweep is doubled before teeing off. | There is no built-in stake. If players agree to money, settle it at the end of the round from the final team result or from a separately stated side game; record the amount and tie-break terms before play. |
| Pace | Usually slower than ordinary stroke play for a small group when the group strictly preserves playing order, because players must wait for the ball farthest from the hole and track who is first to the green, closest after all balls are on, and first to hole out. A two-player group can be easier to manage; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured fact. | Usually slower than ordinary individual stroke play for the same number of golfers because every team member hits each shot and the team must select and mark the chosen ball, although the shared continuation ball can reduce walking and searching. |
| Best for | A casual two-to-four-player round where different skills can win separate points and every hole stays live. It suits friends who want a simple side game without making gross score the only route to a result, provided they agree the local rules and any stake first. | Club charity days, social team competitions and groups wanting repeated chances to contribute a drive, approach or putt while still producing one team score. |
| Weakness | The first-on-the-green point can favour longer hitters, and strict farthest-first order can slow the group or create disputes if players putt out of turn. Because this is a house game rather than a WHS format, an unagreed handicap or tie rule can change the result after play has started. | The name does not fix the operational rules: drive minimums, tee and ball-placement limits, handicap allowance, and tie-break method vary by Terms of the Competition, so an unclear brief can create disputes. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. If Alex is first onto the green and first to hole out, while Ben is closest after all reach the green, the selected Bingo Bango Bongo rule gives Alex 2 points and Ben 1. Stakes are a separate house agreement. In this explicitly selected Texas scramble 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.
Rule reference: R&A Official Guide, Committee Procedures Section 9C (Other Forms of Play); WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C
Sources: www.massgolf.org , www.coloradogolf.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do Bingo Bango Bongo and Texas scramble score differently?
For Bingo Bango Bongo: Points per hole: one Bingo for first on the green, one Bango for closest to the pin after all balls are on the green, and one Bongo for first to hole out. Three points are available per hole; the group should agree how ties, a missed green and any unclaimed point are handled before starting. For Texas scramble: Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms.
How do handicaps apply in Bingo Bango Bongo vs Texas scramble?
Bingo Bango Bongo: There is no WHS allowance specifically prescribed for this informal points game. A Colorado Golf Association article says handicapping is not necessary; it also notes that longer hitters can have an advantage in the first-on-the-green contest. If Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana want a net-score variant, the Committee or group must write its own terms rather than automatically transplanting a stroke-play or match-play percentage. WHS Appendix C says allowances are applied to unrounded Course Handicap, but its listed formats do not include Bingo Bango Bongo. Texas scramble: For a four-player scramble, WHS Appendix C recommends 25% of the lowest Course Handicap, 20% of the second, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest, applied to unrounded Course Handicaps as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap. Texas-specific terms may set a different allowance, and the committee should publish it; do not substitute Handicap Indexes directly.
When should I choose Bingo Bango Bongo instead of Texas scramble?
Choose Bingo Bango Bongo when a small group wants individual points for distinct hole events rather than one shared team score. Choose Texas scramble when four players want repeated contributions to a single team total, with tee-shot minimums and other event terms agreed beforehand.