Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose dormie when you need to describe a match-play lead equal to holes remaining, not select a competition format or create separate handicap and payout rules. Choose Texas scramble when four-person teams want shared shot selection and one round score, provided the committee publishes tee-shot minimums, handicap allowance and other event conditions.
dormie in brief
A match-play score state, not a standalone golf format.
Texas scramble in brief
A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots.
Table
| Comparison | dormie | Texas scramble |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A match-play score state, not a standalone golf format. | A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots. |
| Players | Minimum: 2 players in one head-to-head match; ideal: 2 players or 2 sides in a match. It is not an individual-field format. | 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 | Match-play holes. Dormie describes a lead equal to the holes remaining, such as 3 up with 3 to play. | Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms. |
| Handicap method | Dormie has no separate WHS allowance because it is a match state, not a format. Apply the underlying match allowance: Appendix C recommends 100% for individual match play and 90% for four-ball, then compare Playing Handicaps with the lowest off zero. | 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 | Only where house stakes for the underlying match were agreed. Settle when the match result is decided; dormie creates no automatic per-hole, per-point or payout rule. | 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 | Same as the underlying match play (editorial tendency). Dormie adds no holes or strokes; it only describes the lead, so pace still depends on normal match-play decisions and concessions. | 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 | Explaining a late-match scoreboard or labelling a match-play position before it is officially won. | 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 | It is often mistaken for a guaranteed win. A dormie lead equals the holes left; the match is won only when the lead exceeds the holes remaining or the opponent concedes. | 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. Alex being 2 up with 2 holes left is a dormie state, not a separate game. If Ben wins both holes and an extra-hole extension is required, Alex could still lose the extended match. 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: Rules of Golf Rule 3.2a (when a match is won); R&A Official Guide, Committee Procedures Section 9C (Other Forms of Play); WHS Appendix C
Sources: www.usga.org , www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do dormie and Texas scramble score differently?
For dormie: Match-play holes. Dormie describes a lead equal to the holes remaining, such as 3 up with 3 to play. 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 dormie vs Texas scramble?
dormie: Dormie has no separate WHS allowance because it is a match state, not a format. Apply the underlying match allowance: Appendix C recommends 100% for individual match play and 90% for four-ball, then compare Playing Handicaps with the lowest off zero. 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 dormie instead of Texas scramble?
Choose dormie when you need to describe a match-play lead equal to holes remaining, not select a competition format or create separate handicap and payout rules. Choose Texas scramble when four-person teams want shared shot selection and one round score, provided the committee publishes tee-shot minimums, handicap allowance and other event conditions.