Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose Snake when three or four golfers want an informal putting side bet whose stake and three-putt conventions are agreed before play. Choose Texas scramble when a four-player team event should produce one shared gross or net score with published tee-shot, placement and handicap terms.
Snake in brief
A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot.
Texas scramble in brief
A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots.
Table
| Comparison | Snake | Texas scramble |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot. | A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots. |
| Players | 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. | 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 | 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. | Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms. |
| Handicap method | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 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. | 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. 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. 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; R&A Rules of Golf Rule 3
Sources: www.golfdigest.com , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
How do Snake and Texas scramble score differently?
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. 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 Snake vs Texas scramble?
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. 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 Snake instead of Texas scramble?
Choose Snake when three or four golfers want an informal putting side bet whose stake and three-putt conventions are agreed before play. Choose Texas scramble when a four-player team event should produce one shared gross or net score with published tee-shot, placement and handicap terms.