Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose stroke play when an individual field should rank players by each person's total gross or net strokes over the round, without shared shot selection. Choose Texas scramble when a four-person team event should select one shot at each stage and publish tee-shot minimums, handicap and placement conditions.
stroke play in brief
Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes.
Texas scramble in brief
A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots.
Table
| Comparison | stroke play | Texas scramble |
|---|---|---|
| One line | Players compete against the field on total gross or net strokes. | A four-person scramble where each player contributes a set number of tee shots. |
| Players | Minimum 2 competitors; ideal for an individual field of 4 or more; two players can compare totals, but it is not head-to-head match play. | 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 | Strokes: add each player's hole scores, including penalty strokes, for the round or rounds; use gross scores without handicap strokes or net scores after handicap strokes. | Team strokes per hole and total strokes for the round, normally ranked as gross or net scores under the competition terms. |
| Handicap method | For an individual stroke-play net competition, the WHS recommended allowance is 95%. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then use that Playing Handicap for the competition. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, and field size or composition can justify an adjustment. | 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 | Stroke play has no built-in money settlement. If a group agrees stakes, settle at the end of the round or event from the final agreed gross or net ranking; write the pot, ties and payment rules before play. | 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 stroke-play baseline: every player completes the round and records a total, so there is no inherent hole-by-hole concession to shorten play. Actual pace depends on field size, grouping and course conditions, not the format label alone. | 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 | An individual competition that should reward the lowest total over the whole round, with gross or handicap-adjusted net results that can rank the whole field. | 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 | One poor hole remains in the total unless the Terms of the Competition use a different authorised form such as maximum score; a large field can also make the round feel less direct than match play. | 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. Across three illustrative holes, Alex records 4, 5 and 3 for 12; Ben records 5, 4 and 4 for 13. Alex has the lower aggregate by 1 stroke. 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 3.1a(1) and Rule 3.3a; R&A Official Guide, Committee Procedures Section 9C; WHS Appendix C
Sources: www.randa.org , www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do stroke play and Texas scramble score differently?
For stroke play: Strokes: add each player's hole scores, including penalty strokes, for the round or rounds; use gross scores without handicap strokes or net scores after handicap strokes. 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 stroke play vs Texas scramble?
stroke play: For an individual stroke-play net competition, the WHS recommended allowance is 95%. Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then use that Playing Handicap for the competition. The Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition, and field size or composition can justify an adjustment. 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 stroke play instead of Texas scramble?
Choose stroke play when an individual field should rank players by each person's total gross or net strokes over the round, without shared shot selection. Choose Texas scramble when a four-person team event should select one shot at each stage and publish tee-shot minimums, handicap and placement conditions.