Page type: Regional rules guide
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Regional conventions and their limits
In the US, Texas scramble is best treated as an event-defined scramble variant, not as a single national format with one mandatory set of conditions. The USGA scramble description has every team member play from the tee, the team select a shot, and all members play the next shot from that location before selecting again; the team handicap is deducted from the gross score. USGA recommended allowances are 25%/20%/15%/10% from the lowest to highest Course Handicap for four players, 30%/20%/10% for three, and 35% low/15% high for two. Those percentages apply to the unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, and the Committee should state the allowance in the Terms of the Competition. A Texas event may add a minimum number of drives per player, but that is a competition condition rather than a universal US rule: one US tournament handout requires at least three drives per player in an 18-hole foursome. Confirm the entry sheet for team size, drive minimums, placement and putting details, rounding, and any tie-break procedure before play.
Table
| Item | Regional reference |
|---|---|
| Format | Texas scramble |
| Region | USA |
| Local name | Texas scramble; the USGA source describes the underlying format as "Scramble" rather than establishing a separate nationwide Texas-scramble rulebook. |
| Rules context | WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C; Rules of Golf 1.3a |
Worked example
Illustrative four-player example only: Alex 8, Ben 12, Chris 20 and Dana 28 Course Handicaps produce 25% x 8 = 2.0, 20% x 12 = 2.4, 15% x 20 = 3.0 and 10% x 28 = 2.8, totalling 10.2; the Committee applies its stated rounding to the team Playing Handicap (often 10, subject to the competition terms). If the team shoots 68 gross, its net score would be 58 on that stated rounding basis.
Rule reference: WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C; Rules of Golf 1.3a
Sources: www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org , cpta.org
Common questions
Is Texas scramble an official USGA format?
The USGA publishes guidance for a scramble and its recommended handicap allowances, but it does not establish one nationwide Texas-scramble rule set. Treat the Texas label and extra conditions as Terms of the Competition.
What handicap allowance is used for a four-player US Texas scramble?
The USGA recommended scramble allowance is 25% of the lowest Course Handicap, then 20%, 15% and 10% of the highest. Apply it to each unrounded Course Handicap as the final step in calculating Playing Handicap, then follow the Committee's stated rounding.
How many drives must each player use in a Texas scramble?
There is no evidenced universal US minimum in the cited governing sources. A tournament may require one; for example, the cited US handout requires at least three drives per player in an 18-hole foursome. Read the event terms rather than assuming three or four.