Calculating Handicaps in a 2-Person Scramble

How are team handicaps determined for a 2-Person Scramble? The governing bodies (USGA and R&A) do not provide rules for handicapping scrambles. However, the most used method for handicapping a 2-man scramble is also the one recommended by the USGA.

• First, both golfers on a team determine their course handicaps or from their 18 Birdies      handicaps.
• Then take 35-percent of Golfer A's course handicap.
• and add it to 15-percent of Golfer B's course handicap.
• 
  

Where Golfer A is the lower-handicapped player on the team and Golfer B the higher-handicapped.

Let's do an example. Say Golfer A's handicap is 8 and Golfer B's is 21. Thirty-five percent of 8 is 2.8; 15 percent of 21 is 3.15. So, add 2.8 and 3.15 to get 5.95, and this team's scramble handicap is 6 (round up or down to the nearest whole number).

How are team handicaps determined for a 2-Person Alternate Shot? The governing bodies (USGA and R&A) do not provide rules for handicapping scrambles. However, the most used method for handicapping a 2-man Alternate Shot is also the one recommended by the USGA.

• First, both golfers on a team determine their course handicaps or from their 18 Birdies      handicaps.
• Then take 60-percent of Golfer A's course handicap.
• and add it to 40-percent of Golfer B's course handicap.
• 
  

Where Golfer A is the lower-handicapped player on the team and Golfer B the higher-handicapped.

Let's do an example. Say Golfer A's handicap is 8 and Golfer B's is 21. Sixty percent of 8 is 4.8; 40 percent of 21 is 8.4. So, add 4.8 and 8.4 to get 13.2, and this team's scramble handicap is 13 (round up or down to the nearest whole number).

How are team handicaps determined for 2-Person Best Ball? 

•  Each golfer hits their own ball throughout the round but after each hole, only the best net score amongst the team members is recorded and counts as the score for the whole team for that hole.   Both gross scores for each player will be recorded on the scorecard and the lowest adjusted handicap score will be recorded as the team score.