Texas Scramble.................

First competition of the Festival Weekend and it’s a Texas Scramble. For anyone who has not played this format, or golf at all, it’s a 4 man team format where everyone tees off and you pick the best shot of the 4 and everyone plays their second shot from there and this is repeated until the ball is holed on each hole.


Each player has to have at least 4 of their drives used during the round and then 1/10th of the combined handicap is subtracted from the total.

The key to the game is to putt well, but also to make sure that you manage the tee shots well and also select the right ball to choose each time.

So I was teamed with Rob Barrett and team Hallam, Mark and son Ben.

We had played last year and struggled to get Rob’s drives in, so we were keen to get them in early this year.

Ben hit a god drive down the first, but Rob got a decent one away and we picked his to take. We played the hole out, with a chance of a birdie, but all failed to sink the putt from 15ft.

I recalled the first Festival Week Texas Scramble I played in and won with d some friends, when we all missed a birdie putt from about 5 foot, then went on to Birdie every hole on the front 9, apart from the 7th, which we eagled!

A birdie on 2 and 3 and we were on schedule. A tee shot marked off for everyone, but me!

The 4th and we took Ben’s tee shot, although I’d hit a reasonable drive and we made a good par, on the 5th we were struggling for par, but Ben sank a great putt. Rob hit a scrappy shot on 6, but it's in position to let us get up and down in 3 and Rob, get's a par, all on his own. He's dead chuffed and will probably continue to talk about it for some time to come!

On 7 a great drive from Ben and then a good second, leaves us with a relatively easy Birdie, so at 3 under we are starting to make a move.

Pars on 8 and 9 and we end the front 9 on 33. Trouble is, we haven’t used any of my tee shots yet!

I hit a decent drive down 10, but Ben has hit a monster, so we take his drive, make a decent par, but we had 3 birdie putts just lip out.

On 11, I hit a reasonable tee shot onto the green, but Mark sticks it to about 8 feet and we take a birdie chance from his tee shot.

No problem, we’ve got 12 and 13 which we can use my drives.

Unfortunately I hit my drive down the left and into the light rough so we take Rob’s drive so that he has hit his 4 for the round. We manage to get birdie, thanks to yet another putt from Ben, who has struck loads of putts fearlessly! I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually had to putt!

4 drives needed and 6 holes left. Got to use my Drive down 13. Which proves tough as I duff it into the crap on the left!

We make par on 13, but our chances of any more pars are slim!

I hit a 3wood up 14 and we take my first drive of the round and manage to make par.

On 15, Ben hits a screamer and I manage to hit a half decent shot, but it is way back, but we have to take it. After the second shots we have to hit a chip from right of the green, and are left with about a 15 footer for par, but we all miss, with Rob’s attempt lipping out and Mark’s “horseshoeing “out.

So a bogey.

On 16 I hit a reasonable drive and we end up just short right after we had all hit our second. After our chips we are about 6 feet, but amazingly we all shave the hole and miss par again.

Game over! To win this event, you need to shoot sub 60 and we are now only 3 under.

On 17, Ben hits his drive just short, and I get across the water, but left with a long chip. We select mine so that we can all have a go up 18. Bit 4 bad chips and we have a longish putt for par which we all miss. So 3 bogies in row and we wearily trudge to the 18th.

We make an easy par up 18 and end up with a nett 64.

A nett 57 wins it, so we would have had to not only not Bogey the 3 holes on the back 9, but convert them into birdies!

Ben played really well as did Rob. “With 4 votes...............I was the weakest link.......Goodbye” (Yes I voted for myself!!!)