It seems that there are no "Official" rules of play for an Ambrose Event, also called a "Scramble". Mostly, the event is played thus. The event is played with a set number of players in a team, which is stipulated for each event, usually two, three or four. Each player's name and handicap is written on the card. The individual player's handicaps are added together and the team handicap is a fraction of the total, depending on the number of players in the team. The divisor is double the number of players, i.e. a two person team's total is divided by four, a three person's by six and a four person's by eight. This will mean that many team handicaps are a whole number and a fraction. For example a three player team with individual handicaps totalling 47, the team handicap is 47 divided by 6, which gives a team handicap of 7 and 5 sixths.
It is best for each team to appoint a captain, to make decisions.
For scoring purposes, the game is played as a stroke event. Each player hits a tee shot and then each team chooses whose team ball is in the best position for the next shot. That ball position is then marked and the other team members place their ball within a club length, but no closer to the green, of the chosen ball, no matter where the chosen ball lies. The chosen ball is hit from where it lies.
If the chosen ball is in a bunker, the team balls must be placed within the bunker. If the chosen ball is in a water hazard, the team balls are dropped using the normal rules including the penalty. If the chosen ball lies in the rough, the team balls are placed within a club length of the chosen ball. This may allow the team balls to be placed on the fairway if they are still only a club length away. Conversely, if the chosen ball is on the fairway, the team balls may be placed in the rough, one club length away, if that is their choice.
Play continues this way until the chosen ball lies on the green, and the team balls are then placed within a card length, (15 cm or 6 inches) from the chosen ball. This continues until the ball is in the hole. Once the ball is in the cup, the hole is completed and other team players are not required to putt. To speed up play, some organisers allow a player to finish a short putt, and if another team player holes it in a lesser amount, the lesser score may be taken. This should be decided and agreed to, before the start of the game!
Each team player must have their tee shot chosen a minimum number of times. A two player team must have their tee shots chosen at least six times each, a three player team chosen at least four times each and a four player team chosen at least three times each.
The winning team is the one with the lowest score, which may be a whole number and a fraction. If scores are equal, a count-back is decided in the normal way.
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