Game of the Week: Six Point Scotch

Ideal number of players: 4

When you step on the first tee and hear another player ask, “Are we playing a game?” they are most likely referring to Scotch. The most played game among foursomes, Scotch can be played in a variety of forms, but the most common is Six Point Scotch.

Foursomes are split into teams of two for the entire 18 holes, and it’s typically best to pair teams evenly. For example, let’s say the group is made of Player 1 (0 handicap), Player 2 (4 handicap), Player 3 (5 handicap), and Player 4 (10 handicap). Players 1 and 4 should play together and Players 2 and 3 should play together to make the spread a one-shot difference between teams.

The game is rather simple, but the scoring system can get complicated. You will need to set the dollar amount for what each point will be worth that round. A friendly game is 50 cents a point and a more aggressive game would be $5 a point. For math’s sake, we will say each point is $1 when explaining below.

The team leading the match will tee off first on each hole. This plays an important role in the press explanation later on. Players will receive their shots based on handicap. You will play your ball the entire round and hole out to receive points based on the following: two points for low ball, two points for combined total, one point for closest to the pin, and one point for a birdie.

Here is where it gets a bit complicated. What people refer to as an umbrella, or umby, is if a team earns all six points, it then doubles to 12 points. The only way to count for the birdie point is by making a natural birdie. A four-for-three can count towards the best ball and combined total points, but not for the birdie point. So, the most points you can receive without making a natural birdie is five. Here is an example of a hole that does not have an umbrella and where points are worth $1 (remember, Team One is Players 1 and 4 and Team Two is Players 2 and 3).

The group is on the par-4 sixth hole, the third handicap hole on the golf course. This means that Players 2-4 are all getting a shot. Player 1 knocks it closest to the pin and makes a par four, Players 2 and 3 make five-for-four pars, and Player 4 makes a four-for-three birdie. Team One combines for a total of seven and Team Two combines for a total of eight. Based on this, Team One gets the two best ball points, the two combined total points, and the one point for closest to the pin for a total of $5 on that hole.

The almighty umbrella would be that same scenario, but Player 1 knocks it close and makes the birdie putt to get the additional birdie point to bring them to all six points, which then automatically doubles to 12 for $12.

Many people implement presses to give a team that is trailing the opportunity to catch up. A press simply means that you are telling the other team that you want the stakes to double. In our case, the bet would go from $1 to $2. There are a few ground rules behind presses.

1. You can only press if you are behind.

2. There is a tee press and a game press. Team 1 is leading and tees off first and hits two bad drives. Team 2 feels that the two bad drives they just saw give them the advantage, and they press the hole before they tee off. This doubles the bet for that hole, so any points received would be multiplied by two. That tee press then comes off once the hole is finished and you are back to $1. Typically, there are unlimited tee presses throughout the day. A game press means that you want to double the bet for the rest of those nine holes. So, if on No. 4 you put on a game press, that means that Nos. 4-9 are now worth $2. That also means that any tee press on those holes brings the game from $2 to $4, making things a tad spicy. Usually, groups will set the limit on game presses to one per side to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

Scotch is the perfect game to bring to your golf course to get the juices flowing. There is nothing like standing over a 12-footer for all the marbles with a game press and tee press on—that’s 12 for 24 for 48 points when you bury it and the sound of silence from the other team.