Registration Fees

Local Qualifying Entry Fee: $89 Enjoy tee gifts provided to entrants.

National Championship
Entry Fee: $389
Includes course costs, tee gifts, purse, lunch both days and our Awards party.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the Great American Scramble?

The Great American Scramble is a national golf tournament played in two stages:

The first stage is a local championship played by four amateurs following the Great American Scramble handicap guidelines and rules at golf clubs all around the country. Dependent on the number of teams entered in the local championship, the top finishing teams will advance to the National Championship.

The second stage is the National Championship which will be held in Las Vegas, NV November 13 & 14, 2008. Each qualifying team of four amateurs will need a PGA professional or registered PGA apprentice to join their team in the National Championship. This stage is played as five-person teams. Each team’s handicap will be the same from the Local Championship to the National Finals.

How do I find a local qualifier?

Ask your local PGA professional at your home course to host a local qualifier, or ask a friend’s PGA professional to host a qualifier at their home course. If you can’t succeed at either, contact the Great American Scramble at (407) 654-9347 and we will locate the nearest event to you.

What are the guidelines for forming a team?

All amateur golfers with a current USGA Handicap index two update periods prior to the local club championship date are eligible to compete in the Great American Scramble provided that by the update 10 DAYS PRIOR to the local club championship date they have a MINIMUM of 10 posted scores within the last 12 months of the actual local club championship date.

Each local team will be comprised of 4 amateurs using the following guidelines:

• Each team may have only one player whose handicap index is 4.0 or less
• Each team must have four players with combined handicap indexes of at least 30.0 to be an eligible team for the Great American Scramble.
  • 30.0-35.9 - 0 team handicap
  • 36.0-41.9 - 1 team handicap
  • 42.0-47.9 - 2 team handicap
  • 48.0-53.9 - 3 team handicap
  • 54.0 and above - 4 team handicap

EACH PARTICIPANT NOT A MEMBER OF THE HOST CLUB MUST PROVIDE THE HOST PGA PROFESSIONAL WITH A COPY OF HIS USGA HANDICAP INDEX CARD AND/OR COMPUTER PRINTOUT THAT LISTS HANDICAP INDEX, HANDICAP NUMBER, AND SCORE RECORD IN EFFECT 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE LOCAL CLUB TOURNAMENT DATE BEFORE THEY CAN COMPETE. BE PREPARED TO ADDITIONALLY PROVIDE A PICTURE ID IN CASE THE LOCAL PROFESSIONAL IN CHARGE OF THE EVENT DEEMS IT NECESSARY.

Does an amateur need a USGA Index to enter?

Every amateur must have an established USGA index two update periods prior the local championship to compete. By the handicap revision in effect 10 days prior to the local championship date, each player must have a minimum of 10 scores posted.

How do I establish a USGA Index?

See your local PGA professional for details, or contact your state golf association for details. You can also visit the Golf Channel’s website and sign up for game tracker pro to establish a USGA handicap index. Go to the Golf Channel's website and under search in the top right of the screen type in USGA Handicap Index.

What is the format of the local qualifier?

The format is a four person scramble. Each person on each team needs to contribute a minimum of 3 tee shots during the round, with one of the three being a “solo” tee shot where no other member of the team hits a tee shot. THESE SOLO TEE SHOTS MUST BE DECIDED BEFORE PLAY BEGINS, NOTED ON THE SCORECARD AND COMMUNICATED TO THE OTHER TEAM CAPTAIN, or in the case of an invitational local championship, COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMITTEE BEFORE PLAY. Each team will also have a team handicap based on the total indexes of all four team members. Most sites will have a net qualifier and a gross qualifier. “Open” qualifiers will play with another team and play in 8-balls.

What is the format of the National Championship?

The National Championship is also a scramble, but each team will also have a PGA professional. Each team member (including the professional) needs to contribute a minimum of 3 tee shots during the round, with one of the 3 being a “solo” tee shot where no other member of the team hits his tee shot. THESE SOLO TEE SHOTS MUST BE DECIDED BEFORE PLAY BEGINS, NOTED ON THE SCORECARD AND COMMUNICATED TO THE OTHER TEAM CAPTAIN.

Is there a minimum number of teams a club must have to host a local qualifier?

Each golf facility needs to have a minimum of 8 registered teams to be eligible to compete.

What are the entry fees for each level?

The Local Championship entry fee is $ 89.00 per amateur payable on-line only. The National Championship entry fee is $ 389.00 per amateur payable on-line only. Register.

What does the entry fee cover?

The local entry fee covers tee gifts from the Great American Scramble and entry into the competition. Amateurs may compete in more than one local qualifier (the local entry fee must be paid each time). Course costs must still be paid to the golf course before competing. The National Championship entry fee covers special event prizes, purse, tee gifts, course costs, lunch both tournament days, and the awards party hors d’ oeuvres, beer and wine.

What happens if a local qualifier is cancelled (ie. weather)?

Should all teams not be able to complete the local championship due to weather or darkness, the event will be scored as follows: If all teams have completed at least 16 holes; the event will be scored in relation to par. The number of holes completed by the “slowest” group of a multiple tee (shotgun or double tee) start or the last tee time group(s) in a single tee time start is the reference for the number of holes used in the scoring. In shotgun or double tee starting events the holes used for scoring are the FIRST 16 or 17 holes completed in each team’s round. In a single tee start the last group will determine if Holes #1-16 or holes # 1-17 will be used.

If EVERY team in the field does not finish at least 16 holes, the round will be cancelled for all teams and the local club championship will be re-scheduled accordingly.

Example: In a shotgun start weather moves in after some teams have finished only 16 holes while others have finished 17, and still other have finished their round. The round cannot be completed on the same day.

Step One: Find out how many holes the entire field has finished, in this example the answer is 16 holes. For ALL teams the tournament is now based on the FIRST 16 holes each team has completed. For those teams who have finished 17 holes, their last hole is cancelled, and for those teams who have completed 18 holes, their last two holes are cancelled.

Step Two: In shotgun starts and double tee starts, the entire field has not played the same 16 holes used for scoring, so the scoring is done relative to par instead of an aggregate number.

In one tee starts in the above example, the aggregate score of the first 16 holes is used for the tournament instead of the relative to par scoring. In one tee starts in the above example, those teams finishing # 17 (or # 8 for ten tee only starts) will have that hole cancelled, and those teams finishing their round will have the # 17 and # 18 hole’s score cancelled.

Is an amateur allowed to compete in more than one local qualifier?

Yes, provided they are eligible and pay the local entry fee each time.

What happens if a team needs a substitute?

Substitutes for players in a re-scheduled local club championship or the national championship are permitted under the following guidelines:

Substitute’s handicap indexes must be equal to or greater than the original player’s index used for the local club championship.

Substitutes must provide the tournament committee a copy of their handicap card or their handicap printout and a picture ID before they can compete. Substitutes are subject to the same handicap guidelines as all other players.

Professional substitutes must meet the same requirements as all other professionals to compete.

Does an amateur’s handicap change for the National Championship?

No, handicap indexes will remain the same from the local championship to the National Championship.

How will prizes be awarded?

Prizes will be awarded at the awards party on Friday, November 14, 2008. The purse will be payable in the host casino chips (not promotional chips). Skins and pari-mutuel will also be payable in the host casino chips. Chips have cash value.

What are the rules and regulations of the Great American Scramble?

Download the rules now. Each professional should have printed out a copy of the Rules and Regulations prior to play.

How many teams can advance to the National Championship?

• 8-11 teams in local: 1 team to the National Finals, Pro must decide net or gross
• 12-17 teams in local: 2 teams to the National Finals, 1 Net and 1 Gross team
• 18-23 teams in local: 3 teams to the National Finals, 1 Net and 2 Gross or 2 Net and 1 Gross team, Local Pro makes decision
• 24+ teams in local: 4 teams to the National Finals, 2 Net and 2 Gross teams

When can my club host an event?

While the PGA professional hosting a local qualifier can register at any time, the club can host an event from April 1st- August 31st, 2008.

When/How can I register my team?

Once the PGA professional has registered your home course to host a local qualifier, he will be given a tournament code from the website. He will then communicate this tournament code either verbally or via the promotional flier posted around the club listing your club’s tournament code.

Once you have this code, you may enter your team on-line.

When you go to the website, click on the “Register” button and follow the directions. The website will ask you for your tournament code once you enter the registration section. Each amateur can enter themselves, or they can enter anyone else on their team if they have all the necessary information and payment capability.

Will I lose my amateur status by playing in the Great American Scramble ?

For those players who wish to maintain the integrity of their amateur status, the Great American Scramble will provide prizes that do not exceed the limits imposed by the USGA Guidelines. Since there have been numerous changes in the rules of amateur status in effect January 1, 2008, each player wishing to safeguard his status should read these rules in the 2008 version of the USGA Rules of Golf and Amateur Status. A player must notify the Great American Scramble staff of his intentions of maintaining his amateur status and his prize will be adjusted accordingly. Generally, $750 in golf related merchandise is the limit.