Scruffy

Type Side Bet
Alias Scruffies
Format Game
Number of players 2, 3, 4+
Team or Individual play Individual
  • In this game, a player who hits a bad tee shot (e.g., tee shot misses the fairway or lands in the sand trap) can call a “scruffy” right after the drive. Calling a scruffy allows the player to bet the other players that they can make par for that hole. If the player makes par for that hole, they are given an amount which was determined before the start of the round, for example $1, by every other player. In case the player is not able to make par, they have to pay $1 to every other player.

    Variations:

    • While the bet in scruffy is usually automatic, i.e., once scruffy is called, the bet is on, in some games, players have the option of accepting or declining the bet. They can even double the bet if they think that the player who called the scruffy cannot make par.
    • In some variations, the bet is doubled when a scruffy caller birdies rather than just parring the hole.