There is a specific kind of frustration that only exists on a golf course. It’s not the frustration of a thinned 7-iron or a lip-out birdie putt; it’s the slow-motion car crash of a group outing that has lost its momentum. You’ve seen it: the sun is setting, the beverage cart has disappeared, and the group on the 14th green is staring at their scorecards with a mixture of confusion and resentment.

Ninety percent of the time, the golf wasn't the problem—the format was.

Choosing how your group competes is just as important as choosing the course itself. Yet, most organizers fall into predictable traps. In this guide, we will break down the common mistakes golfers make when picking a team play format and how you can ensure your next Saturday morning is remembered for the trophies, not the headaches.

Overestimating the Group’s Skill Level

The most frequent error in golf planning is "Ryder Cup Syndrome." We watch the pros play high-stakes Alternate Shot (Foursomes) and think, "That looks like a fun, strategic challenge."

On TV, it is. In a group of 15-handicappers, it is a disaster.

When you pick a format like Alternate Shot or Worst Ball, you are effectively doubling the difficulty of a game that is already hard. For a casual golfer, there is nothing more anxiety-inducing than knowing that if they shank a drive, their partner has to play from the woods. This leads to "defensive golf," where everyone is playing scared rather than swinging free.

The Fix: Be honest about the "floor" of your group’s talent. If you have players who struggle to break 100, you need a format that provides a safety net. A Shamble (where everyone drives, you pick the best drive, and everyone plays their own ball in from there) is a much better way to introduce strategy without punishing a player for every single mistake.

Ignoring the "Pace of Play" Factor

We have all been stuck behind a "Best Ball" tournament that feels like it’s taking place in real-time over three days.

The mistake here is selecting a format where every single player must hole out on every single hole. In a Best Ball (Four-Ball) scenario, if you have four players per group and they are all playing their own ball from tee to green, you are essentially managing four separate rounds of golf simultaneously. If the rough is thick or the greens are fast, the pace of play will inevitably grind to a halt.

For larger groups or corporate outings, pace of play is the #1 metric for success. If the round takes five and a half hours, it doesn't matter how nice the trophies are—people will leave with a bad taste in their mouths.

The Fix: If you have more than two groups, consider formats with a "hard stop." A Stableford system is excellent because once a player can no longer score a point (usually once they hit a net double bogey), they can simply pick up their ball and move to the next hole. This keeps the group moving and prevents the dreaded "eight-on-a-par-four" bottleneck.

Failing to Account for Handicap Disparities

Golf is one of the few sports where a beginner can theoretically beat a pro, thanks to the handicap system. However, many organizers make the mistake of playing "Gross" (actual strokes) rather than "Net" (strokes adjusted for skill).

When you ignore handicaps in a team format, you effectively tell 75% of the field they have no chance of winning before they even tee off. This kills the competitive spirit. Conversely, some organizers use the wrong percentage of a handicap. For example, in many team formats, the USGA recommends using only 85% or 90% of a player's handicap to prevent high-handicappers from having an unfair advantage on "blow-up" holes.

Use a verified app or the Peoria System if players don't have official handicaps. The Peoria System calculates a "secret" handicap based on a few random holes on the course, ensuring that even the "weekend warriors" feel like they are in the hunt.

The Great Identity Crisis: Best Ball vs Scramble

Perhaps the most "common mistake" is a simple lack of vocabulary. It is incredibly common to hear a group leader say, "We’re playing Best Ball today!" only for half the group to start playing a Scramble.

This confusion can lead to massive scoring discrepancies and arguments at the 19th hole. To clear the air: in a Scramble, everyone hits a shot, you pick the best one, and everyone hits again from that exact spot. In Best Ball, everyone plays their own individual ball from start to finish, and you simply record the lowest score among the teammates.

Understanding the nuance of Best ball vs Scramble is vital because they offer completely different psychological experiences. A Scramble is a team effort where the "team" is the entity; Best Ball is an individual effort where the "best score" represents the team. If your group wants to socialise and drink a few beers, the Scramble is the king. If your group consists of "purists" who want to post a score for their handicap index, Best Ball is the only way to go. Using the wrong one for the wrong crowd is a recipe for a boring afternoon.

Picking the "Same Old" Format Every Time

If you play a 4-man Scramble every time you get together, the game starts to feel like a chore. One of the biggest mistakes golfers make when picking a team play format is a lack of imagination.

The standard Scramble often leads to one "A-player" (the best golfer) carrying the team, while the "D-player" feels like their shots never actually count. This leads to disengagement.

The Fix: Shake things up with "Requirement" formats. Try a Florida Scramble, where the person whose shot you choose has to sit out the next shot. This forces the other three players to step up and ensures everyone’s game is tested. Or, try a 6-6-6 format:

• Holes 1-6: Best Ball

• Holes 7-12: Scramble

• Holes 13-18: Alternate Shot This keeps the mental energy high because the "rules" change just as players are starting to get fatigued.

The "Black Hole" of Rules Ambiguity

Golfers love to argue about rules. If you don't define the "local rules" of your format before the first group tees off, you are inviting chaos.

Common points of contention include:

• Gimmies: Are we putting everything out, or is everything "inside the leather" a conceded putt?

• The "One Club Length" Rule: In a scramble, can you move the ball from the rough into the fairway if it's within a club length? (The professional answer is no—you should stay in the same condition—but many casual groups allow it).

• Mulligans: If you are selling or allowing mulligans, are they allowed on the putting green?

The Fix: Create a simple, one-page PDF or a physical "Rule Sheet" for each cart. Clearly define how many drives each player must contribute (a great way to ensure everyone is involved) and what the policy is for out-of-bounds shots. Clarity is the parent of fun.

Ignoring the "Vibe" of the Course

Not every format works on every course. If you are playing a course with forced carries over water on every hole and thick, knee-high fescue, picking a format where everyone has to play their own ball (like Best Ball) is a mistake. You will spend the whole day looking for balls and losing your mind.

Similarly, if you are playing a wide-open, easy resort course, a Scramble might be too easy, resulting in a winning score of -18 that feels meaningless.

The Fix: Match the format to the terrain.

• Hard Course? Scramble or Shamble to keep it moving.

• Easy Course? Aggregate Score (where you add the two best scores of the four together) to make every shot feel important.

Summary

To avoid the common mistakes golfers make when picking a team play format, ask yourself these three questions before you book the tee time:

1. What is the goal? (Is this a serious competition or a social excuse to hang out?)

2. What is the "weakest" player's skill level? (Will they feel included or embarrassed?)

3. How much time do we have? (Can we afford a 5-hour round, or do we need to be off the course in 4?)

By answering these honestly, you’ll move past the standard "we'll just play a scramble" mindset and into a world of strategic, engaging, and—most importantly—fair golf.