I guess it all depends on how many mulligans they allowed.
As I read it, there was the option of at least 8 mulligans per team, maybe more plus the ribbon that helped.

On a short relatively easy course, I'm sure good players were able to drive the odd green and make eagle on par 4, or chip in .

I've been in an event where a team of average joes shoot -25 on a par 70 , so a net 45 when getting 8 mulligans allowed, one hand throw and a piece of random length string that could be used once . They did have 2 guys who were 60 so allowed play the forward tees which were very short. In the end it's for charity and fun, most events here don't give out great prizes for winners, maybe a free round at the course or a small Trophey, they just do a random draw for the prize table . In the ones that have big money on the line, they go out in 8 somes for 4-man and 4 somes for 2 man scrambles/ best balls.

    PA-PLAYA agreed re what shot to pick, often is the shot that is closest to the hole with a dodgy lie and/or angle...IMO this is do to the level of golfer involved and simply not understanding and/or playing enough and what it means to get close to the hole...almost always from the fwy. The other thing I notice is players not understanding the ability to place the ball in an optimum spot, i.e. a good lie, vs dropping it o or haphazardly placing it where it's harder to get the club on the ball.

      Weirfan

      Mulligans don't matter if you're already making birdie on every par 4 and eagles on par 5s. I'm positive you could put Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson in that format and they wouldn't shoot a 40.

      I also don't buy any team of "average joes" shooting a legit 45 in any format.

          kchacker

          I can't verify that they did , but they won with that score . I can say that my group shot an honest 50 in the same event with 4 average joes ( 2 guys that were 7 cappers and two that there in the teens) remember there were 2 mulligans per player ( that could be used on any shot) , a hand throw by each player and a group piece of string that could be used to move the ball once the length of string/distance anywhere on the course. Mulligans can matter on short par 4's, we had a guy who hit it long and he could drive some of the par 4's . When DC 300 , Bigdaddy and Hackingnewbie and I won the scramble in Rochester 2 years back DC was regularly driving green's for us, and we were on every par 5 in 2 iirc...
          My group that shot the -20 in the mulligan fest also shot a -18 in an event that same summer with no mulligans.

          I seem to recall a -23 ( net 49) at Bryant's ( Lowpro) charity event in North Carolina One year, 4 guys that tour around and play scrambles all the time . the best we ever did with RangerX, Coachsb Eguller and I was -16.

              Weirfan I can't verify that they did , but they won with that score . I can say that my group shot an honest 50 in the same event with 4 average joes ( 2 guys that were 7 cappers and two that there in the teens) remember there were 2 mulligans per player ( that could be used on any shot) , a hand throw by each player and a group piece of string that could be used to move the ball once the length of string/distance anywhere on the course.
              We also shot a -18 in an event that same summer with no mulligans.

              I seem to recall a -23 ( net 49) at Bryant's ( Lowpro) charity event in North Carolina One year, 4 guys that tour around and play scrambles all the time . the best we ever did with RangerX, Coachsb Eguller and I was -16.

              Those numbers I've seen, or at least can envision. -23 is getting down there, but if there are a couple of drivable par 4s, I can at least see how it's possible from ridiculously good golfers who are on fire. But where would 7-10 more strokes come from? They just aren't there. If you're putting it to two feet from 60 yards, mulligans don't help and that's if it happens on EVERY hole. Even with a mulligan it's still a birdie unless you jar it.

              Birdies aren't good enough, to get to 40 one would have to make one albatross, 10 eagles and 7 birdies. Throw in mulligans and string......still total BS. I guess it could have been two albatrosses (albatrossi? ), 8 eagles and 8 birdies. Or 12 eagles and 6 birdies.

              TWELVE EAGLES. Those are the kinds of numbers we're talking about.

                  kchacker

                  In our 50 (-20) we eagled the 2 par 5's , a 1 putt eagle putt on a 299 yard par 4 when i drove it to 2 and 1/2 feet, a greenside bunker chip in ( actually was using one of the throw the ball ) made 12 birdies and 2 pars. We realistically could have shot -22 or 48. So I can see golfers better than us
                  Realistically shooting 45. If they lucked out with getting a 20-30 foot piece of string and drove a green, could be an automatic eagle.
                  In our -18 with no mulligans we eagled all 4 par 5's .

                    azgreg My group played better than anticipated. We shot a 65.

                    Lost by just 25 shots.

                    HAHAHA! If you're gonna cheat go big or go home I guess.

                      Playing from 5700 yards and two of the guys are on the local college team I would think they could go really low. Still (12 eagles and 6 birdies) is 30 under that is pretty difficult to manage. That would mean driving many of the par 4's and making the putts. Then on in two and and making all the putts on the par 5's. We all have heard horror stories like this in a scramble format. The only reason I ever play in a scramble is if the money is for a worthwhile charity and then
                      we just play and have fun and forget about winning anything.

                      A friend and I have been putting together plans over the past few months to start our own fundraising event (hopefully) next summer, benefitting one of the local charities. We've decided that the format won't be a scramble, but a 2-man best ball. Verifiable handicaps will be required. We're hoping to drum up enough local support to afford some nice prizes for the first three (net) places... and we'll also award a top prize for low-gross.

                      We'll also throw in an optional skins game ($20/team) that will be paid out to each team winning a skin. And we won't shame the skins winners into donating the money back to the charity... we will encourage them to keep it.

                      The way I see it - if you run a good tournament, if you can host it at a reasonably nice course, and you can get golfers who enjoy competing in a fair and competitive event that offers something real in return for playing well - you stand a very good chance of having good turnout the next event you host. But finding volunteers to help and establishing a committee has been more difficult than we anticipated. But we're still trying.

                      Unfortunately there is a negative stigma attached to most run-of-the-mill charity fundraisers at the local level, and even more unfortunate is the fact that most of the time the stigma is well-deserved. Some of the most enjoyable fundraisers I've ever played in were hosted at nice venues, were well managed, offered nice prizes and decent food afterward. We're not talking steak dinners, but beer, burgers and dogs and a BBQ grill. Trying to make money off of food is a major pitfall imo. I've never made a decision to play in a tournament because of what was on the menu, but I have made a decision based on how much the entry fees cost. Quite frankly, I'd rather have baked beans, burgers and dogs than some of the crap I've eaten at these events over the years. Keeping the food expenses reasonable is an important part of the overall deal imo.

                      It's an enormous amount of work, but it's no less necessary. It doesn't hurt that a good friend of ours is very much involved in local business circles, and is acquainted with some of the local sports celebrities in Philly and NY. He very much believes we can get at least a couple of groups of former NFL/NBA players to play, which could be extremely helpful as far as turnout goes.

                      We have a blueprint, we know what we want, we know what needs to be done. And a lot of what needs to be done needs to happen over the next few months, so it will be a time-sensitive endeavor to be sure. But I think the proceeds could be significant and could certainly help the local charity we're involved with, which makes it worth the time and effort.

                      If you had 4 tour players no way they would shoot 40!

                        azgreg

                        This ribbon... I read the original description as the ribbon counting as a stroke. Does not not? Like if I putt a 50' putt 49' and leave myself a foot, does using the ribbon essentially mean I made the first putt?

                        I play some whacky golf video games, but even in those (where I can drive the ball 500+yds) I'm rarely in 40 territory.

                            The ribbon thing... They do it wrong...

                            I've been part of running these things and as much as I friggin HATE them...idiot people spend their money on them so they " win" a $50 golf shirt and a bag of tees.

                            So the ribbon....
                            1. Par 4 hole, second shot is on the green and you have a 10 foot putt for birdie. Use the ribbon which happens to be 9 feet long. You then place the ball one foot from the hole and putt from there instead of 10 feet. You get a birdie 3

                            1. If the ribbon was 10 feet long it doesn't count as zero putts and u get a 2....that's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard ,( and not the first time I've heard it too). You place the ball on the lip and tap it in for 3.

                            Idiots...

                              Typhoon

                              Mulligans, ribbons... when I sign in at the registration table and they ask me if I want to buy mulligans or a strip of string - I know I ain't winning squat.

                              Great fundraising ideas, but they don't do anything to help out with the legitimacy factor.

                                Yeah...agree 100%. I'd rahlther the double the entry fee and just golf. Also it's the reason the rounds take 7 friggin hours. I declined every one of the ones I was asked to play in. Went so far as to tell the people at work that inquiries playing .

                                I played in one scramble ever. There were no options for ribbons or anything else, so it felt like golf. We won with -12.

                                The charity scramble I play in every year is $150 a person, straight up golf (no mulligans or ribbon), and free beer... which is why we never care if we win...