Las Vegas Scramble Rules (Dice Scramble)
This is not a guide to playing golf in Las Vegas the city.
A Las Vegas scramble (Vegas scramble / dice scramble) is a four-person scramble variant that uses a six-sided die to decide whose drive you have to take. Luck on the tee. Normal scramble after that.
Here's the plain rules before the first tee, and how to keep one team score when the die forces a weird drive.
What is a Las Vegas scramble?
A Las Vegas scramble is a scramble with a dice twist on the drives only.
All four players still tee off. Instead of always picking the best drive, you roll a d6. That roll either forces a specific player's tee shot or (on a high roll) lets you pick the best one freely.
From the second shot onward, you play a normal scramble: everyone hits from the chosen spot, pick the best ball, repeat until holed. One team score per hole.
Base format: what is a golf scramble. Classic team size: 4-man scramble rules.
Las Vegas scramble rules (step by step)
Before the round
- Assign each of the four players a number 1, 2, 3, or 4 (draw tees, flip for honour, or let the committee assign them)
- Agree the die rule for 5 and 6 (see below, committees vary)
- Agree handicap method and who marks the card
On every hole
- All four players tee off
- Then roll a six-sided die (roll after the drives, not before)
- Resolve the drive from the roll
- All four play the next shot from that drive's spot
- Pick the best of those shots and continue as a normal scramble until holed
- Write one team score for the hole
What the die means (common version)
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | You must use that numbered player's drive, even if it's in the junk |
| 5 or 6 | Free pick: choose the best of the four drives (normal scramble) |
Some club sheets treat 5 = free pick and 6 = re-roll (or the reverse). That is a local quirk, not a universal law. Read the event sheet before you invent a house rule on the first tee.
Same as Texas scramble?
No.
Texas scramble forces a minimum number of drives from each player across the round. You choose which holes use whose tee shot (within that quota).
Las Vegas scramble forces (or frees) the drive per hole with a die. You might use the same player's drive three times in a row if the dice say so, or never if luck runs the other way.
Some outings stack both ("Las Vegas Texas scramble"). If the sheet says that, follow both the die rule and the min-drive count. Don't assume.
Florida / step-aside is a different twist again (chosen player sits out the next stroke). See Florida scramble rules.
How do you score a Las Vegas scramble?
Same as any scramble for the hole score:
- Count the strokes from the selected positions until the ball is holed
- One number per hole
- Add for gross; subtract the team handicap for net
The chaos is the drive selection, not the arithmetic.
What to mark so the round doesn't fall apart:
- Team strokes
- Which drive the die forced (or that you free-picked on 5/6)
- Whose shots you used after the tee (approaches, chips, putts) if you care about contribution
When a weak drive gets forced, contribution tracking after the tee matters even more. Someone still has to dig you out. Soft prize for most used shots still works. See who drove the bus.
Scrambled Eggs tracks the team ball and whose shot was used after you resolve the die. No special “dice mode” required. You apply the Vegas rule; the app keeps the card honest. Overview: golf scramble scoring app.
Do you roll every hole?
Yes, in the standard version: one roll per hole, after everyone has driven.
Don't roll before tee shots (that changes the strategy). Don't skip holes because “we're due a 5.” The format is the luck.
Handicap note
Most Vegas scramble days use the same team-handicap method they'd use for a normal 4-person scramble: commonly USGA 25/20/15/10 of Course Handicaps (low → high), or Ambrose-style sum ÷ 8 in AU/NZ. Full USGA walkthrough: how to calculate scramble handicap. Dual-mode tool: Ambrose vs USGA scramble handicap calculator.
Committee Terms of Competition win if they publish something else.
Quick Las Vegas scramble summary
- Four players numbered 1–4
- All tee off, then roll a d6
- 1–4 = that player's drive is mandatory; 5–6 usually = free best drive (confirm local 5/6 quirks)
- Rest of the hole = normal scramble
- One team score per hole
- Not the same as Texas min-drives unless the sheet stacks both
Frequently asked questions
What is a Las Vegas scramble?
A four-person scramble variant where a six-sided die decides whose tee shot the team must use (or whether you get a free pick) after everyone has driven.
What do dice rolls 1–4 and 5–6 mean?
Commonly: 1–4 force that numbered player's drive; 5 or 6 let the team choose the best drive. Some committees make 6 a re-roll. Check the sheet.
Is Las Vegas scramble the same as Texas scramble?
No. Texas uses minimum drives across the round. Vegas uses a die each hole for the tee shot.
How do you score a Las Vegas scramble?
One team score per hole like any scramble. Mark which drive the die selected, then play out the hole as a normal scramble.
Do you roll the die every hole?
Yes in the standard format: after all drives, every hole.
Score the team ball after the die settles
Scrambled Eggs does team scoring and whose shot counted once the Vegas drive is locked in. Your first 3 rounds are free.
Download Scrambled Eggs on the App Store