Scramble Mulligan Rules: House Rules So Nobody Invents Their Own Do-Overs
A mulligan is a do-over: you hit the shot again and play the better one. At charity days they're often sold with the ticket, with a cap per player or per team written on the rules sheet. Pick your policy before tee-off, print it, and ban mulligans on contest holes so every group plays by the same rules.
How to set your mulligan rules (step by step)
- Pick a policy. Banned, a fixed number per player, a fixed number per team, or a paid package.
- Set the cap. Write the number plainly. One each? Two for the team? Say it.
- Say which shots. Tee shots only, or any shot on the hole.
- If you sell them, print the price and limit. Put both on the rules sheet and the registration table.
- Ban them on contest holes. No mulligans on closest to the pin, longest drive or long putt shots.
- Say how they're tracked. A tick on a paper tally or the back of the pairing sheet works fine.
- Read it out at the briefing. Then nobody can say they didn't know.
Why you need a mulligan policy
Leave mulligans off the sheet and every group makes up its own rule. One group takes none. Another takes three on the first hole because "it's a charity day." Then they finish within a shot of each other and the argument starts at the scoring table.
A written policy fixes that. It doesn't matter much which option you pick. It matters that every group plays the same one.
Your mulligan options
| Option | How it works | Good for | Put on the sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banned | No do-overs at all | Net prizes, flighted events, club comps | "No mulligans." |
| Fixed per player | Each player gets a set number | Casual days where everyone gets a turn | The number, and tee-only or any shot |
| Fixed per team | The team shares a set number | Groups that want to save them for a bad hole | The number, and who decides when to use one |
| Paid package | Players buy mulligans at registration | Fundraisers and charity days | The price, the limit per player or team, and where to buy |
Banned
The simplest rule, and the fairest if you're running net prizes or flights. Everyone's score means the same thing. If handicaps are doing the levelling, mulligans only muddy it.
Fixed per player or per team
A small number per player keeps it friendly. Per team adds a bit of strategy, because the group has to agree when to burn one. Either way, mark each one when it's used so the count is clear at the end.
Paid package
This one's a fundraiser. Players buy a set number with their ticket or at the registration desk, and the money goes to the cause. Don't guess a price here. Just put your price and your limit on the sheet, and make sure there's a cap per player or per team so nobody buys their way to the gross prize. The registration and check-in page covers running the desk. If a sponsor is backing the package, see the golf scramble sponsorship package template.
Some events also sell string, which is usually a length of cord a team can use to move the ball, say into the hole or out of trouble, with the length used cut off. It's not a free re-hit, and house rules vary a lot, so spell out exactly how yours works if you offer it.
No mulligans on contest holes
Contest shots are one swing, one chance. If someone can hit their closest to the pin shot twice, the contest is junk. A common rule is no mulligans on contest holes at all, even if a team has some left. Scramble hole contests covers the other contest rules. Print it on the sheet and mark the contest holes on the pairing sheet so groups know before they get there.
Mulligans and minimum drives
If you run minimum drives, decide how a mulligan drive counts. A common approach is simple: whoever hit the drive the team actually uses gets the credit, mulligan or not. Say that on the sheet. The who drove the bus piece explains tracking whose drive was used.
Scoring with mulligans
A mulligan doesn't change how you score the hole. The team plays its best ball as normal and records its strokes for the hole.
The scorer enters the team score in the app once the hole is done, and the captain signs the card at the end. Scrambled Eggs is a live card for one group. It keeps the team score on one phone and records whose shot or drive was used. Keep the mulligan tally on paper next to the card. More on the app at the golf scramble scoring app page.
Put it all on the rules sheet
Your mulligan section only needs a few lines: the policy, the cap, which shots, the price if sold, and the contest-hole ban. Drop it into your scramble tournament rules sheet under house rules, next to placement and gimmes.
How many mulligans is fair?
There's no set number. Many events keep it small, like one per player or a couple per team, so mulligans help a bad hole without changing who wins. If you're running net prizes, banning them is the fairest option.
Do mulligans count as a stroke?
Usually not. In most house rules the do-over replaces the first shot and only the shot you play counts. But it's a house rule, not a Rules of Golf thing, so write your answer on the sheet.
Can you mulligan a drive that also counts toward minimum drives?
That's up to your sheet. A common approach is that the drive the team uses counts for the player who hit it, whether it was a mulligan or not. Print whichever version you pick.
Are mulligans allowed in a scramble?
Only if the organiser allows them. Many club events ban them, while charity days often sell a few with the ticket. Check the rules sheet before you tee off.
Keep reading
- Golf Scramble Scoring App
- Scramble tournament rules sheet
- Scramble minimum drives
- Who drove the bus in a scramble
- Scramble registration and check-in
- Golf scramble sponsorship package template
Keep the team score honest
One phone per group, one team score, and a record of whose shot or drive was used. The scorer enters it hole by hole, and the captain hands in a clean card.