This will be our 4th time in 4 years heading to Phoenix / Scottsdale area on a February golf trip. We’ve got 8 guys this time (could pose dinner decision delay). Read on for trip details including cost, course itinerary, golf formats, extra curriculars, etc.

Table of Contents
Trip Summary
Trip Cost
Handicaps
Formats
40 Balls Format

Trip Summary

Trip Cost (per person)

Approximate costs for this trip …

Flight = $390.80 total (includes 1 checked bag, which is my clubs + all my clothes for the trip stuffed in my golf travel bag)
AirBnB ~ $450/person
Car ~ $100/person
Golf ~ $450/person
Foods & Bevs ~ $400/person

Total: $1,800/person

Handicaps

Prolly lots of sandbaggers on this trip. I’m the only official card carrying GHIN handicap holder, so I take a stab at setting the handicaps based on mine and how I normally stack up against everyone else (no offense Roosk).

Muck – 4
Rybers/Sean/Kronk/Cactus/Denny? – 9
Shawn – 12
Roosk – 18

Now, start the negotiation 😉

Golf Formats

Wednesday – Play own ball, everything handicapped.

• Team game
  • Foursome A vs Foursome B
  • 40 Balls Format
  • $10 ante per person, Each person in winning foursome gets $20
• Intra Foursome game
  • 2 man best ball match play
  • Front ($10), Back ($10), Total ($10)
  • Presses optional

Thursday – Only 6 of us playing; two threesomes, everything handicapped

• Team game
  • Threesome A vs Threesome B
  • 30 Balls Format (same as 40 balls, just pick 30 instead of 40)
  • $10 ante per person, each person in winning threesome gets $20
• Intra Threesome game
  • 9s – 5 points for winner of each hole, 3 points for 2nd, 1pt for last
  • Split points if there are ties
  • $10 ante per person, $20 to winner, $10 to 2nd

Friday – 2 man scramble, no handicaps

• Intra Foursome game
  • 2 man scramble match play, 18 hole match play
  • $10 ante per person, winning each winning twosome gets $20
  • Must putt everything out for the team game below
• Team game
  • Combined strokes with a 2 man team from the other foursome
  • Lowest combined strokes wins
  • $10 ante per person, winners get $20

40 Balls Golf Format (40 of 72 Balls Counted) (aka 40 Scores)

The objective of the 40 balls golf format is for your foursome to have a lower team total score than your opponents after 18 holes. Each foursome must pick 40 of their 72 scores over 18 holes to count towards their team total. Everyone plays their own ball (handicapped scoring), and at the end of each hole you decide how many scores you want to use. You can choose 0, 1, 2, 3, or all 4 scores from your foursome on each hole.

BUT… you must decide how many your taking before teeing off on the next hole.

For example, if you have two pars and two bogeys you might decide to take only the two pars for that hole. Then next hole you get 1 birdie, 2 bogeys, and a double bogey … you’re only taking the birdie. But now you have only used 3 scores total in the first two holes so you’ll have to make up some ground on the remaining holes. You must have 40 scores picked by the end of the round. Make sure to check in with your foursome after 9 holes to see if you’re on track — if you haven’t taken 20 scores yet, you’re behind pace and will need to start taking more scores.

Things to Consider for Your Golf Trip Formats

Guiding principles for establishing your golf trip formats:

1. Gambling required – never hit a meaningless shot (doesn’t have to be high stakes, but something)
2. Allow opt outs – if a guy doesn’t want in on the action let them opt out while not impacting the overall wager/format for the rest of the group. You could have another guy put up his ante and then enjoy a higher percentage of the winnings.
3. Intra Foursome bet required (no 4 man scrambles) – it’s most fun to compete against the guys in your own foursome so you can cheer for & root against each put as it drops. Said different, don’t let your only competition be your foursome in a 4 man scramble versus another foursome. Save your 4 man scrambles for summertime tournaments.
4. Have a Trip Long Bet – could be low net, low gross, two teams against each other, or some sort of cumulative point system happening where everyone round throughout the trip counts. Get creative.