Guides

Charity golf tournament rules template

This charity golf tournament rules template gives you a complete, ready-to-post rules sheet for a four-person scramble — the format almost every charity outing uses. Copy the text below, swap in your event name, and you are done. Every rule here has been battle-tested at real outings, so you will not get flagged down on hole 7 by a team asking what counts.

The rules sheet — copy and paste

Paste this into a document, set it in 14-point type or larger, and add your event name and logo at the top. It fits on one page, which is the whole point — nobody reads page two.

• Format: four-person scramble. Every player tees off on every hole. The team selects the best shot, and all players play their next shot from that spot.
• Minimum drives: each player's tee shot must be used at least 2 times during the round. Track drives on your scorecard as you go — do not leave it to memory on hole 16.
• Ball placement: place your ball within one club length of the selected shot, no closer to the hole, and in the same condition (rough stays rough, sand stays sand). On the green, place within one putter head length, no closer to the hole.
• Putting: all putts must be holed. Putts inside the leather are NOT given — the ball is in the hole or it is not.
• Mulligans: 2 per player, $10 each, purchased at registration only. A mulligan replays any shot except a holed putt. No mulligans on a mulligan.
• String: each team receives 5 feet of string at registration. Cut off the length you use to move the ball — including into the hole. Once it is gone, it is gone.
• Ties: broken by a scorecard playoff using the handicap holes in order — best team score on the #1 handicap hole, then #2, and so on until the tie breaks.
• Pace of play: 4 hours 30 minutes. Keep up with the group ahead. If your team falls a full hole behind, pick up, take a par, and catch up.
• Scoring: turn in your signed scorecard at the clubhouse within 15 minutes of finishing. Unreturned cards score last place.

Full guide: Golf scramble rules: the complete guide

Customizing the template

The template above works as-is, but most organizers tune a few lines. Change the numbers, not the structure — a one-page sheet with nine short rules is the format that gets read.

• Drive minimum: 2 per player is forgiving; 3 makes weaker players matter more but slows play. For a fun-first charity field, stay at 2.
• Mulligan price and count: $10 for 2 is standard, but $20 for a team pack of 8 raises more money with less bookkeeping. Whatever you sell, cap it — unlimited mulligans wreck pace of play.
• String length: 5 feet per team is the sweet spot. Some events sell string by the foot as an extra fundraiser ($2 per foot, 10-foot max).
• Gimmes: this template requires all putts to be holed because it kills arguments. If your crowd is casual, you can allow putts inside the leather — just say so in writing.
• Side games: add one line each for closest to the pin and long drive, naming the holes and who is eligible (e.g., separate men's and women's long drive holes).

Full guide: Mulligans in golf tournaments: selling, pricing, and house rules

Post it where people actually look

Print more copies than you think you need. Tape one at the registration table, hand one to each team captain, and put one on every cart — the cart copy is the one that settles arguments at the moment they happen, four holes from the clubhouse.

Have the starter read the three rules that cause the most disputes out loud before the shotgun: minimum drives, all putts holed, and the scorecard turn-in deadline. Thirty seconds of announcement saves thirty minutes of scoring-table chaos.

Or print it from ScrambleBoard

ScrambleBoard runs scramble, stroke play, and Stableford events with gross and net scoring, flights, and built-in skins, closest-to-the-pin, and long drive. Players join by scanning a QR code — no app, no accounts — and every score they enter shows up live on phones and the clubhouse TV.

The Report Center prints tournament-style scorecards, cart signs, rosters, results, and QR join posters, each with your own title, sponsor line, and footer text — so the rules-and-scorecard packet on every cart takes minutes, not an evening. Rosters import from CSV or a GHIN club export, and scoring keeps working even where course Wi-Fi does not.

Frequently asked questions

What rules should a charity golf tournament have?

One page covering: the format (usually a four-person scramble), how many drives each player must contribute, where the ball can be placed, whether putts are given, mulligan and string rules if you sell them, tie-breakers, pace of play, and the scorecard turn-in deadline. If a rule will not fit on one page, cut it.

How many mulligans should we allow in a charity scramble?

Two per player at $10 each is the common standard. It raises real money without letting one team buy its way to 15 under. Sell them at registration only, and never allow a mulligan on a holed putt.

How do you break a tie in a charity scramble?

A scorecard playoff on the handicap holes: compare team scores on the #1 handicap hole, then #2, and so on until one team wins. It needs no extra golf and no judgment calls — announce it in the rules so nobody is surprised.

Do charity scrambles follow official USGA rules?

No. A scramble is not an official format, so your rules sheet IS the rulebook for the day. USGA rules fill the gaps for anything you did not cover — out of bounds, penalty areas — but your sheet governs everything scramble-specific.