Scotch

Scotch is a 2v2 team golf game where each hole distributes exactly 6 points across four categories. Low Ball takes 2, Low Total takes 2, Proximity takes 1, and Birdie takes 1. Teams accumulate points over 18 holes, and the final settlement is based on the point differential multiplied by your agreed dollar amount per point. Win all categories on a hole and you trigger an umbrella — the points double.

The Four-Category Point System (The Core Mechanic)

Scotch lives in the four categories. This is what separates it from Nassau or Match Play. On every single hole, you're calculating four separate things, and every one creates a different winner.

Here's how the 6 points distribute:

Every hole, all 6 points get awarded—no exceptions. Both teams can't win the same category on the same hole (ties result in 0 points for both teams on that category).

Example: Hole 7, par 4.

• Justin (Team A) shoots net 4, Evan (Team A) shoots net 5
• Jason (Team B) shoots net 3, Todd (Team B) shoots net 5

Hole result: Team B +4, Team A +1. Five of the 6 possible points distributed. The Birdie point vanished because nobody made one — it doesn't carry forward, it's just gone.

Umbrellas: The Dramatic Mechanic

When one team wins all categories on a single hole — all four of them — it's called an umbrella (or sweep). The 6 points double to 12.

Same hole, but now Jason made birdie and Team B won prox too:

Umbrella: Team B swept all four categories. 6 points → 12.

Umbrellas are rare because you need to win every category on the same hole — no ties allowed. But when it lands, it's a 12-point swing. That's what makes Scotch dramatic. One umbrella hole can erase four normal holes of deficit.

You can toggle umbrellas on or off when you set up the game. Most groups play with them on.

Settlement: Six Holes to Full 18

We'll walk through the first six holes to show how the system stacks, then extrapolate to 18.

Players: Justin & Evan (Team A) vs Jason & Todd (Team B). Net scoring. $1 per point.

Handicaps: Justin 5, Evan 20, Jason 12, Todd 18. Justin plays scratch, others get strokes on the hardest holes.

Setup: Proximity is entered manually after each hole. Birdie defaults to natural (gross) birdies only.

Hole-by-Hole

Let's verify hole 3: Jason shoots net 4 (birdie on a par 5). Team B wins Low Ball (4 vs 5), Low Total (10 vs 12), Prox, and Birdie — that's a sweep. Umbrella: 6 × 2 = 12 points to Team B. That one hole is worth more than the other five combined.

After six holes, Team B leads 14–10. Four-point cushion, but 12 holes to go.

Continue this for holes 7–18. Say Team A rallies on the back nine and finishes with 52 points. Team B finishes with 44. That's an 8-point differential.

Full 18-Hole Settlement

Point differential: 52 – 44 = 8 points. At $1/point: $8 total pot.

Scotch settles as a team. Each loser pays half the pot, each winner receives half.

• Justin: +$4
• Evan: +$4
• Jason: −$4
• Todd: −$4

Total: +$4 +$4 −$4 −$4 = $0. Zero-sum verified.

Understanding settlement is how you know you're getting the math right. At $2/point that same 8-point differential becomes $16 total — $8 per winner, $8 per loser. The dollar-per-point dial controls how much swings matter.

The Roll: Doubling Stakes

Scotch includes one of golf's most dramatic mechanics: the roll. If you've seen the hammer in TGL or Wolf, the roll is a related concept — both let you double the stakes with a take-it-or-fold choice — but the timing is different. A hammer can be thrown mid-hole. A roll is a pre-shot declaration: you announce it before teeing off, not after seeing how the hole plays out.

When you're trailing, you can declare a roll—which doubles the stakes on every remaining hole.

Your team is down 8 points with 6 holes left. You can't catch up at normal scoring. So you roll. From this moment forward, every point is worth 2x. Every hole instead of creating a 2–3 point differential becomes 4–6. You're going all-in.

The other team has a choice: take it (accept the doubled stakes and keep playing) or drop it (forfeit, but only losing the current point differential, not the higher stakes). If they drop, you take whatever you were down by and the round ends.

Rolls stack multiplicatively. If you roll (2x) and then roll again (2x), you're at 4x for the remaining holes.

Example: Down 10 points with 8 holes left, you roll on hole 11. Opponent takes. On hole 15, you roll again. Now you're at 4x stakes (every hole is worth 4 points instead of 1). That's the escalation mechanic that separates Scotch from every other game.

Track your Scotch automatically with Stick — four-category scoring, umbrella detection, roll escalation, and zero-sum settlement. Download on the App Store →

Handicaps and Net Scoring

Most groups play net. Justin is 5, Evan is 20, Jason is 12, Todd is 18.

The lowest handicapper (Justin at 5) plays scratch (zero strokes). The others get the difference:

• Evan: 20 – 5 = 15 strokes across the round
• Jason: 12 – 5 = 7 strokes
• Todd: 18 – 5 = 13 strokes

Strokes apply on the hardest holes by stroke index. Evan gets 15 strokes on the 15 hardest holes, wrapping. Jason gets 7 on the 7 hardest. Learn more about how handicaps work in golf betting. This is automatic in Stick — you enter gross scores and the app applies strokes.

Net play makes Scotch work for mixed-ability groups. Without handicaps, the low handicappers win every category and the game's over by hole 3.

Ties: What Happens When No One Wins

If both teams tie on Low Ball—both teams' low score is the same—neither gets those 2 points. They vanish. Some groups split them (1-1), but Stick uses the vanish model.

Hole 8, par 4:

• Team A: Justin net 4, Evan net 6 (low ball 4)
• Team B: Jason net 4, Todd net 5 (low ball 4)

Low Ball: Tied at 4. Zero points to both.

Low Total: Team A net 10, Team B net 9. Team B gets 2.

That's normal golf. Some holes, you lose a category. Move on.

The High Ball Variant

Instead of Low Total (lowest combined team score), you can play High Ball: the team whose worst individual score is lower. It's not about your combined total — it's about whose weaker player played better.

This rewards consistency. If you're a scramble team that sometimes shoots great and sometimes shoots one good one and one ugly one, Low Total punishes that inconsistency. High Ball makes it so your bad partner's mediocre round doesn't sink you.

Same hole, High Ball:

• Team A: Justin 4, Evan 6 → High Ball = 6
• Team B: Jason 4, Todd 5 → High Ball = 5

Team B wins High Ball because their weaker score (5) beats Team A's weaker score (6). It rewards consistent partnerships where both players pull their weight.

Natural Birdie vs Net Birdie

By default, Birdie rewards only natural birdies — your gross score is one under par before any handicap strokes. Jason at 12 handicap shoots a gross 5 on a par 4 but gets a stroke to make net 4? That's net par, not a natural birdie, so he doesn't earn the point. He'd need a gross 3 to get the birdie point.

You can toggle it to net birdies (anyone who goes birdie or better after handicap strokes), but most groups stick with natural. It keeps the Birdie category tight and makes it feel special when someone actually makes one.

Scotch vs. Scotch Foursomes: The Confusion

This is where Scotch gets confusing. There's a completely different game called Scotch Foursomes.

Scotch (this guide): Both players play their own ball. 2v2 team. 6 points per hole across four categories.

Scotch Foursomes (different game): Alternate shot format—one ball per team, players alternate hitting. Like foursomes in the Ryder Cup. Scored as match play, not points.

They share a name. They're not the same. If someone says "let's play Scotch," clarify: "Four-ball Scotch?" (this guide) or "Alternate shot Scotch?" (foursomes). If you plan to play foursomes and accidentally set up four-ball, you'll discover the confusion pretty quick.

6-Point Ambiguity: Scotch vs. Split Sixes

Your buddy says, "Let's play 6-Point." That could mean:

1. Scotch (4-player, 2v2 teams): 2-2-1-1 point system, points per hole.
2. Split Sixes (3-player, individual): 4-2-0 point distribution, three separate 6-hole segments.

Different games entirely. When someone throws "6-Point" out there, ask: "How many players?" Scotch is always 4. If it's 3, it's probably Split Sixes.

Strategy Tips

Protect Your Low Ball Advantage

Low Ball is worth 2 of the 6 points on every hole. If your team's best score beats their best score, you're up 2 before you even look at Low Total. Keep that player dialed in on difficult holes.

Play Proximity Smart

Proximity is manual entry — someone in the group picks which team is closest to the pin. Stick records it as a team selection, so there's no math to argue about. Just be honest. If they're closer, give it to them.

Birdie Creates Umbrellas

If your team is up on Low Ball, Low Total, and Proximity, a birdie completes the umbrella and doubles the hole. Go birdie-hunting on those setups.

Use Rolls Strategically

Don't roll too early. Rolls work best when you've got 6–8 holes to make a comeback. Roll with 3 holes left and you've just turned one hole into multiple 4-point swings with no time to recover.

Hold On When Ahead

If you're up 10 points with 9 holes left, your job is to not lose. A par is a win. Don't press when you've already won.

What New Players Get Wrong

Thinking they have to win all four categories each hole. You don't. Winning Low Ball and Low Total (4 points) is a great hole. You'll lose Proximity and Birdie most holes. That's fine.

Not understanding why ties vanish points. It feels weird that tied Low Balls = 0 to both teams. But it's clean math. The alternative (splitting) creates half-point tracking. Vanish = clear.

Confusing Low Total with High Ball. Low Total: the best combined score. High Ball: the worst combined score. If you play High Ball by accident, the whole game changes and nobody realizes until settlement.

Forgetting Proximity is configurable. Some groups assign it manually on par 3s only (everyone else gets 0). Some measure actual distance. Stick assigns it randomly and fairly—but discuss before you play.

Rolling too aggressively. A roll at -12 with 8 holes is sound math. A roll at -8 with 3 holes is desperation golf that usually fails. Know your odds.

Scotch vs. Other Games

Scotch vs. Nassau: Nassau is three separate bets (front, back, overall) with match play scoring. You can lose the front and still win the round. Scotch is one continuous 18-hole point accumulation. No comeback mechanic mid-round—you're building to the final differential.

Scotch vs. Skins: Skins is individual, hole-by-hole. You compete solo or as a team, but each hole is independent. Scotch is 2v2 team, and points accumulate. Different pacing, different strategy.

Scotch vs. Match Play: Match play goes "1 up," "2 up," etc.—it's about current lead. Scotch goes "Team A +14"—it's about total points. Both are team games, but Scotch has more continuous action (every hole creates several point opportunities).

Scotch vs. Sixes: Sixes rotates partnerships every six holes. Scotch keeps the same teams for 18 holes. Sixes has halved matches where no money changes hands. Scotch gives you 6 points on every hole — there's no halve, no reset.

Layering Junk on Scotch: Many groups run Junk (greenies, sandies, etc.) alongside Scotch as a separate side game. Stick tracks them independently in the same round.

Track Your Scotch with Stick

Scotch demands calculation at every turn. Four categories per hole, ties that vanish, rolls that compound, umbrellas that double—and then settlement across all 18 holes with multiple point categories to track.

On paper, that's error-prone. In your head on the 18th green, it's a spreadsheet you're carrying mentally.

Stick handles every part. Four-category scoring automatically, roll escalation, umbrella detection, zero-sum settlement, and line-item breakdown showing exactly who paid whom and why.

Download Stick →