Golf game format: What is Gentsomes?
Not so big on ambrose golf? Maybe Gentsomes is more your cup of tea.
Here is a golf format that is a little obscure because it’s not played as often as the more popular Ambrose format.
Similar to Ambrose, a Gentsomes team is made up of four players and all players play their own golf ball from the tee. The best ball is chosen and all players play from that spot; if it’s on the fairway, within one club-length, if it’s in the rough or a hazard, then the ball must be dropped in the same position.
But from this position, all players play out the hole with their own ball and record their Stableford score.
The best two of the four scores are recorded and totalled for the team score. the team with the highest number of points at the end of the round is the winner.
You can introduce variations requiring each player to contribute three (or more, or less) tee shots per round or maybe just choose one, or perhaps three best scores from the team.
Played at Ladies Masters this year in Pro Am worked well and kept people moving.
Can anyone tell me how the handicapping works for mixed teams in gentsomes? If ladies and gents play from their own tee and in particular, what happens if the hole they are playing has different par for them. Eg. Our 5th is a par 4 for men, but par 5 for women. I’m thinking if they take the ladies drive, then they play it as a par 5? We’ve had a situation where some of the men’s tees were brought forward to the ladies tees, but this seems to complicate it even more – which slope then should have been used! A difficult format for mixed teams.
We run this format and just keep it simple by allowing the ladies to play a par 5 and the men a par 4 for the calculation of the stableford score. Any other way would prove too complicated. Its a fun event and can’t be handicapped so I wouldn’t be too fussed on whether the tees are exactly right.