league trying a 6-6-6 format next month, anyone played one?

[ProShopPete]

So our league commish dropped a bomb at last week's meeting. Next tourney is 6 holes scramble, 6 holes alternate shot, 6 holes best ball. Two-man teams. I've never played anything but straight scramble so I'm kinda lost.

Do you pick your own partner or is it random? And is scoring net or gross? Half our league can't chip and the other half basically live at the course, so alt shot worries me. Strategy question too, do you put the big hitter first off the tee in alt shot or the steady fairway guy?

Anyone played this format before? Did it flow or was it a 5 hour slog?

[mike_harris88]

Played this exact format in a member-guest two years ago. It's called a 6-6-6 and honestly it's a blast, but yeah it runs long. We were right at 5 hours and that was with carts.

On your questions: partner picking depends on the commish. Ours was a blind draw and there was almost a mutiny over it, so if you can pick your own guy, do it. Pick someone who's steady rather than bomb-and-gouge. Alt shot punishes the guy who hits one OB and then has to watch his partner try to chop a 7 iron out of the trees.

Scoring in every league version I've seen is net. Gross would be a bloodbath if half your league can't chip.

For alt shot tee order, and I'll die on this hill, steady fairway guy goes first. Get one in play, take the pressure off, then let the big hitter rip. If your bomber goes first and pumps one into the junk, now the safe guy is standing on the tee trying to hit a hero shot he doesn't have. Watched it happen three times in one round.

One thing nobody warns you about: decide BEFORE the round who tees off on odd vs even holes in alt shot, and write it on the card. We spent like ten minutes on hole 7 arguing about whose turn it was because nobody remembered.

[SandTrap_Steve]

Wait, you can pick your own partner?? Our commish said blind draw and wouldn't budge, lot of grumbling about that. Sounds like mike's league had the same mutiny lol.

The odd/even hole thing is a great call though, I hadn't even thought about that. Does your league make you declare it on the first tee or can you figure it out as you go? Our group can barely remember whose turn it is to buy the beer, let alone track alt shot order for 6 holes.

The steady-guy-first argument makes sense but I'm curious, what if your steady guy is also the short hitter? Like do you still send him first off a 420 yard par 4 and just eat the extra club on the approach?