Each group of four players in a scramble has a ball that is marked in some way to designate it as the "money ball." That ball rotates among players, changing after each hole. For example, Player A uses it on the first hole, B on the second, C on the third, D on the fourth, then back to A on the fifth and so on through the round.
In Money Ball, two scores per hole are added together to become the team score for that hole. Here's the catch: One of those two scores must be from the player playing the money ball on that hole. So on each hole, the team score will be the score of the player with the money ball, plus the lowest score of the other three players on the team.
There are a couple variations that add to the tension of the game. In one, if the player playing the money ball loses it, that player is eliminated from the game. The group would continue as a threesome with a new money ball.
In another, if the money ball is lost, the entire team is eliminated from the competition. Pretty harsh.
And in another, the money ball serves as a "bonus" competition. The 4-person teams compete using the two low scores on each hole; the money ball score is kept separately. The team with the lowest money ball score wins a bonus prize.
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"The Ladies Golf Association is playing a Money Ball tournament this weekend."
