By Chris Gaffney
The 2025 fall golf season features a new event on the MGA calendar – the MGA/MetLife Doubles Championship, at The Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, N.Y., on October 14. We are introducing this new format to further our mission of providing a championship for all MGA members, one that provides a more inclusive format for players who don’t traditionally compete in individual stroke play events. The Doubles Championship, a two-person better shot or scramble format, introduces unique Rules tailored to foster teamwork and strategy, drawing inspiration from formats like tennis, where mixed divisions thrive.
The two-person format allows teams to compete alongside another team during the round, instead of a traditional four-person scramble, where there tend to be questions about the integrity of the score. In the new format, each team will have the other team “marking” for them during the round to validate each other’s scores.
One other key aspect of doubles is the introduction of a mixed division. Tennis is the shining example of a sport that incorporates men, women, and mixed teams. At major events, there are singles for men and women alongside doubles for men, women, and mixed teams.
In the MGA/MetLife Doubles Championship, each hole starts in the traditional manner with each member of the team teeing off from their respective tees, and then the players choose which ball they would like to play. From there, the team is permitted to mark the ball, lift the ball, clean it if they like, and then put their ball in play within one club-length of that spot if they are not yet on the putting green. As you’ll see later in this article, there is a different procedure for the putting green. If lifting the ball, the team must first mark the location of the ball. When putting the ball back in play, we recommend that players PLACE the ball on near spot, but the only requirement under the MGA Rules is to put the ball back in play in the correct spot, so a player may drop a ball if they prefer, as long as it ends up in the one club-length area that’s no closer to the hole.
Once the ball is on the course and this procedure begins, there are a few key nuances to highlight based on the area of the course that the ball is in. If the ball is in the “general area,” the players may place their ball within one club-length of the original position. Now you might be wondering, what constitutes the general area? It is a defined term and covers the whole course besides the teeing area of the hole being played, penalty areas, all bunkers, and the putting green of the hole being played. This area includes all wrong putting greens and other teeing locations on the course, other than the teeing area of the hole being played.
Noticeably absent from this definition is what cut of grass the ball lies in. In this situation, the Rules don’t distinguish between the rough, first cut, or fairway cut. This means that a team may move their ball into a different cut of grass in the general area when playing in this format. If the chosen ball is just in the rough and the fairway is within a club-length and no closer to the hole, the team can play their shot from the fairway. Conversely, if a ball is in the fairway and the first cut is within a club-length, and the team wanted a more propped-up lie, they can put the ball in play in the first cut as long as it is no closer to the hole and within a club-length. The putting green is a separate area of the course, so there is no situation where a team can go from the general area to the putting green when putting their ball in play with this procedure.
One of the advantages to this format is that the players should be spending less time searching for balls, taking penalty relief, and playing from/raking bunkers. One important Rule does apply in the bunkers, though. Players are NOT permitted to rake the bunker before playing their first shot. They may lift, clean, and put the ball in play within a club length, as long as the ball is still in the bunker (touching sand) and no closer to the hole than the original ball. Once the first player hits their shot, the team may rake the bunker before the second player puts their ball in play but not before the first player plays.
On the putting green, the procedure tightens: Teams must put the ball in play within one clubhead of the original position, not a full club-length. Teams should be cognizant of this change as they are entitled to one clubhead-length only once the ball is on the putting green. Like many Rules on the putting green, it’s important to note that this procedure changes based on the location of the ball, not the club being used. If you’re putting from the fairway (the ball lies in the general area), you can still move the ball up to a club length. If you’re putting from the putting green (the ball lies on the putting green), you can only move the ball one clubhead-length.
Teams must also avoid a common scramble pitfall: tapping in short putts prematurely. If a player taps in a short putt before their partner plays from the original position, the ball is holed, and the team forfeits the option to play the second shot from the previous spot. No penalty applies, but the strategic loss can be significant. To avoid this, teams should mark the ball after a missed putt, no matter how short the distance.
Another key modification waives Rule 10’s restriction on partners or caddies standing behind the player on the line of putt while making a stroke. In the Doubles Championship, teams can freely position themselves to advise on putts, enhancing collaboration without penalty. This adjustment fosters the kind of teamwork you often see on tour and at team events, where partner and caddie input can shape the strength of the team.
As the MGA launches this event, it’s poised to provide a new type of competitive golf event, blending accessibility with the strategic depth that has always defined the game. Whether you’re a weekend golfer or a seasoned competitor, the Doubles Championship offers a chance to test your skills, teamwork, and course management in a format as dynamic as the sport itself.