Golf is a sport played by millions of people around the world. While some play competitively and try to make a career of it, most just play for fun.
When playing with friends, it’s always fun to make a game out of it and put a little money on the line.
There are a bunch of different betting games you can play that will add a little competition and intensity to a round, while still having a great time.
Here are the most popular games to consider next time you tee it up with your buddies.
Best Golf Betting Games for 4 players
Having a complete foursome always makes putting a game together easy. Here are four of the best golf betting games when you have 4 players.
Nassau
Nassau is one of the most commonly played betting games around the world. This game is split up into three separate bets and can be played with either two players (1 vs. 1) or four players (2 vs. 2). The separate bets are for the front 9, the back 9, and the total.
To start the game, the players decide the bet for each Nassau. For example, a $10/$10/$10 means that the winner of the front 9 gets $10, the winner of the back gets $10 and the player with the best total score get the last $10.
Skins
The game of skins can be played with either 2,3 or 4 players. To start the game, the players decide how much a hole is worth. This is called a skin. For example, if a skin is decided amongst the group to be $3, each hole is worth that amount. Whoever shoots the lowest score on the hole wins a skin. If a tie occurs on a hole, it is considered “no blood” and it carries over to the next hole. This means that the next hole is worth 2 skins. This keeps going until someone wins a hole and they take all the skins from the carryovers. At the end of the round, the player with the most skins wins and takes the money difference.
Vegas
The game “Vegas” got its name for a reason. This reason being that you could either walk out with a ton of your opponent’s money, or with all of yours taken.
To play this game you need four players (teams of 2). Unlike the best ball game, both yourself and your teammates score matters. Because of this, you need to be very strategic in what partner you pick.
Vegas is played with a point system. To start, you and your group assign an amount per point. This amount normally ranges between $.01-$2. Let’s say that the amount per point is $1 and on the first whole you score a 4 and your teammate scores a 5. That means that your team gets 45 points for that hole. If the other team scores a 3 and a 5, they get 35 points meaning that they win the hole by 10 points, giving them $10 for that hole. It is always smart to put your team’s lower number first so you have lower points. If the other team makes a birdie though, they have the right to flip the number order of your score which can affect it severely.
Best Golf Betting Games for 3 players
Unless you are playing stroke play or skins, finding a good way to bet with a threesome can be tough. Here are a couple of good options when playing in a group of three.
Split Sixes
Split sixes is a great betting game to play with a 3-player group. In this game, there are 6 points at stake for each hole. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins. The scoring system goes as shown:
- Player with the lowest score on the hole gets 4 points
- Player with the middle score on the hole gets 2 points
- Player with the worst score on the hole gets 0 points
Since there is a good chance that many holes end in ties, there is a separate point system to decide how the points should be distributed.
- If two players tie for the lowest score on a hole, the both get 3 points
- If two players tie for the worst score, both of those players get one point and the player with the lowest score gets 4 points
- If all 3 players tie, they all get 2 points for the hole
Rabbit
Similar to “three little pigs”, rabbit is a very simple game. This game can be played with any number of players and is a variation of a skins game. Whichever player wins the first hole “has the rabbit”. If that same player keeps winning the next couple of holes, he keeps the rabbit. When another player wins a hole, the rabbit is let go and is up for grabs. In the end, all that matters is finishing the round with the rabbit. The winner is declared based on who holds the rabbit after hole 18.
Best Golf Betting Games for 2 players
Three Little Pigs
Everybody knows that all it takes is one bad hole to ruin a perfectly good round. You could be playing amazing and all of the sudden take an 8 on a par 4. Well, this game takes care of that issue for you. Three little pigs is a very simple game. At the end of your round, you take away the worst three scores of your scorecard. The 15 holes that remain totaled is your final score. This game can be applied to any number of players or format. You can also play this game in an individual match or with teams.
Mutt and Jeff
Throughout a round of golf, you will face many par 4s. Par 4s are considered just a “regular hole” due to its medium length. In the game Mutt and Jeff, par 4s are not needed at all.
In the early 1900s-1980s, a comic strip about the adventures of Mutt and Jeff were seen in newspapers all around the U.S. In this story, Mutt was a very big character and Jeff was perceived as a very small character. This side game took after this comic strip because scores only matter on par 5s and par 3s. At the end of the round, par 4s will be eliminated off of the scorecard and only the par 5s and 3s will count. Just like a normal round of golf, the lowest score wins.