Golf Games Explained
How to play 'Rabbit': The game where you want to be ahead of the pack
glenn bemont
Golf Games Explained is exactly what it sounds like. You want to mix it up and try something new for once? Well, someone has to do the thankless work of playing different golf formats and telling you if it's worth it. You can thank me later.
As we've articulated over the past few months, golf gambling games come in all shapes and sizes. Some are complex, some can cost you a ton of money on a bad day and some can remain relatively low stakes while still being fun and highly competitive. "Rabbit" is very much in category No. 3.
Here's how to play.
Number of players required: Two to four.
Best for: Both the unserious and serious player. Folks who like a fun little side game, though it can also be the main game.
How to play: "Rabbit" gets its name because you are ... wait for it ... literally chasing the "Rabbit." The Rabbit goes to the person who wins the first hole on the front nine outright. With handicaps involved, that would be the low net score of the group. That person now owns the Rabbit. If the next hole is tied (two tie, all tie), that player still owns the Rabbit. The only way to "set the Rabbit free" is for another player to win a hole outright, in which case the Rabbit is now free to be won again. You don't steal the Rabbit from someone. It must be set free and then if another player wins a hole, they would then own the Rabbit. This game is played on both nines. So the player who owns the Rabbit after the ninth hole wins the front nine (whatever set $$ amount agreed upon before the round). A new game of Rabbit starts on the back nine and the owner of the Rabbit after the 18th hole wins the back nine. If no one owns the Rabbit after the ninth, the game simply continues until 18 and the owner of the Rabbit after 18 wins both bets.
Variations: There are a few different ways to change this game up if you'd like. One way is to allow the Rabbit to be stolen. So if Player A wins the Rabbit on Hole No. 1 with the low net score, then Player B wins Hole No. 2, Player B is now the Rabbit owner, skipping the step of "setting the Rabbit free."
Another variation would actually make it much more difficult to get the Rabbit once it is won. You can add "legs" to the Rabbit. Let's say Player A wins the first and second holes outright. Player A would now own two legs of the Rabbit, meaning the other players in the group would have to win two holes outright just to set the Rabbit free first, then it would be up for grabs again. This rewards the player who gets off to a fast start and becomes the pacesetter, just like a Rabbit would in a race.
If you have any golf games or variations of golf games we haven't covered and you'd like to explain, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X @Cpowers14.
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