Golf Games Explained
The Best Golf Gambling Games, explained
For the last several months, we've broken down a new golf gambling game every week. Ideally, some of them were brand new to you. Others you may have heard of before and needed a quick refresher on. The goal was always to give the readers something to spice up their normal weekend rounds or to rekindle an old game flame.
Below, you'll find every single one of those games in one safe place you can come back to again and again any time you're in need of some variety. There are games that only require three players, games that allow you to scratch that strategy itch and games you can just play on the side as a compliment to your standard match. Think of it as a one-stop shop for all your golf gambling needs.
In bold will be the name of the game, a very brief description of how it's played and a link to the original page where we break down the game in as detailed a manner as possible. We will continue adding to the list in 2025, too. And, as always, if there's a game you know of that might be missing and want the rest of the golf world to know about, feel free to reach out to myself on Twitter/X @Cpowers14.
5-3-1 (also known as Nine Point)
The perfect game for when your fourth player inevitably bails, there are nine available points on every single hole. Low score gets five points, second-best gets three and third-best gets one. Repeat the process all 18 holes. Most points wins.
11
Have you ever wanted only your best holes to count in your weekend game? Then this is the game for you. Each players choose their best 11 holes, net, and you pay out based off that at the end of the round. The catch? You have to choose if you're going to use a hole toward your final score right after you've played the hole, adding a good bit of strategy and foresight.
Banker
Not surprisingly, you're going to want to bring some cash if you're going to play a game called Banker. A lot of cash, depending in the crowd you are playing with. Choose a "Banker" on the first tee who will tee off last on every hole (the Banker title rotates throughout the group). Once everyone has teed off, each player in the group gets to choose how much money they play the Banker for on that hole, opening up multiple matches. Like we said, an pre-round ATM stop is required.
Best-to-next
If you've ever played in a 2 vs. 2 match where it seems like only one guy is contributing on the other team, Best-to-next can level the playing field a little bit more. In Best-to-next, all four scores count in the match, eliminating a lot of ties/pushes and rewarding the team who is playing best, not just one of the individuals.
Bisque
In Bisque, you get to call out your own shot holes, allowing a player to employ one of his or her's net strokes on some of the easier holes a opposed to the hardest ones.
Bundle
Like many of the games on our list, Bundle is designed to keep the entire group engaged until the very end of the round, even on your bad days.
Chicago
In Chicago, each player in the group is given a quota of strokes based off their handicap and the course handicap, which is 39 in this game. As a 1 handicap, your quota would be 38. As a 10, your quota would be 29. Once the game starts, you want to begin working toward that quota based off a points system, much like Stableford's.
Defender
For those who have a "me vs. everybody" attitude, may we suggest Defender. The game is ideally played with three people, setting up a 1 vs. 2 match on every hole.
Hammer
For the standard match play group, Hammer is a great side-action game that dials up a little extra pressure. A "Hammer" can be used at any point on any player, doubling the bet on the hole. Of course, as is the case with all of these games, there's a little more strategy involved than that.
Heads-Tails
A game that would make Harvey Dent proud, Heads-Tails is a three-player game where everyone flips a coin on each tee box to determine the match on that hole. If two players flip a Heads and one a Tails, it's a 2 vs. 1 match on that hole. If all three players flip the same side of the coin, it's 1 vs. 1 vs. 1. For scoring, it's a points-based system where the player with the highest amount of points wins in the end.
Low Ball-High Ball
Low Ball-High Ball is for the ultimate competitor, the type of player who will dig deep for every stroke even when they don't have their A game. In this 2 vs. 2, points-based game, every player's score matters in the group.
Pinehurst
Alternate-shot with a little twist. Both players hit drives, you hit from each other's drives and then you select the best one from there an alternate in. This is a great way to add the fun team element alternate shot provides without having to play pure alternate shot, which is much more difficult.
Poker
Do you like playing cards and playing golf? This game is the best of both worlds. All you need is a deck of cards, in addition to your golf clubs, of course.
Rabbit
Rabbit can be played with anywhere from two to four players and the person who wins the first hole of the round, outright, owns the Rabbit. The only way to set it free? Someone else wins a hole outright, in which case the Rabbit is now up for grabs. The Rabbit can not be stolen, only set free to be won again. Whoever owns the Rabbit after the front nine wins the front, and a new game of Rabbit starts on the back nine. If no one owns the Rabbit after nine, the game continues the rest of the round.
Sixes
A foursome is required in Sixes, the game where everyone in the group will team up with each other at some point. First six holes you have one partner, the next six holes you have a new partner and the final six holes you have a new partner. As for the format, standard best-ball match.
Skins
In Skins, each hole is worth a set amount, and if you make the low net score in the group on a hole you win that Skin. If there is a "tie" in the group, the whole group ties and the Skin carries over to the next hole. For example, if the group ties on the first four holes, the fifth hole would be worth five skins. At the end of the round, you add up the skins and divvy up the money accordingly.
Snake
Snake is the toxic putting game that has undoubtedly led to one of those viral golf course fight videos we've seen on the internet. For every three-putt in the group, a set dollar amount goes into the pot. There are no gimmes in this game (well, the fourth putt is good). The idea is to not be the last person to three-putt in the round. That person has to payout the whole pot evenly among the group. Ouch.
St. James Roll
As long as you have at least three, St. James Roll makes every hole matter for every player in the group. On each hole, six points are up for grabs, three going to the lowest scorer on a hole, two to the second-lowest scorer, one to the third-lowest scorer and zero to the fourth-lowest.
Umbrella
The ultimate side-action game, Umbrella features five specific accomplishments, with point allottments attached to them, on every single hole. You're going to want a reliable scorekeeper for this one.
Vegas
A true roll of the dice, this four-man game has all four players tee off and from there, the two balls furthest to the left are a team and the two balls furthest to the right are a team. If Team Left makes 5-5 and Team Right makes 4-6 (low score goes first), Team Right nets nine points for that hole (55-46=9). Repeat this process on every hole and tally up everyone's individual points at the end and pay out based off that. Birdies add quite the element, FYI.
Wad
Remember Snake? The toxic putting game? Think of Wad as the Positive Vibes Only putting game. Wad rewards making putts, not missing them, specifically putts outside of the length of the flag stick (or another distance everyone agrees on). For every Wad-eligible putt, a certain amount of money goes into the pot, just like Snake. This time, though, the last player to make a Wad-eligible putt WINS the entire pot. This encourages aggressive putting and staying in the hole to the end, because whether the 10-footer is for par or for triple, it's still Wad-eligible. If a Wad-eligible pot is made for birdie, the dollar amount doubles. Chip-ins from off the green also count toward the Wad pot. The only catch is that if Wad comes down to the final three holes, your Wad-eligible winning putt has to be for net par or better. No triple-bogeys on 16, 17 or 18 to win.
Wolf
Wolf has become increasingly popular among recreational golfers because of just how different it is from your standard match play game, and how many fun variations you can add to the standard format. Basically, though, one player is the "Wolf" on every hole and the Wolf rotates around the foursome (or threesome). The Wolf always goes last and can choose to play the hole alone vs. the three other players or team up with one of them, though you have to make that call after each player hits. Each hole is its own match with point allotments on each depending on what happens.