7 Ways To Wager On Golf And Not Lose Your Shirt

Matt Eldridge

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We all love to golf – we have a great time on the course, that’s why we go. Every now and then a game needs just a little something extra.

Whether for the challenge, the entertainment or both, I’ve always enjoyed placing a few friendly wagers with my golf partners from time-to-time.

1. 5-3-1

Here’s a game to play when you’re playing with a threesome. People play this game over nine holes, I’ve also heard it called 81 (nine holes and nine points available on each hole equals 81). The basic premise of this game is that there are nine points available on each hole played and every player gets at least one point.

The points are divided up based on who comes first, second, and third on each hole. The golfer with the lowest score gets five points, the golfer with the second lowest score gets three points, and the golfer with the highest score gets one point. If two players tie, add up the total points available for those two golfers and divide by two. For example, if there’s a tie for first, you would add five and three and then divide by two – each person would get four points. Or, if there was a tie for second, you would add three and one and then divided by two – each person would get two points.

When you’re wagering, you should have every point be worth a certain amount and the winner gets the money allotted or the winner would receive his or her share of the money minus the money owed to the other golfers.

2. Strike Three

We all have a bad hole from time-to-time and it sucks when one bad hole really throws off the rest of your game. That’s why I like strike three. It’s also a great game to play if you’re golfing with a group of different skills levels and feel like playing fair.

With this game, you play 18 holes and whoever has the best 15 holes wins the game. By throwing out the three worst holes, a player doesn’t just give up part way into a around – they know that if they pick up their game, they still have a chance to win.

3. Snake

This is a game that challenges your putting skills because it nails golfers who three putt. When someone three putts, they get the “snake” and it’s passed on to the next person in the group who three putts.

Before the round, everyone has to agree on how much each snake is worth. Whenever someone snakes, the pot goes up by that amount. Then, whoever the last person is to three putt pays the other players the amount in the pot.

However, this game means not taking those “tap ins” from three feet away and it means a slower round. So, as a courtesy to other golfers, try to avoid playing this game when the course is busy.

4. Bounce Back

Most games reward the best golfer in the crew, the person who never messes up. I like bounce back because it recognizes that, from time-to-time, we end up in the rough, we bogey or, even worse, we double bogey. Whenever that happens, we need to persevere and bounce back on the next hole; this game rewards such perseverance.

Again, you decide on a predetermined amount for each bounce back. Whenever a golfer shoots either a par or birdie after shooting a bogey or worse on the previous hole, they get awarded the predetermined amount by the other golfers.

5. Pick-Up Sticks

Most wagering golf games put money on the line, this one doesn’t. It just aims to punish.

With pick-up sticks, you look to put your partner at a disadvantage. You do so by removing one club, any club, from their bag whenever you have the lowest score. For the rest of that round, they must play without the club or clubs they’ve lost.

6. Round Robin

You need four players to play Round Robin. In this game, a foursome is turned into a two-on-two match. Every six holes, the pairs competing against one another switch up, ensuring everyone has a chance to play with one another. The teams place wagers on each six hole match and the winning pair collects from the losing pair.

7. Bingo Bango Bongo

This is a points-based game that rewards different accomplishments on each hole. Here’s how it goes:

Bingo: The first person on the green gets a point

The first person on the green gets a point Bango: The closest to the pin gets a point

The closest to the pin gets a point Bongo: The first golfer to sink their putt gets a point

Whoever has the most points at the end of the round wins. How money is wagered really depends on the group, but the easiest way to do it is to have each point be worth a certain amount. Then, once points are tallied, the winner gets the difference between their point count and the point counts of the other players.

For example, the winning golfer has 20 points, the second place golfer has 15, and the third place golfer has 10. In this case, there is a five point difference between the first and second place golfers. If each point is worth $10, the winner is owed $50.

Because this game awards points for different accomplishments, it’s a great way to thrown down a wager or two when you’re in a group with different skill levels. It makes it easier for newer golfers to get out and have fun.

So, if you want to wager on golf and not lose your shirt, avoid the pros and the bookies, and try these games instead.

Have you ever placed some wagers with some friends on the course? What are your favorite games? Leave a comment and let us know.