Golf side games, explained.

How to play

• Usually played as match play: win a hole to go 1 up, halve it and nothing changes.
• Each of the three legs is its own bet. Whoever is ahead when that leg's holes run out wins it.
• A press is a new bet that starts mid-round. The side that is down usually calls it to get their money back.

Scoring

• Each leg pays the stake to the winner. A leg that ends all square is a push - no money moves.
• A press called during the round runs from that hole to the end of the round, at the game's stake.
• Auto-press (optional): a press opens on the next hole each time a side goes 2 down (or 3) within a nine, and runs to the end of that nine.
• Your total is every leg and every press added together.

Typical stakes

• "$2 Nassau" means $2 front, $2 back, $2 overall - so $6 at risk before presses.
• Many groups make the overall leg bigger, like $5-$5-$10.

Worked example

$5 Nassau, Mike vs Joe, match play, manual presses.

• Front 9: Mike finishes 2 up. Mike +$5.
• Joe presses on 15. He wins holes 15-18 by one, so the press goes to Joe. Joe +$5.
• Back 9: Mike won one more hole on 10-14, Joe one more on 15-18 - all square, a push.
• Overall: Mike is 2 up after 18. Mike +$5.

Mike +$5, Joe -$5. Joe pays Mike $5.

House-rule choices

• Manual presses only, or auto-press at 2 down or 3 down.A setting in the app
• Different amounts for the front, back and overall legs.A setting in the app
• Net (strokes on the hardest holes) or gross.A setting in the app
• Whether the side that is ahead can refuse a press.By agreement

How to play

• Each hole is worth one skin. The single lowest score on the hole wins it.
• If two or more players tie for low, nobody wins - the skin carries over, so the next hole is worth 2.
• A ball that was picked up can't win a skin.

Scoring

• Each skin you win collects the stake from every other player. Four players at $2: a skin is worth $6.
• Skins still carrying after the last hole aren't paid out.
• Birdie validation (optional): a skin only counts if the winning score is a birdie or better - otherwise it carries.
• Birdie bonus (optional): a skin won with a birdie or better counts double.

Typical stakes

• $1 to $5 a skin is the usual range.
• Carryovers make late holes swing - five tied holes in a row put 6 skins on the next one.

Worked example

Joe, Sam, Ana and Mike play $2 skins.

• Hole 1: Sam makes 4, everyone else 5. Sam wins 1 skin.
• Holes 2 and 3: ties for low both times, so 2 skins carry.
• Hole 4: Joe wins outright and takes 3 skins (this hole plus the 2 that carried).
• No one wins outright on 5-18.

Joe collects 3 x $2 from each of the other three ($18) and pays Sam $2: Joe +$16, Sam $0, Ana -$8, Mike -$8.

House-rule choices

• Carryovers on, or off (a tied hole's skin is dead).A setting in the app
• Birdie validation and the birdie bonus.A setting in the app
• Net skins or gross skins.A setting in the app
• A flat buy-in split by skins won, instead of paying per skin.By agreement

How to play

• Set an order on the first tee. The Wolf moves to the next player each hole.
• After the tee shots, the Wolf picks a partner or declares Lone Wolf and takes on the rest of the group alone.
• Blind Wolf (optional): go Lone Wolf before anyone tees off, for a bigger payout.
• Each side's best ball decides the hole.

Scoring

• Wolf and partner win the hole: 1 point each.
• Lone Wolf wins: 3 points. Blind Wolf wins: 4 points.
• The Wolf's side loses: each player on the other side gets 1 point.
• A tied hole scores nothing. At the end, settle the point difference times the stake against each other player.

Typical stakes

• $1 a point is common - a couple of Lone Wolf wins add up fast.

Worked example

Ana, Ben, Cal and Dee play $1 a point.

• Hole 1: Ana is Wolf, picks Ben, and they win. Ana 1, Ben 1.
• Hole 2: Ben is Wolf, goes Lone Wolf and loses. Ana, Cal and Dee get 1 each.
• Hole 3: Cal is Wolf, goes Lone Wolf and wins. Cal 3.

After 3 holes: Cal 4, Ana 2, Ben 1, Dee 1 points. Money: Cal +$8, Ana $0, Ben -$4, Dee -$4.

House-rule choices

• Point values for a partner win, a Lone Wolf win and a Blind Wolf win.A setting in the app
• Blind Wolf allowed or not.A setting in the app
• Whether the Wolf tees off first or last.By agreement
• The player in last place is Wolf on the final holes.By agreement

How to play

• Put your team's two scores together with the low score first: a 4 and a 5 make 45.
• A score of 10 or more just goes on the end: a 4 and a 10 make 410.
• The flip: if a team makes a birdie, the OTHER team's number is written high score first - their 4 and 6 become 64.
• If both teams birdie, both numbers flip.

Scoring

• The team with the lower number wins the difference in points: 45 vs 56 is 11 points.
• Tied numbers: no points.
• By default only real (gross) birdies flip. You can let net birdies flip too.
• Eagle double (optional): a hole where someone makes an eagle is worth double.
• Settle the point difference times the stake.

Typical stakes

• A dime or a quarter a point. Vegas swings hard, so start small.

Worked example

Team A vs Team B at 10 cents a point.

• Hole 1: Team A makes 4 and 5 (45). Team B makes 5 and 6 (56). Team A +11.
• Hole 2 (a par 4): Team B birdies with a 3 and adds a 5 (35). Team A's 4 and 6 flip to 64. Team B +29.

Team B is up 18 points after two holes - $1.80 at 10 cents a point.

House-rule choices

• Gross birdies flip, or net birdies flip too.A setting in the app
• Eagle doubles the hole.A setting in the app
• Numbers built from net scores or gross scores.A setting in the app
• A cap on how many points one hole can be worth.By agreement

How to play

• Bingo: first ball on the green.
• Bango: closest to the pin once every ball is on the green.
• Bongo: first ball in the hole.
• Play in order - the ball farthest from the hole goes first - or the points stop meaning anything.

Scoring

• One point for each, so three points a hole.
• Most points wins. Settle the point difference times the stake against each other player.
• In The Perch you tap who won each point on the hole screen.

Typical stakes

• 50 cents or $1 a point.

Worked example

Ana, Ben and Cal play 18 holes at $1 a point (54 points in all).

• Final points: Ana 22, Ben 18, Cal 14.

Ana +$12, Ben $0, Cal -$12. Cal pays Ana $12.

House-rule choices

• Strict farthest-first order, or ready golf with honest calls.By agreement
• Who gets Bingo when nobody reaches the green in regulation.By agreement

How to play

• Lower score on a hole wins it and puts you 1 up. Same score halves the hole.
• Losing a hole by five costs the same as losing it by one.
• With 2 a side, each team's better ball counts on every hole (four-ball).
• The match ends when one side leads by more holes than are left: 3 up with 2 to play is a "3 & 2" win.

Scoring

• The status reads 2 UP, 1 DN, or AS (all square).
• The winner takes the stake. A match that ends all square is a push.
• Net match play: each player gets their strokes on the hardest holes, by stroke index.

Typical stakes

• $5 to $20 a match - or play it as a Nassau and make it three bets.

Worked example

Mike vs Joe, $10 match.

• Mike is 3 up after 15 holes.
• They halve 16. Mike is still 3 up with only 2 holes left, so the match is over.

Mike wins 3 & 2. Joe pays Mike $10.

House-rule choices

• 1 vs 1, or 2 vs 2 best ball.A setting in the app
• A percentage of strokes instead of full strokes.A setting in the app
• Play off the low man: only the stroke difference is given.By agreement
• What counts as a conceded ("gimme") putt.By agreement

How to play

• Best score on the hole gets 5 points, the middle score 3, the worst 1.
• Ties share the points they cover: two tied for best split 5 + 3, so 4 each. All three tied: 3 each.

Scoring

• Most points wins.
• Settle the point difference times the stake against each other player.

Typical stakes

• 25 cents to $1 a point.

Worked example

Ana, Ben and Cal play $1 a point.

• Hole 1: Ana 4, Ben 5, Cal 6. Points 5 / 3 / 1.
• Hole 2: Ana 4, Ben 4, Cal 5. Ana and Ben share 5 + 3 (4 each), Cal 1.

After 2 holes: Ana 9, Ben 7, Cal 2. Money: Ana +$9, Ben +$3, Cal -$12.

House-rule choices

• A different split, like Split Sixes (4 / 2 / 0).A setting in the app
• Net or gross.A setting in the app

How to play

• Each hole starts at the stake. Either side can throw the hammer first.
• The other side accepts (the hole is now worth double) or declines and gives up the hole at its value before the throw.
• After that, only the side that last accepted can throw it back.

Scoring

• Better ball wins the hole and its current value.
• A tied hole pushes - or carries to the next hole, if you set it that way.
• In match play the hammer replaces the match bet: every hole is its own bet.
• Must be down (optional): only the side that is behind can throw.

Typical stakes

• $1 or $2 a hole - it doubles quickly.

Worked example

Team A vs Team B, $2 a hole.

• Hole 1: A throws on the tee and B accepts ($4). B throws back after the approach and A accepts ($8). B wins the hole: B +$8.
• Hole 2: A throws; B declines and gives up the hole at $2. A +$2.

After 2 holes Team B is up $6.

House-rule choices

• Tied holes push or carry.A setting in the app
• Only the side that is down may throw.A setting in the app
• No throwing once a ball is on the green.By agreement