If you’ve just started to play golf this summer or are finding yourself playing way more because of the COVID-19 restrictions on everything, you might be finding it’s getting tough to score any cash off your more-experienced friends and family members.
Never fear: we at Golf Town are here to help.
There are a ton of great little games you can play with your usual group and even as a beginner, you could introduce some of these as an opportunity to make your return to golf that much more fun.
VEGAS GOLF
Available in a 12 version, the Vegas Golf poker chip game is the No.1 selling golf game worldwide.
It’s easy: each poker chip corresponds to something on the course – both good and bad. As your round goes on, good play means you have a chance to gain positive chips, while bad shots or results mean negative chips. It’s not always about having the lowest score (for example, there are chips for the first one-putt of the day), but it is about fun.
Does it take you more than one shot to get out of the sand trap? You’ll get the ‘Grave Digger’ chip. Are you the furthest away from the pin on a par-3? You’ll get the ‘Beer’ chip, meaning it’s your round the next time the beer cart comes by!
No matter your skill level, you can have tons of laughs and introduce a little bit of competition amongst your group with this easy-to-carry and easy-to-execute game.
THE CLASSICS
Assuming your friends and family can give you strokes to help balance out the skill levels amongst everyone, there are some classic gambling and match-play games you can introduce to make your usual round feel a little more meaningful.
6/6/6
If you’re playing in a group of four, you get paired with one other member in your group for three six-hole matches (and change partners after each six-hole match is completed). In this best-ball format, the lowest score between the pair wins. You can also mix in fun formats like alternate shot (just like it sounds, each two-person team takes turns alternating shots) or scramble (both players hit but you use the best shot from the two each time).
Nassau
The most basic of golf gambling games, a $2 or $5 Nassau is the easiest way to spice up your rounds with friends. Essentially there is a bet on the outcome (score-wise) of the first nine holes, the second nine holes, and the overall 18 holes. Lots of variations exist.
Skins
The outcome of each hole is worth a certain dollar amount, and if there is a tie the value is ‘carried over’ to the next hole.
Bingo, Bango, Bongo
For even the less-experienced players, this game is an opportunity for you to win money from your group. ‘Bingo’ means the first player to hit the green, whether in regulation or not. ‘Bango’ is the player closest to the pin after the balls are on the green. ‘Bongo’ is the first person to get the ball into the cup. No matter your skill level, you’ve got a chance with this one.
POKER
This is a fun putting game that is perfect for beginners, since it doesn’t really matter how many shots it’s taken you to get to the green – if you’re a wizard with the short wand you’ve got a great chance!
One-putts are rewarded with cards while three-putts mean you need to put money into the pot. At the end of the day, the person with the best poker hand wins the cash.