I've been lurking here for a while now, and recently created an account to (hopefully) start contributing. I like to add a gambling element when I play. For me, it elevates the competition slightly and allows for heightened concentration/pressure in certain situations, which I think helps everyone get better. I've been looking for a thread or post in this forum with different ways to bet on the course and I couldn't find any.
I'd love to hear what suggestions you all would have for betting on the course, specifically in a foursome with very different handicaps (e.g. ranging from 3 to 20-25). Obviously handicaps will come into play, but I'm getting bored with the standard nassau/skins stuff that happens all the time.
Thanks!

golf is the perfect sport to gamble as a player. when playing with friends and such, it is almost a crime not to have at the very least a small wager.

manditory press nassau is fun.

prop bets?

My two favorite gambling ways on the course:

1. This way is best for players of all skill level. Simply establish a $ per unit and play with odds. So you can bet them on the tee "5/1 that you make 5 or better" etc. By the time you hole out, there could be 3 or 4 different bets.

2. Vegas: 2 man teams.

Team A scores 4/4 .. Team B scores 4/5. 44 = 45 Team A wins 1 point.
Team A scores 3 ( birdie )/4 .. Team B scores 4/6 34 = 64 Team A wins 30 points.
Team A scores 3 (birdie)/3 .. Team B scores 4/4 33 = 44 Team A wins 21 points ( add 10 for two birdies )
Team A scores 3 (eagle)/5 .. Team B scores 5/6 35 = 65 Team A wins 60 points. ( eagles are flipped and doubled, not including possible press( see below) )

Since team A is in the lead overall they hit first on every tee. Team B has the option to "press", or double the scores before they hit their tee shots. After Team B hits their tee shots, team A has the option to "re-press", which again doubles the score.

Wolf begins by establishing an order of play. Players will rotate that same order throughout the round: player 1 hits 1st on #1, then 2nd on #2, 3rd on #3, and so on. The player teeing off first on each hole is the Wolf. The players take turns playing the Wolf based on the rotation of the established tee off order.

After teeing off, the Wolf has the following options:

1) Choose one of the other three players as a partner for the hole based on the results of their tee shots, or

2) Play the hole alone against the other three players.

For example, the Wolf tees off first. Then, the second player in the rotation tees off. Based on the results of the second players drive, the Wolf has the option to select the second player as a partner or pass. Once the third player hits their tee shot, the second player is no longer eligible as a partner for the Wolf. Likewise, once the fourth player hits their drive, the third player is no longer eligible as a partner for the Wolf.

After the fourth player tees off, before the group leaves the tee box, the Wolf must select the fourth player as a partner for the hole, or play the hole alone against the other three players. Wolf can be played low ball or low total.

Group determines point monetary value. Points are earned as follows:

Winning team: 1 point each player
Wolf wins playing alone: 3 points
Wolf loses playing alone: 1 point each for all other players

http://www.teeclub.com/betting_games.asp

one of the simplest and easy games that my buddies and I all play is to take the best person in the group and make them the #1 player.

Then take the other three guys and decide who will be the #1's partner for holes 1-6, 7-12, 13-18. So basically you divide the round into 3 seperate 6 hole one better ball matches and decide your stakes. Typically we do $10 per match with each team having one press during the 6 hole stretch.

This is very easy to keep score and I think it keeps it fair for everyone involved. Saying that, my normal group is all 2-8 handicaps so it's always very fair.

If your group has two solid players and two average/below average players then just seperate the two good players and put #1/#4 together and #2/#3 together and do a one better ball match play with each team having a press and decide your stakes...

Usually play team matches

Set $ amounts per hole (carry overs do apply), per side, per entire 18, for birdies (x2 for eagles)

Also set $ amount for whatever TRASH variants you want. We usually play sandies, polies, hole outs, hitting the pin, birdies or better, GIR, closest to the pin on par 3's and par 5's (3rd shot) all count as dots.

Trash not only rewards the better golfers but keeps the bad golfers in the mix for things as well.

We play a standard Scotch Game.
2 man teams determined by the highest and lowest handicap followed by the other remaining players. If there less than a 10 stroke difference then we flip a golf tee for teams.

At the start of the round a predetermined (usually $1 or $2 per point per player) amount is determined per point. There are a total of 5 possible points that can be earned per hole
2 points to the team with the player who had the low ball
2 points to the team with the low total strokes for the team (subtracting handicap)
1 point for the player who is closest to the pin in regulation (ie prox)

Now the fun stuff. Example, game is $1/pt. There are up to 2 presses per hole. For example Team 1 tees off and goes out of bounds, Team 2 can press the bet making it making it now $2 per point for the remainder of the hole. If the player on Team 2 hits a poor shot, Team 1 can now repress making it a total of $4 per point.

A birdie will always double the points. Ie your team wins low ball, low total, and prox, you and your partner just won 10 pts each.

Whichever team is up money, they must tee off first giving the other team an option to press.

At any point a team is down, they can "cut the point." When the points are cut everything doubles. So in the earlier example when the game was $1/pt, the game is now $2/pt. That means when pressed it goes to $4, then $8 per point. The game gets very juicy fast.

Hope this helps spice up your 4 some on the course!

Great game and works well with all handicaps. i play this all the time and its always a lot of fun

Wow, thanks guys! All excellent ideas. I'd heard of wolf before but I've never tried it since I wasn't sure exactly how it worked. I might try to work that into my round this Sunday.

I play with my brother quite a lot and we just have a standing bet of $1 per hole, $1 birdies, sandies, $2 eagles and some other stuff, no carryovers. Since we're so close in skill level it keeps things interesting as we are always trying to one-up each other.

Has anyone ever played bingo bango bongo? Thats another one I've heard of but never actually figured out.

Good variant to wolf is:

Call wolf prior to any shots = 4x multiplier
Declare wolf immed after your own shot = 3x multiplier
Declare wolf after everyone hits = 2x multiplier

Please note: I have a gambling problem

I like wolf. There a few variations but I find it helps me play better especially the putting

You could play Low-Total. Two vs two. Each hole has two competitions - Low Score (Better Ball) & Best Team Total. Add in junk, and it's a good time. Using the 1&4 vs 2&3 method, you could use or ignore handicaps (your call).

My foursomes favorite game is six hole "rabbit". The object is to hold at least one 'rabbit leg' at the 6th, 12th, and 18th holes. You get a "rabbit leg" if you win a hole outright with handicap strokes. If nobody holds a "leg" after 6 or 12 each "rabbit" carrys over. It's a great game, especially when there's a "tripple rabbit running" on the 18th as there is a potential 12 unit swing on the line.

First on the green gets a point, closest to the pin gets a point and first in the hole gets a point. That's the version I played.

Do a combination of match play and stroke play.

Match up the handicaps so that they are close to even, then use the low one for each pair.

Two points are available for match play on each hole, 2 for the win, one each for the tie. Handicap may come into play on a few holes, so add those strokes according to the hole handicap on the scorecard.

Six points are available for the stroke play each nine. Low total (w/handicap) wins the nine. 3 points each for a tie.

Score it this way, it evens out handicap issues and won't kill golf fish like me when they snowman a par 3...