Golf Games

By Bob Ostrander, IndyGolf

Handicaps

First we need to talk about handicaps. Face it, you are always playing with someone better than you (at least we are) so you want to get a couple of strokes if you can.

Strokes to give/get =	Difference in handicaps X Course Slope from the tees you are playing
	113

If more than 2 are playing, everyone but the person with the lowest handicap gets stokes equal to their own differential to that person.

There are a lot of special rules for "Four Ball" and other tournament formats but the folks running the tournament will take care of it.

Stroke vs. Match Play

Stroke Play compares the total strokes for the round. This is also known as Medal Play.

In Match Play, each hole has a winner (or a tie) on each hole and the side that wins the most holes wins the match. You can lose with holes still to go. For instance "3 and 2" means the other guy is 3 holes up with 2 to go and you lose.

The Stableford System just assigns points instead of scores. Eagle-4, Birdie-3, Par-2, Bogey-1. The only real difference between this and Stroke Play is that double bogeys and above all count the same, zero, thus eliminating penalties for really bad holes. In our opinion, good players shouldn't need the help and bad players shouldn't get help of that kind.

The Chicago System gives points also, but differently. Eagle-8, Birdie-4, Par-2, Bogey-1.

Tournament Formats

Singles tournaments usually use Stroke Play. Match Play is only useful when playing against one other person or team.

Calloway System

For an outing when few people have established handicaps, the Calloway System evens things out by allowing high scorers to subtract strokes according to the following schedule:

Raw Score	Deduct
less than 73	none
73-75	half of worst hole (round up)
76-80	worst hole
81-85	1.5 worst holes
86-90	2 worst holes
91-95	2.5 worst holes
96-100	3 worst holes
101-105	3.5 worst holes
106-110	4 worst holes
etc.

Other rules include

• No hole may be scored at more than twice its par.
• The 17th and 18th holes are never deducted.
• In case of ties, lowest handicap takes preference.

Peoria System

Here 6 holes are secretly chosen by the organizers before the tournament. These are 2 each of par 3, par 4, and par 5. Each players net score is

Gross Score - ((Score on the 6 chosen holes * 3) - par for the 18)

The effect is to assign a handicap that is based somewhat on the luck of the draw.

Scotch Doubles

2-person teams alternate shots. One person drives on odd-numbered holes, the other on even-numbered holes.

Strategy? Choose carefully who gets evens and who odds. Who is better at hitting the green on par 3's? Who is longer and should drive the par 5's or the holes over water?

There is a variation where both tee off and then choose whose ball to use for the second shot. If we use my ball then you hit the second shot (and vice-versa).

In the Chapman System players tee off then hit their partner's second shots and then the decide (before the third stroke) which ball to use. The player who's ball they are not using hits the third shot and they alternate after that. They decide after the first shot on par 3's. This works quite well for mixed pairs and youth/adult tournaments.

Pinehurst is similar but the decision on who's ball to use comes right after the tee shot.

Scramble

Foursomes play as a team in a best-ball format. Sometimes the team must use so many of each player's drives, like 3 of each. Handicaps are not usually used although pairing may be done by handicap.

Strategy? Use weaker player's drives early. Let the strongest player hit last so he can really whale away if there's a good, safe shot out there already. Use the first putts to let the best putter read the green.

Private clubs sometimes have an annual Field Day where each member brings 3 guests for a Scramble.

String

Each player gets a length of string that they can use to improve bad lies. When in a bad lie they cut off the length of string equal to the distance they move the ball. The length of the string may be based on the player's handicap - maybe 6" per stroke.

You can't improve the lie on a green so you can't use 3" to move the ball into the hole.

Strategy? Use it judiciously. A foot to get out from behind a tree, a couple of feet to get out of the sand.

Flag Tournaments

Each player is given a small flag and is allocated a number of strokes equal to par plus 2/3 of his handicap. When the player runs out of strokes he plants his flag where the ball lands. The player that gets the furthest wins.

Best Ball

Of each foursome, you count the best 2 scores on each par 4 and par 5 and the best 3 scores on each par 3. Similar to Sixes where you use the best 1 score on the first 6 holes , the best 2 on the second 6 and the best 3 on the third 6.

Night Golf

You can actually play at night. There are transparent balls that hold small glow-sticks. These can be seen wonderfully at great distances, under bushes, in tall grass, down gullys, even underwater. The pin is marked with a glow-stick also. It's a great game. There are occasionally night-games at Zionsville, Tomahawk Hills, Walnut Ridge, and at Dakota Landing. If you hear of any we don't know about, PLEASE LET US KNOW!

Betting Games

So now we're on the course and want to up the challenge (yeah, right, like golf isn't enough of a challenge). Let's play some games.

Skins (for 2, 3, 4, or more)

Let's play a $1 skin game. Nobody is going to put up $30,000 per hole so we'll keep it simple at a buck. Theoretically, on each hole all 4 of us will put up $1. The person who scored better than everyone else wins the pot ($4) for that hole. That person has to be alone, if there are 2 tied for best the pot rolls over so that the next hole is now for both pots ($8). And so on.

Handicap differentials, of course, come into play but often if there's only 2 people in the game.

Strategy? Play your best on every hole. If you get off the main path you need to take chances to catch up.

According to Lee Trevino, Dallas Skins require the winner of a skin to par (or better) the next whole or forfeit the skin and the money goes back to the pot.

Straight Dope Staff Report: What's the origin of a skins game.

Fairways and Greens (for 2, 3, 4, or more people)

This is simply a skin game with 2 payoffs per hole.

1) Hitting the fairway with the drive (on par 4's and par 5's).
2) Hitting the green in regulation.

(Richard Doty and I play this for 50¢ whenever we play together, even if we're playing with other people. It makes us focus on hitting the fairway and the regulation part gives one of us cause for celebration once in a while.)

Changing the long drive to just "on the fairway" encourages some reason in shot selection.

Bingo Bango Bongo (for 2, 3, 4, or more)

On each hole there are really three bets.

1) Who's first to the green. That is, who's ball is the first on regardless of strokes taken.
2) Who's closest to the hole once everyone is on the green.
3) Who drops the longest putt. Anyone three-putting is automatically out of this bet.

It's important to play in strict far-ball rotation in order to calculate the bets. This will slow your game down so don't play this during busy hours. You also need to tee off in honors rotation on par 3 holes.

Bingo, Bango, Bongo, Bam adds a fourth bet - longest drive. The drive, of course, is only on par 4 and par 5 holes and only balls on the fairway count.

Hanidcap differentials are not used and not needed because a good chipper or a good putter has a decent chance at money even if they drive behind trees or into lakes. With 2 teams of 2 it's called Specks.

We suggest tick marks be put on the scorecard for each bet won. With a foursome the calculations a the end can get interesting but that's just a reason to have a beer after the game. Here's a simple example:

Albert - 8 points.
Bob - 18 points.
Charlie - 22 points.

At 25¢ per bingo, Albert owes Bob $2.50 and Charlie $3.50. Bob owes Charlie $1.00. So Albert pays Bob $1.50 and Charlie $4.50.

Four Ball (for 2 teams of 2)

The best score of the team on each hole is the only one that counts. Typically scored by match play with handicap differentials used.

Nassau (for 2 people or 2 teams)

A Nassau is just a bet on the first 9, a bet on the second 9, and a bet on the entire 18 in match play. Handicap differentials, of course, are used.

If one side gets 2 (sometimes 3) holes behind they can "press" the bet - doubling it - on either that side or for the entire 18. The team ahead doesn't have to accept the bet or forfeit as in Backgammon.

See also http://www.golfus.com/golfgames/betting_nassau.htm.

Wolfman (for 3 people)

After everyone drives, the 2nd longest shot becomes the "wolf" and the two others the hunter. The wolf's score doubled is compared to the hunters' combined scores for payoff. The wolf puts up $2 to the other guys' $1 each. Handicap differentials are used. In case of a tie the pot carries over to the next hole.

Strategy? You might or might not want to be the wolf. If you get a stroke on this hole because of your handicap you probably want to be the wolf. If there is a carryover the wolf doesn't split the larger pot as the hunters do.

Rabbit (for 3 or 4 people but can be played by 2)

When one person wins a hole he gets to "hold the rabbit". If another player beats him on another hole the rabbit gets freed so it ca be won again on a subsequent hole. Whoever holds the rabbit after 9 holes wins the bet, maybe $5.

If the rabbit holder wins another hole he gets to hold a leg of the rabbit also and he has to be beat once to free the leg and again to free the rabbit. Similarly a person can hold 2 or more legs and have to be beat 3 or more holes to lose the rabbit.

In an alternate method, when you win a leg you win the rabbit permanently. In this version there can be up to 5 rabbits to pay up at the end of (each) 9.

Name That Score (2 people or 2 teams)

Modeled on the old game show Name That Tune. On each hole one player bids a number of strokes he thinks he can shoot on that hole (say, 5). The other player can accept the bet or bid lower. If the final bidder shoots the bid or lower he wins. If teams, the score to be bid is the combined score of both.

Handicaps may or may not used. If used, the bid is against the net score. One player bids first on odd numbered holes, the other on evens.

English (for 3 players only)

There are 6 points to be won on each hole. It's like match play with handicaps used. The points (usually worth quarters) are doled out as follows:

• 4 pts to player with lowest score
• 2 pts to player with second lowest score
• 0 pts to worst player.

• 3 pts to each of two players tied at lowest score
• 0 pts to the schlarp.

• 4 pts to player with lowest score
• 1 pt to each of the other two players if they are tied.

• 2 pts (or no points) to everybody if they all tie.

Putting Green (for 2 or more)

Shoot in turn at a hole on the practice green and award points as follows: Sinking the putt - 2 points. Closest to the hole - 1 pt. Play to a specified number of points or until the foursome two ahead of you tees off on the first hole. Winner of each hole chooses the hole to hit to next.

It's true that putting practice is valuable and most people will bet on anything. Play for a quarter a point just to warm up the wallet for the day's play.

Miscellaneous Bets

Greenies is simply closest to the pin on a par 3. You must make a par or better for it to count.

Sandies - Anytime you are in the sand (except fairway bunkers) you have to get up and down to win. If it's 3 or more you lose.

Calcutta is an auction of players in a tournament. The total pot is the total of the auction take. The payout may be 70% to first and 30% to second or other formula but the payout goes to the owner of the player, not to the player. There are many variations, for instance, sometimes players may buy half of themselves from the winning bidder.

Alternate Handicap formats

Lets say you're playing with a weaker player and he wants some strokes.

• Let him take some Mulligans. Maybe 2/3rds of your handicap differential.

• If you're playing 18 at a 9-hole course (or playing 36) let him use the best score from each round. For a 20-handicapper this is worth 6 to 10 strokes.

• Play with Murphys - the opposite of Mulligans. The weaker player gets to force the stronger to replay a number of strokes. This can really frustrate the better golfer since a long putt or excellent chip is effectively negated.

• Playing Better Ball (where each person uses the best of 2 hits on each shot) can equalize an erratic golfer. It also lets you play twice as much golf. Only play this with the course's permission.

• See String.

"After the Drunken Party" Games

Backwards Golf - Play from near the green to the tee box. Choose a tee marker to hit to "hole" the ball.

Cross Country - Play from the first tee to the farthest hole on the back corner of the course.

3-Club - Where each player gets to chose just 3 clubs for the round. Often a putter, a pitching wedge, and a 3-iron.

No-Club is just what it implies; you throw your ball around the course. This will only last a hole or two until arms start giving out.

Shoot Out involves 10 players starting as a group. On each hole the worst player drops out, leaving 2 to shoot it out on the 9th hole. If two or more players tie for worst score on the first hole, 2 players drop out on the 2nd hole. If more than 2 tie for worst there, 3 drop out on the 3rd hole. Etc.

Monkey Tournament - For 4-player teams. Each player draws a club out of a hat and must hit with only that club. They alternate shots for 18 holes. This leads to tee shots with sand wedges, 3-woods from the sand, and putting with 9-irons.

Night Golf - Pick a par 3 hole and shoot for closest to the pin. Don't use lighted balls. The big trick is to find your ball.

For more ideas, get the amusing book "Golf Games" from Mustang Publishing.
$9.95 plus $3.00 shipping. 800-250-8713.

Do you have anything to add or correct?
Please email editor@indygolf.com. Thanks.