Frank LaRosa
Not Dated

When you’re on the first tee, don’t bet with anyone with a deep suntan, squinty eyes and a 1 iron in his bag!

– Dave Marr, former PGA touring professional

Ever since the first Neanderthal whacked a hunk of granite with a wooly mammoth tusk, the urge to bet that you can knock the nugget into a T-Rex footprint in fewer strokes than your partner has proved irresistible to many. The stakes may be as benign as a fancy drink with an umbrella or they might be something quite astonishing. In fact, the records of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews point to a particularly infamous wager where Sir David Moncreiffe bet his life against that of John Whyte-Melville in 1870. Apparently, Sir David’s “bet bogey” prevented him from making any more wagers—permanently!

Today’s friendly wagering games, while played for considerably less dramatic stakes, are nonetheless just as significant and potentially nerve-wracking to the participants. According to Lee Trevino, “You don’t know what pressure is until you’ve played for $5 a hole with only $2 in your pocket.” Whether you’re one to play for an adult libation or just an “atta-boy,” here’s a short primer on the games golfers play.

Nassau

The round is divided into three separate wagers—the front nine, the back nine and the 18-hole total. Each hole is scored as a separate match with the lowest score winning the hole and the player getting a point. In the event of a tie, there is “no blood” on the hole and no point is available.

If you’re playing for Snickers bars, the player with the most points on the front wins a Snickers, the player with the most points on the back wins a Snickers and the player with the highest total wins another Snickers bar.

Press

In a Nassau, if one player falls behind, he can “press” or concede the hole and start a new bet. If you’ve played three holes and you’re two down, you can press, give your partner his Snickers and wager another Snickers on the remaining six holes.

Skins

Popularized by two-day television matches, the player with the lowest score on a hole wins a skin or point from the other players. If two tie for the lowest score, no skin is awarded and two skins are up for grabs on the next hole.

Wolf

Each player rotates being the “wolf,” which gives him the option to choose a partner on the hole or “wolf it” by going to alone. With a partner, the team’s best ball or lowest score counts for the hole with the winners each earning a point. If the player “wolfs it,” the points are doubled and the wolf must beat the low score of the other three, giving the wolf the chance to win or lose six points.

Bingo, Bango, Bongo

Three points are available on each hole. One is awarded to the player first on the green, another to the closest to the hole when all have reached the green and the other point goes to the player who makes the first putt.

Total Strokes

Each player’s handicap is used to equalize the round. If you’re a 17-handicap player and the person who keeps winning your daughter’s school milk money is a 5 handicap, you will get strokes on the twelve highest handicap holes.

Nines

A game for three players with nine points available on each hole. The low score gets five points, next best gets three and the worst score gets one. A two-player tie for best score earns four points each and a tie for worst gets two points each. If all three tie, each player earns three points.

These are but a few of the more popular games within the game and each has many variations. Just be sure that the guy with the squinty eyes and the pocket full of Snickers doesn’t set the rules!