Golf Games and On the Course Bets - ( Games and Bets T thru Y )
If your favorite golf game or golf bet did not make our list, e-mail us the name and a detailed description.
Texas Scramble: Definition: Texas Scramble is a competition format that is a basic scramble with a slight twist.
Scrambles involve 4-person teams playing four balls, but with each shot coming from the same spot (the best of the four drives is chosen and all four team members then hit from that spot, and so on).
The variation in a Texas Scramble is that at least four drives of each member of the team must be used during the course of the round: At least four drives hit by Player A, four by Player B, and so on. In a regular scramble, a great driver might have his tee ball used on every hole. A Texas Scramble eliminates that possibility and allows even the weakest driver on the team to get into the action.
Thirty-Two: Definition: Thirty-Two is a side bet for golfers that focuses on putting. It's essentially a challenge from one golfer to another to avoid a three-putt.
Let's say your buddy is facing a long, difficult putt. You invoke the thirty-two side bet. If your buddy three-putts (or worse), he owes you two units of the bet. If he two-putts (or better), you owe him three units of the bet. (If the bet is $1, for example, and he three-putts, he owes you $2; if he two-putts, you owe him $3).
Alternate Spellings: 32
Three Ball: Definition: A Three Ball match is essentially two match play matches per player in one round of golf.
In Three Ball, the members of a group of three players compete in match play against one another, with each member of the group playing individual matches against the other two members.
For example, players A, B and C are playing a Three Ball match. At each hole, Player A is playing separate matches against both B and C; B against both A and C; C against both A and B.
Three Club Monte: Definition: Three Club Monte is a golf format that requires the players to pick just three clubs to use during their round. All players are allowed their putters in addition to the three other clubs they choose. The choice of clubs can't be changed during the round - once you've chosen a 3-wood, 5-iron and 9-iron, for example, those are the only clubs (other than putter) you can use during the round.
Three Club Monte is a good game to play in order to learn and practice half-shots, knock-downs and so forth.
Alternate Spellings: 3 Club Monte
Three-Putt Poker: Definition: As described in a Golf Digest article, Three-Putt Poker is a golf betting game that combines an element of poker with the golfers' performance on the greens.
At the beginning of the round, the members of the group ante up the opening bet (say $5 each) and each member is dealt one playing card. On each green of the front nine, any golfer who 3-putts is required to add to the pot (for a $5 initial bet, a 3-putt can require $1 more to the pot). But each golfer who records a 1-putt is dealt an additional playing card.
At the end of the front nine, the golfer whose cards yield the best poker hand wins the pot. And the game starts over for the second nine.
The amount of the bet is, of course, up to the group members. For a $1 initial bet, additions to the pot as a result of 3-putts might be a quarter.
For a $10 initial bet, perhaps $2.
And just as with regular poker, Lady Luck plays a big part. One golfer might earn 5 more cards while another earns no additional cards, but it's still possible for that one card to win the pot if no other golfers can beat it.
Alternate Spellings: 3-Putt Poker
Threesomes: Definition: A type of match in which one golfer plays against a team of two golfers, with each side playing one ball.
The single player, obviously, is playing his own ball throughout; the team side plays alternate shot. Threesomes can be played as stroke play or match play.
Tombstone: Definition: Tombstone is a competition format that is more commonly known as Flags or Flag Competition.
In Tombstone, golfers begin their rounds with an allotment of strokes and they play until their strokes run out. The golfer who makes it farthest around the course is the winner.
The name comes from the fact that each golfer carries with him a flag, a small clipboard or other item to be staked in the ground at the point of their final stroke. The "tombstone," in this case, is the object placed in the ground where the golfer's round meets its end.
Also Known As: Flags, Flag Competition
The Train: Definition: The Train is a golf betting game for groups that awards points for positive accomplishments - but can wipe those points away if something bad happens.
In The Train, positive points are awarded thusly:
• Par - 1 point
• Birdie - 2 points
• Eagle - 5 points
The object is to accumulate the most points over the course of your round. But there's a catch, and it's a big catch. If at any point in the round you make two bogeys in a row - or one double-bogey - you lose all your points are start over again at zero.
Groups can choose to set a monetary value for each point and pay out based on the differential in points. Or all members of the group can contribute to a pot before the round starts; at the end of the round, divvy up the pot based on percentage of total points earned (for example, if 28 total points are earned by the members of your group, and you earned 14 of them, you win 50-percent of the pot).
Triples: Definition: Triples can be a competition between players in a group of three, or a side bet in a three ball competition. Either way, it involves groups of three players.
In Triples, a point value is assigned to a player's standing on each hole. Most commonly, a player gets 6 points for having the best score on a hole, 4 points for the middle score and 2 points for the worst score.
For ties, the point values for the places in question are added together and divided by the number of players tied. Two examples: First, all three players tie on a hole. Six plus 4 plus 2 equals 12; 12 divided by 3 equals 4, all three players get 4 points. Second, two players tie for low score; 6 plus 4 equals 10; 10 divided by 2 equals 5; each of those two players gets five points.
The bet can based on overall result; i.e., the player with the most points wins the bet and a predetermined amount. Or it can be based on the differential in points between players; or each point can have a dollar value.
Trouble: Trouble, a k a Disaster, is a points game in which the winner at the end of the round is the player (or team) that has collected the fewest number of points. That's because points are "awarded" for bad shots. Hit a ball out of bounds, that's a point.
Points in Trouble can be given any value, and what earns a point can vary from group to group - it's up to you. But a common point system is as follows:
• Water ball - 1 point
• Out of bounds - 1 point
• In a bunker - 1 point
• Failing to get ball out of bunker - 1 point
• 3-putt - 1 point
• 4-putt - 3 points
• Hitting from one bunker into another - 2 points
• Whiff - 4 points
One variation of Trouble is to allow all points accumulated to be erased when a par is made. Golfers who are likely to add up a lot of points will enjoy that option.
Also Known As: Disaster
Uglies: Definition: Uglies can be a side bet in any group of golfers. Determine the value of each "ugly" before the round begins. Uglies are automatically won by any golfer holing a shot from off the green. Also decide before the round if chip-ins from the fringe will count.
Whack and Hack: Definition: Whack and Hack is a tournament format for 4-person teams, or a betting game for several groups of four golfers each.
In Whack and Hack, the four team members each play their own ball for four individual scores. Two of those scores are combined to make up the team score on each ohle. The two scores that are used are the low ball and the high ball. So if the four players score 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, the team score is 11 (4 + 7).
But there's an exception. If the low ball for the team is a birdie or better, then the team gets to use its two low balls on that hole.
Alternate Spellings: Whack 'N' Hack
Wipe Out - See No Alibis
Wolf: Definition: Wolf is a betting game or points game for a group of four players. Players rotate being the "Wolf." The player designated as the "Wolf" gets to choose whether to play the hole 1 against 3 (himself against the other three players in the group) or 2 on 2.
And if the Wolf chooses to play 2 on 2, he must choose his partner immediately following that player's drive. Example: Player A is the Wolf. Player B hits a bad drive. Player C hits a pretty good drive. If the Wolf wants C as a partner, he must claim his partner before Player D hits his tee ball.
The side with the lowest better ball score wins the hole. If it's 2 on 2, then the winning side wins the bet. If it's 1 on 3, the Wolf wins double or loses double.
There's also Lone Wolf, in which the Wolf announces before anyone tees off - including himself - that he's going it alone, 1 on 3.
On a Lone Wolf hole, the Wolf wins triple or loses triple.
Also Known As: "Ship, Captain & Crew" or "Boss"
Wolfman: Definition: Wolfman is a betting game that has silimarities to Wolf, Hog and Defender. But Wolfman is a game specifically for groups of three players, and in Wolfman, the "it" player, so to speak, is automatically chosen based on driving performance.
Here's how Wolfman works: All three players in the group tee off. On par 4s and par 5s, the middle drive (second-longest drive, in other words) becomes the Wolfman; on par 3s, the second closest to the hole is the Wolfman. The other two members of the group are the Hunters.
The hole is played out. The Hunters' net scores are added together; the Wolfman's net score is doubled. If the Wolfman's doubled score is lower than the Hunters' combined score, the Wolfman wins the hole (and the bet).
If the Hunters' combined score is lower, they win the hole and bet.
Say the bet is $1 per hole. If the Wolfman wins the hole, each Hunter owes the Wolfman $1; if the Hunters win the hole, the Wolfman owes each Hunter $1.
Woodies - See Barkies
Yellow Ball: Definition: Yellow Ball (a k a Pink Ball, Pink Lady, Lone Ranger or Money Ball) is a game for 4-person teams that puts the onus on one player per hole to come through for the team.
Each group of four players in a scramble has a yellow ball (or pink, or a white ball that has been marked) that rotates among players. For example, Player A uses it on the first hole, B on the second, C on the third, D on the fourth, then back to A on the fifth and so on.
In this game, two scores per hole are added together for the team score. Here's the catch: One of those two scores must be from the player with the yellow ball. So on each hole, the team score will be the score of the player with the yellow ball, plus the lowest score of the other three players on the team.
Does the ball actually have to be yellow? Of course not, but the ball should be marked in some way to designate it as "the" ball.
There are a couple variations that add to the tension of the game.
In one, if the player playing the yellow ball loses it, that player is eliminated from the game. The group would continue as a threesome with a new yellow ball.
In another, if the yellow ball is lost, the entire team is eliminated from the competition. Pretty harsh.
And in another, the yellow ball serves as a "bonus" competition. The 4-person teams compete using the two low scores on each hole; the yellow ball score is kept separately. The team with the lowest yellow ball score wins a bonus prize.
Also Known As: Pink Ball, Money Ball, Pink Lady, Lone Ranger
Yellowsomes:
Definition: Another name for Gruesomes.
Also Known As: Gruesomes