Golf's Best Betting Games

There are very few things in life better to me than a great day on a fun golf course with my closest friends.  The camaraderie is truly what this game of golf is all about.  The only thing that can make the day much better is a really good betting game, and of course collecting the $$$ and earning bragging rights!

We all know the standard games such as a Nassau or the ever popular Wolf, but I have selected a few of the games that have been different and really fun.

Here are a few of the best games I have played: (all these games work best if the players are of similar ability)

Trash: This can be anything, from greenies to sandies to cart paths hit.  Identify all forms of trash before teeing off and place the same value on each one. This will help in the post-round accounting session, which can be almost as fun as playing the round.  Trash can have a positive or negative value to it; a greenie (closest to the pin on a par three and a par) is a plus, whereas a snake (a three putt green) is a negative. Select a few of the following suggestions for your next round - (negative unless specified)

• Sandie: up and down from a greenside trap or a par from any trap on the course (+)
• Fish: any ball that enters a lateral or water hazard
• Gorilla: any lost ball that is not O.B.
• Whitey: any ball that is hit O.B.
• Flagger: any shot that hits the pin from off the green (+)
• Stobbies: approach shots that finish inside a flag length from the hole in regulation (+)
• Polies: any made putts longer than the pin (+)
• Hogan's: fairway and green in regulation and a par or better (+)
• Arnie's: any golfer who pars a hole without ever hitting the fairway (+)
• Barkie's: any golfer making a par on a hole on which they hit a tree (+) A Cabrera is a hole on which a golfer, after hitting two trees, wins a green jacket!

Gruesomes: This game works best for a six or nine hole period as it can get ,well, a little gruesome.  Two person teams play against each other with both team members teeing off. The catch is that the other team gets to choose which of the drives your side has to play and they obviously choose the lesser of the two drives. The teams play a scramble format from the selected tee shot into the hole.

Sixes or Nines: This is an ideal game for a threesome. There are six points available on each hole and the value of a point needs to be determined before teeing off. If all the golfers make the same score they each get two points. Should one golfer make a four and the other a five and the other a six the points are allocated as follows: four, two and zero. I like to add that if a golfer beats the other two player by two or more strokes on a hole, then they get all six points.  This is a good game as nobody is ever entirely out of the running.

Hollywood: This game works well when there is an imbalance in the foursome and some golfers are better than others. This game involves two members of the foursome teaming up against the other two. The catch is that partners rotate every six holes and everybody plays with everybody. I love the name of this game, just think about it......

If you enjoy golf and gambling then you might enjoy a visit to Las Vegas - great golf and certainly plenty of opportunity for some gambling. For more information as to where to go while there check out this casino guide.

And don't buy into the statement: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!"