Golf Games\

While most Americans play medal play, which is stroke play golf, there are many scoring variations which make for enjoyable games of variety for one, two, three or four players. Listed below are some of the most popular golf games where even a hack can win a wager or two against a scratch player.

ANIMALS: Your actual score is not as important as the "animals" you accumulate. Before each round, the value of the animals is predetermined, for instance, each animal is worth $1. You must also determine whether at the end of the round you add up all your animals and contribute either $1 to the pot per animal or $1 to each opponent for each animal.

If your ball strikes a tree or you hit into the woods, you are awarded a monkey. If you ball comes to rest in the water, you get a fish, if it comes to rest in a bunker, you are awarded a camel. A three putt gives you a snake. The idea is to have the least amount of animals at the end of the round. The animals you accumulate are removed from you by an opponent getting the same animal. For instance, if you have a monkey on the first hole, and your opponent gets a monkey at a later time, he takes your monkey. However, if you get two monkeys in a row, your first monkey is "boxed in" and you cannot get rid of it. But your second monkey can still be given to you opponent provided you do not box in the second monkey as well. Your opponents can only take away an identical animal and only identical animals can box each other in.

BEST BALL: (2 or 4 man) Each team golfer plays their own ball all the time and only the lowest teammate's score is counted on each hole toward the team's round and the bad scores are ignored.

DIME-A-YARD (PENNY-A-YARD, BUCK-A-YARD ETC): Each hole of the round is worth a set value based on the length of each hole. You can make each yard worth a penny, ten cents, a dollar, etc... Lets say player A wins a 580 yard hole and each yard is worth a penny, then that player has won $5.80. If his opponent wins two par threes of 120 yards and 140 yards, then player B has won only $2.60. Player B owes player A $3.20. This can be played by as many players as you want, you just need to figure the low score for each hole.

DOTS: Played in a foursome with no set teams. Each player tees off and the two balls that are closest to right side of the hole form one team and the two balls that are on the left side of the hole form the other team. The teams play together for the duration of the hole and new teams are made following the next tee shot. Usually you play best ball or high-low as a team and if your team wins a particular hole, each player gets a "dot" on the score card for that hole. The player with the most dots wins. Sometimes each dot is worth set dollar amount.

HIGH-LOW: A foursome consists of two teams. On each hole, each team's high score is compared against the opponents high score. Whichever team's high score is lower will receive a point. A team's low score is also compared against the opponents low score. Whichever team's low score is lower will receive a point as well. Optionally, you can also use combined scores for an additional point. In that case, each teams combined score is compared against the opponents combined score, and the lower net team score will also receive a point. In the case of ties, no points are awarded. Whichever team has the highest point total at the end of the round wins. It can be pre-determined what each point is worth, for example, each point is worth $1 to increase the pressure.

MATCH PLAY: Opponents play not for score, but to win each hole independently. The lowest score on each hole will receive one point. The score differential on each hole has no bearing. The match is over when one player is up more holes over his opponent than there are holes left to be played.

MONKEY BOY: You need a small stuffed monkey. Every time someone in your foursome hits a tree or has his ball fly into the woods, he is handed (or thrown in an insulting way) the monkey. The next person to hit a tree or into the woods takes the monkey from the previous golfer. The monkey must be visible, either on your person or in your immediate vicinity when you are the "monkey boy." The golfer with the monkey when the round is finished, must buy a pitcher of beer for the foursome. If you loose the monkey, you automatically lose. This adds an interesting dimension when combined with other matches, a sort of game within the game. For instance, there may come a point when a golfer must chose between risking getting the monkey or winning the hole.

NASSAU: Whoever has the lowest score on the front nine receives one point. Whoever has the lowest score on the back nine receives one point. Whoever has the lowest 18 hole score will also receive one point. The winner is whoever has the most points.

PINKBALL: Each team is given a "pink ball." (It does not have to be a pink ball, but it must be separately identifiable) Each member of the team must play an entire golf hole with the "pink ball." Then the process is repeated until the tournament is concluded. Other scoring rules are usually in effect. Should the pink ball be lost, the team is disqualified. Sometimes it comes down to not which team has the lowest score, but rather, who still has the "pink ball."

PINKBALL ELIMINATION: Similar to "Pinkball" except the person who loses the "pinkball" is subtracted from the foursome and they continue a scramble or best ball tournament as a threesome. Should another "pink ball" be lost, that golfer is subtracted from the threesome, and they continue as a scramble or best ball twosome and so forth.

SCOTCH: In a two man team, each golfer alternates shots of the same ball. They must also alternate who takes the tee shot on each hole.

SCRAMBLE: In a foursome, everyone hits from the tee. The best tee shot is selected and all members of the foursome hit from the spot of the best tee shot after collecting their original shots. Only the shot selected as the optimal shot will count towards the stroke tally. This continues until the hole is concluded and until 18 holes are concluded.

SHAMBLES: In a foursome, there are two teams of two players. Everyone in the foursome hits their tee shot. Each team selects the best tee shot of the two tee shots. The player's who's tee shot is not selected, picks up his ball and drops next to the teammate who's tee shot is selected. They both then acts as if the better tee shot was their own. Then, everyone plays their own ball in and finishes the hole. Only the lowest score from each team is counted for the match. This is a relatively fast playing and fun game which combines a scramble with best ball. It can also be played as a four man team.

SKINS: In a group of 2 or more golfers, the player with the lowest score on each hole wins a skin. This can be the lowest net score or the lowest gross score. The value of each hole is set at the beginning, of instance, 1 point or $10. Sometimes the value of the holes are be varied according to the holes difficulty or increases as the round progresses. At the end of the round the skins are added up and paid out according to the number of skins won, or if not playing for money, the player with the most skins is determined to be the winner. Hole that are tied are not awarded to anyone.

SKINS WITH CARRYOVER: Same as Skins except that if a hole it tied, the "skin" is carried over to the next hole. The points or money continue to carry over and add up over the successive tied holes until there is a definitive winner on a hole. Then the following hole defaults to the original value and the process starts again.

STABLEFORD: A Stableford competition is a golf tournament in which the object is to get the highest score. That's because in Stableford, golfers are awarded points based on their scores in relation to a fixed score at each hole. That fixed score can be par, bogie or any number of strokes agreed to in the beginning. USGA and R&A define Stableford points in this manner:

If you have a bunch of hacks are playing, do not set the fixed score at par, it would be better to pick bogie or higher.

STABLEFORD (MODIFIED): Just liken the Stableford system but uses a progressive scale and also detract points for bad scores. Points are awarded on this scale:

Like the regular Stableford system, you can alter this scale to fit your golfers. If you have a bunch of high handicappers, don't use this scale. Make par worth 2 points and bogie worth 1 and so forth. However, if you are going to use net scores by way of handicaps, the scale would be fine.

THREE-BALL (Sam golf): The only three player golf game we can think of at the moment. There are three human players in the match plus "Sam" who is merely an imaginary player who always shots an assigned number. Usually Sam is scratch and shots par on every hole. Over the 18 holes, each human player takes turns playing on "Sam's team" for 6 holes. The other two players play with each other on another team until it is time to switch. For instance, Player A and B are on the same team for the moment and shot par and bogie respectively on a hole. Player C and "Sam" shot par and par. Therefore, player C is awarded one match point for winning the hole. On the next whole, A and B shot par and bogie again and C shots double bogie and "Sam" gets his customary par. Player A and B are each awarded one match point for winning the hole.

UMBRELLA GAME : Played is by points, there are six points available per hole: Four in a match, two against two players. Each hole is worth 6 points as follows:

One point per team for nearest to the pin, on the green in regulation. (this is probably the most important point, because it is almost impossible to tie, and even though it is only worth one point it has been used to prevent many "Umbrellas")
Two points for individual low score per team. If both teams tie, no points awarded.
Two points for low total score of team. If both teams tie, no points awarded.
One point if team makes birdie. If both teams tie, no point awarded.

If one team gets all of the above points, then the points are doubled and "the Umbrella" is opened. Instead of six points, the team would be awarded twelve points. But the team must achieve all qualifications, in theory six points. As an example, if a team has low total (2 points), low individual score (2 points) and a birdie (1 Point), but the team did not win the pin shot, they would only get five points. If you are playing automatic presses, then that would double the bets accordingly. The total points are added at the end of the round and a point and can be worth anywhere from twenty five cents to big bucks a point. It is a great game because it brings in every aspect of each individual player playing.