Betting is a part of most golfers’ typical outings; the extra competitive spirit of making bets contributes to the game can make golf that much more fun. Here are some bets you typically see on the course.
Remember: Never bet more than you can afford to lose.
A Nassau is a three-part bet with the same stake wagered on the first nine holes, the second nine, and the total for the round. If you’re playing a $5 Nassau and you win all three parts, you’re up $15.
Skins is the format in which each hole is worth a certain amount — but if two players tie, all tie, and the money goes into the pot for the next hole (and sometimes the next and the next).
To play wolf, one player takes on everyone else in the group. For a set price, the lone wolf can choose one of the others as his or her partner.
Snake is a side bet: The first player to three-putt a hole gets stuck with a “snake” that costs a predetermined sum each hole until someone else three-putts.
In Bingo Bango Bongo, the first player on the green earns a point (bingo), as does the one closest to the hole when everybody’s safely on (bango) and the first to hole a putt (bongo).
