You’ve got three buddies, a tee time, and a perfectly good reason to make the round more interesting than just counting strokes.
This guide covers every golf game worth playing with four players — the betting formats your grandfather taught you, the team games that decide Ryder Cups, the points-based systems that level mixed skill groups, and a few original Golf Games Hub inventions you won’t find anywhere else.
Thirty-seven games (and growing), each with its own rules, strategy, and reasons to play. Use the interactive finder to filter by format, team structure, wagering, and complexity — then scroll down for the full breakdown on every game.
The Foursome Finder
Use the interactive finder below to filter 37 golf games for 4 players by type, team structure, whether money’s on the line, and complexity. Search by game name, tap filters to narrow the list, and click any game to read the complete rules and strategy guide. Or keep scrolling to read a complete list with brief breakdowns on each of these games.
The Best Betting Games for 4 Players
These are the money games — the formats built around wagering, where pride and pesos are both on the line. If your foursome is asking “what are we playing for today?”, start here.
Nassau
Players: 2–4 (4 ideal) · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes, with handicaps
Nassau is the gold standard of golf betting. Invented in 1900 at Nassau Country Club on Long Island, the format breaks an 18-hole round into three separate bets: the front nine, the back nine, and the overall match. Typical stakes run $2, $5, or $10 per leg. Nassau’s genius is that a disaster on the front nine doesn’t sink your whole day — the back nine is a brand new match, and the overall bet keeps everyone engaged all the way to the 18th green.
Most serious foursomes also layer in “presses” (automatic double-or-nothing side bets when one side goes down two holes) and “junk” bets for birdies, greenies, and sandies. It’s the betting format your dad played, his dad played, and the one your group will probably settle on more often than any other.
Read the full rules, strategy, and press mechanics in the Nassau Official Guide →
Skins
Players: 2–6 (4 ideal) · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes, with handicaps
Skins is the most dramatic betting format in golf. Every hole is worth a skin — a set dollar amount or point value — and the lowest score on that hole wins the pot outright. If two or more players tie for the low score, nobody wins, and the skin rolls forward to the next hole. Rolling skins stack up fast, and by the back nine, after a few carryovers, you can be standing over a 6-foot putt worth six skins with the whole group watching.
Skins works with handicaps or without, scales from foursomes up to larger groups, and can be layered on top of a Nassau as a side bet. It’s the easiest format to explain on the first tee and the hardest to walk away from.
Read the full rules and strategy in the Skins Official Guide →
Bogey Tax
Players: 3–4 · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes, with handicaps
Bogey Tax is a Golf Games Hub original built around a punishment pot. Every net stroke over par on a hole costs you cash into the pot — $2 a stroke is the standard graduating sting, $5 if you’re a high roller — and after 18 holes the lowest net total takes everything. Most betting games reward your best hole. Bogey Tax punishes your worst.
The format hits hardest with a full foursome because the pot grows fast and the field is wide enough that the leader isn’t decided by hole 8. Pairs cleanly with Nassau or Skins as a layered round, and variations like the Birdie Rebate (every birdie pulls money back from the pot) reward aggression on top of clean golf.
Read the full rules, variations, and strategy in the Bogey Tax Official Guide →
Hammer
Players: 2 or 4 · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Rough — bets compound fast
Hammer is a match-play betting game where any player can double the bet at any point during a hole — even after a shot is in the air. Throw the Hammer, opponent accepts (and the bet doubles), or declines (and forfeits the existing bet). The right to throw transfers to the accepter, so a hole can be hammered, re-hammered, and re-hammered again until somebody backs down.
In a foursome, run it as 2v2 with either best-ball or aggregate team scoring. The most volatile betting game you can play with a foursome — a $1 base bet hits $32 after five accepted Hammers within the confines of a single hole, which is why every group caps the per-hole maximum on the first tee. The Birdie Doubles variation (the one Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth played on Netflix’s Full Swing) auto-doubles the running bet on any birdie.
Read the full rules, variations, and strategy in the Hammer Official Guide →
Wolf
Players: 3–5 (4 ideal) · Team: Yes (rotating) · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Medium — use handicaps
Wolf is the original “decide in real time” betting game. Every hole, one player in the group is designated the Wolf. They tee off first, then watch each of the other players hit their drive. After every drive, the Wolf has to make an immediate call: do they want that golfer as a partner for the hole, or do they pass and watch the next drive? If they pass on everyone, they go Lone Wolf — taking on all three opponents solo for a triple-point payday.
The rotating partnership structure means no player gets stuck with the same partner all day, and every tee shot matters because the Wolf is watching. It’s the most strategic betting game in golf, and a favorite of serious groups who want something more interesting than straight stroke play with money on the line.
Read the full rules, the Lone Wolf variants, and strategy tips in the Wolf Official Guide →
Chicago
Players: 1v1, 2v2, foursome, or tournament · Team: Optional · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Chicago (also called 39s, Thirty-Nines, or the Chicago System) is a points-based betting game where every player tries to beat a personal quota set by their handicap. A scratch player chases 39 points. A 20-handicap chases 19. A 35-handicap chases 4. Whoever finishes most above their quota wins. It’s one of the cleanest betting formats for a foursome with a wide handicap spread because every player’s hurdle is calibrated to their own game.
Scoring runs off a modified Stableford table on gross scores: double bogey or worse is 0, bogey is 1, par is 2, birdie is 4, eagle is 8, albatross is 16. You don’t lose points for blow-ups — you can’t shoot worse than zero on a hole. The math is simple enough to keep on a standard scorecard and fair enough that a 25-handicap has a legitimate path to take the money from a 5. Course handicaps above 37 default to a floor of 2 points by most club rules.
Two clean wagering options: a flat pot where everyone throws in the same amount and the winner takes all, or a per-point payout where each point above quota is worth a fixed dollar amount and players settle differences at the end.
Read the full quota math, the scoring table, and the wagering structures in the Chicago Official Guide →
Vegas
Players: 4 only · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Rough — scores compound fast
Vegas takes four-player foursomes and replaces addition with chaos. The group splits into two teams of two, but instead of adding partners’ scores, you concatenate them into a two-digit number. A 4 and a 5 becomes 45. A 3 and a 4 becomes 34. The team with the lower combined number wins the hole for a set point or dollar value, and the swings add up fast.
The kicker: if any player makes a 10 or higher on a hole, the high number goes first. That means a 4 and a 10 becomes 104 instead of 410 — one bad swing can turn a winning hole into a disaster. Vegas can get expensive quickly, so start with small stakes until you understand exactly how fast the math moves against you.
Read the full rules and the Rule of 10 mechanics in the Vegas Official Guide →
Wad
Players: 2–4 (best with 3 or 4) · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent — putting clutch wins
Wad is a putting side-bet that rewards made putts instead of punishing missed ones. Every time you roll in your first putt on the green from outside a set distance (flagstick length, or anything past six feet — agree before the round), a fixed amount drops into the pot. $2 a putt is the standard. Birdies (or better) double the contribution. Chip-ins from off the green count, too. The pot builds across the round, and only one player walks with it: whoever makes the last qualifying putt of the round collects everything from every other player separately. A $26 pot in a foursome pays the winner $78.
The closing rule matters: over the last three holes, a qualifying putt only counts toward the win if it’s for net par or better. A 10-footer for double bogey on 18 doesn’t take it unless you’re getting a stroke on the hole. If nobody rolls a net-par qualifier over the last three, the most recent qualifying putt from earlier in the round stands as the winner.
Read the full rules, the per-putt math, and the scoring multiplier variations in the Wad Official Guide →
Acey Deucey
Players: 3–6 (4 ideal) · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes, with handicaps
Acey Deucey is the per-hole betting format where two pots settle on every single hole — one for the lowest score (the Ace) and one for the highest score (the Deuce). The Ace collects from every other player in the group. The Deuce pays every other player in the group. Standard ratio is 2-to-1: the Ace pot is worth twice the Deuce pot, with $2 Ace / $1 Deuce being a typical starting stake. Ties on either bet mean no payout, and most groups use carry-overs that roll the unpaid pot forward and double it.
The genius of the format is the double-stack: the Ace doesn’t just win the Ace bet, they also pick up the Deuce payment from the high scorer. The Deuce doesn’t just pay each opponent the Deuce bet, they also owe the Ace bet on top. One bad hole as the Deuce can swing seven dollars across the foursome before you’ve even towel-cleaned your wedge. The strategic reality nobody mentions on the first tee: avoiding the Deuce is worth more than chasing the Ace. Steady pars almost never make you the high scorer, but you’ll never pay the Deuce bet out.
Read the full rules, the math on the double-stack payout, and all the variations in the Acey Deucey Official Guide →
Flaps
Players: 2–4 · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Neutral — short game confidence matters
Flaps is the gutsiest side bet in golf. You’re off the green with a chip or pitch shot. You make contact, and while the ball is still in the air, you can call “flap” — wagering that you’ll hole your next putt and complete the up-and-down. If you’re right, you collect a unit from every player in the group. If you’re wrong, you pay out the same.
The twist: any other player can double the bet before the ball finishes its first bounce. It turns every chip shot into a pressure-cooker moment where your group is watching you like hawks and you have about two seconds to assess your own shot. Flaps requires no scorekeeping and no setup — it rides on top of any format you’re already playing, which makes it the perfect second game when you want more action.
Read the full rules and the doubling mechanics in the Flaps Official Guide →
The Bounty
Players: 3–4 · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes, with handicaps
The Bounty is an original Golf Games Hub format designed around a rolling jackpot. Every hole has a bounty — typically $1 or 1 point — that goes to the player with the lowest outright score. Tie the hole and nobody wins; the bounty rolls forward and grows (usually doubling) until somebody wins a hole outright. On paper it’s simple, but in practice the pressure compounds fast.
By the time you’re standing on hole 12 with $32 riding on a 6-foot putt, everyone in the group is locked in. The Bounty also supports optional variants like the Birdie Multiplier (any hole won with a birdie doubles the payout) and the Outlaw Rule (two wins in a row unlocks a quadrupled bounty on the next hole). It’s the format that creates the stories you’re still telling in the clubhouse at 11 p.m.
Read the full rules and all the optional variants in the The Bounty Official Guide →
Murphys
Players: 2–4 · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Neutral — short game wins
Murphys is the side bet that puts your short game on public trial. Before you chip from off the green, you announce to the group: “I’m getting up and down.” Make the chip-and-putt, collect from everyone. Miss, pay up. Named after PGA Tour winner and broadcasting legend Bob Murphy — one of the best short game players of his era — the bet turns every chip shot into a declaration of confidence with real money behind it.
Most groups play Optional Murphys (opponents can accept or decline each one) or Automatic (everyone’s in the moment it’s called). Either way, it layers on top of whatever format you’re already playing — Nassau, Skins, Dots, anything — without adding a single piece of extra scorekeeping. If you’re the guy who consistently saves par from 30 yards out while everyone else is hacking, Murphys is how you get paid for it.
Read the full rules, variations, and betting structures in the Murphys Official Guide →
Snake
Players: 2–4 (4 ideal) · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes — anyone can three-putt
Snake is the three-putt hot potato. The first player in the group to three-putt picks up the Snake. From there, every new three-putt passes the Snake to that player instead. Whoever’s holding the Snake when the last putt drops on 18 pays the group. It’s the simplest side bet in golf, and it makes every single putt — especially the 4-footers you’d normally tap in without thinking — feel like it actually costs something.
The real action happens with the doubling variant, where the Snake’s value doubles every time it changes hands. Start at a dime and after 10 transfers the loser is paying $12.80 to each player. Some groups bring an actual rubber snake that hangs from the current holder’s bag. Highly recommended. Snake runs alongside any format without adding time or math — just pressure.
Read the full rules, betting structures, and strategy tips in the Snake Official Guide →
Low Putts
Players: 2–4 (4 ideal) · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent — putting is the great equalizer
Low Putts is the simplest side bet in golf. Count your putts. Lowest total at 18 wins the pot. It runs in the background while you play your normal round — layer it on top of Nassau, Skins, Stableford, or plain stroke play without changing how anyone plays the course. After every green, each player notes how many putts they took. At the end of 18, add them up. Lowest wins.
The rule that matters: a putt is a stroke taken with a putter from on the putting surface. Strokes with a putter from the fringe, collar, or fairway don’t count. Chip-ins count as zero putts. That’s the PGA stat definition and the cleanest rule to settle on. Three betting formats work — pot-style (everyone antes, winner takes all), per-putt (each putt has a fixed dollar value, settle differences at the end), or hole-by-hole (small unit goes to fewest putts each hole).
The strategy worth knowing: chip aggressive when you miss the green. A first putt inside three feet is two-putt insurance and one-putt money — that’s how you take the pot from the bomber who’s three-putting every par 4 he hit in regulation.
Read the full rules, the Net Low Putts variation, and the tiebreaker options in the Low Putts Official Guide →
Team & Traditional Golf Formats for 4 Players
These are the classic team formats and scoring systems — the formats the Ryder Cup uses, the format every club championship is decided by, and the partner games that reward smart teamwork. Covering everything from the friendliest charity-outting format to the most brutal partner test in the sport.
6-6-6 (Round of Three)
Players: 4 only · Team: Yes (2-vs-2) · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent — variety levels skill gaps
6-6-6 is the variety pack. Three different team formats in one round — six holes of Best Ball, six of Alternate Shot, and six of Scramble — same foursome, same 2-vs-2 teams, three radically different scoring formats. The team total at the end of 18 wins.
What makes 6-6-6 click is that no foursome is great at all three formats. A team that gets crushed in Alternate Shot still has Best Ball and Scramble to flip the scorecard, and that built-in comeback potential means nobody mentally checks out at the turn. It’s also the rare format that levels skill gaps — the high handicap shines in Scramble, the steady grinder shines in Alternate Shot, and Best Ball lets every player count their own hot stretch.
Read the full segment-by-segment rules and strategy in the 6-6-6 Official Guide →
Four-Ball (Best Ball)
Players: 4 (2-person teams) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Good
Four-Ball — sometimes called Best Ball — is the Ryder Cup partner format and one of the most strategic team games in golf. Two players per team, four balls in play, and on each hole only the better of the two team scores counts. The partnership math is what makes it fun: when your buddy’s in the fairway on a par 5 and you’re behind a tree, your job becomes not wrecking their ball. Swing freely at the flag, knowing they’ve got a solid bogey in their pocket. When roles reverse, so do your tactics.
Four-Ball handles mixed handicaps cleanly (typically at 90% allowance) and works for match play or stroke play scoring. It’s a genuine team game disguised as an individual one.
Read the full rules, scoring, and partnership strategy in the Four-Ball Official Guide →
Alternate Shot (Foursomes)
Players: 4 (2-person teams) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Rough — weak link hurts
Alternate Shot — officially called Foursomes — is the format that separates real partners from riding buddies. Two-person teams share a single ball, alternating strokes until it’s in the hole. One player tees off on odd-numbered holes, the other tees off on even-numbered holes, and you alternate every shot from there.
The format is brutal: you hit the fairway, your partner hooks it into the trees, and now you’re playing a 7-iron from pine straw wondering why you picked this partnership. But when it clicks, it’s the most rewarding format in the game — which is why it’s a Ryder Cup staple. Alternate Shot also plays faster than almost any other format because there are only ever two balls in play. Pair up with someone whose game complements yours and you’ll know by the back nine whether you’re going to stay friends.
Read the full rules, tee assignment strategy, and tips for pairing up in the Alternate Shot Official Guide →
Chapman (Pinehurst)
Players: 4 (2-person teams) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Medium
Chapman — also known as Pinehurst or American Foursomes — is Alternate Shot’s more strategic cousin. Both players on the team tee off. Then each partner hits the other’s ball for the second shot. At that point, the team picks which of the two balls to continue with, and from there it’s alternate shots to finish the hole.
The tee-shot swap creates a genuinely interesting opening move on every hole: do you play your partner’s ball aggressively from the fairway, or safely from the rough? Do you trust them to handle the approach on the drive you just striped? Chapman preserves the team drama of Alternate Shot while adding a strategic choice that Alternate Shot doesn’t offer. It’s a great pick when you want partner golf with more decision-making.
Read the full rules and strategic notes in the Chapman Official Guide →
Daytona
Players: 4 only (2v2) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Rough — blow-ups punish twice
Daytona is for four players in two teams of two, and each team pairs its two scores into one number — exactly like Vegas, but with a catch. The Daytona twist (the “par protection” rule most groups play): if at least one player on the team makes par or better, the low score leads, just like Vegas (a 4 and a 7 becomes 47). But if NOBODY on the team makes par, the high score leads — that same 4 and 6 flips to 64 instead of 46. Failing to make par as a team doesn’t just cost you strokes. It inflates your payout and widens the gap.
If betting, the payout is the difference between the two team numbers, multiplied by the agreed amount per point — a nickel or a quarter a point is plenty because the math escalates fast.
Daytona has no governing body, so the exact rules drift hard from group to group. Net or gross both work; net keeps it fair across a range of handicaps. The common alternate version forms the number the other way: high score leads only when both partners post over par.
Read the full rules, the Reverse Daytona variant, and the par-protection examples in the Daytona Official Guide →
Greensomes
Players: 4 (2-person teams) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Good
Greensomes — also called Scotch Foursomes — splits the difference between Scramble and Alternate Shot. Both players on the team tee off. The team picks the better of the two drives and plays the rest of the hole as alternate shot from that spot. It’s faster than Alternate Shot because you never have to bail out a bad drive, and more strategic than Scramble because everything after the tee shot is true partnership execution.
Greensomes is especially fun when played as couples vs couples, and it’s the format of choice when you want the social feel of a team game without the penalty of one bad swing blowing up a hole. A great pick for mixed foursomes of varying skill levels.
Read the full rules and scoring in the Greensomes Official Guide →
Gruesomes
Players: 4 only (2v2) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: Yes (optional) · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Medium — partner-dependent
Gruesomes (also called Bloodsomes or Yellowsomes) is the evil twin of Greensomes — same setup, opposite intention. Both partners on each side tee off. Then, before deciding which ball to play, the OPPOSING team picks which of your two drives you have to play, usually the worst one. From there, you finish the hole in alternate shot. You stripe one down the middle, your partner yanks one into the trees, and the other team grins and points at the trees.
Lowest team score wins the hole. Almost always played match play — match play fits this format better because a disaster hole only costs you that one hole.
Handicap allowance isn’t standardized since it’s not a tournament event. Two conventions: the Foursomes method (50% of each player’s course handicap, combined into one team number) or the Greensomes method (60% of the lower handicap plus 40% of the higher). Plenty of casual groups play it straight up. Wagering works as a straight 18-hole match or a Nassau — front 9, back 9, and overall.
Read the full rules, the handicap conventions, and the variations in the Gruesomes Official Guide →
Bisque
Players: 2–4 · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Bisque is match play handicap with the choice handed back to the player. Every golfer gets their full course handicap as freely-allocatable strokes — declared before teeing off, and gone once spent. In a foursome, run it as two head-to-head matches (1v1 by pairs) or as a 4-player free-for-all where each player tracks their own match against the other three.
The strategic depth is real. Standard match play locks your strokes to the toughest holes; Bisque lets you save them for the 17th when a tied match is on the line. For groups with wide handicap spreads, it’s one of the cleanest equalizers in the game.
Read the full rules, variations, and strategy in the Bisque Official Guide →
Yellow Ball
Players: 3–4 (4 ideal) · Team: Yes (rotating) · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Good
Yellow Ball is the format that turns one player per hole into the most important person on the team. Four players, all playing their own ball, but one of them is the designated “yellow ball” — and their score must count toward the team total no matter what they shoot. The yellow ball rotates every hole, so every four holes the spotlight lands on you.
Each hole’s team score is the yellow ball player’s score plus the lowest score among the other three teammates. Play it well when you’re holding the yellow ball and you’re the hero. Send it OB on a par 5 and your team is suddenly living on a prayer. It’s a tournament and charity-outing staple, and common variations include Yellow Ball Scramble (the other three play a scramble while the yellow ball player goes solo) and Lone Ranger, where losing the yellow ball eliminates the player from the team for the rest of the round.
Read the full rules, scoring, rotation schedule, and variations in the Yellow Ball Official Guide →
Sixes (Hollywood, Round Robin)
Players: 4 only · Team: Yes (rotating) · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Sixes — also called Hollywood or Round Robin — splits an 18-hole round into three separate six-hole matches, with partners rotating each segment. Holes 1–6: you and player B vs. players C and D. Holes 7–12: you and player C vs. players B and D. Holes 13–18: you and player D vs. players B and C. By the end of the round, you’ll have teamed up with and against every player in the group.
Most groups score each six-hole segment as its own match-play bet, with the overall winner being whoever finished on the winning side in at least two of the three segments. Sixes prevents one bad stretch from ruining the day, and nobody ends up stuck with the same partner all 18 holes.
Read the full rules and rotation mechanics in the Sixes Official Guide →
Low Ball Low Total
Players: 4 only (2v2) · Team: Yes (2v2) · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Good
Low Ball Low Total is a 2-vs-2 team format with two points up for grabs on every hole. Point one goes to the team with the lowest individual score (low ball). Point two goes to the team with the lowest combined total (low total). That second point is what separates this from standard Best Ball — your partner’s blowup score actually counts against you in the team total, so nobody gets to check out on a hole.
The strategic depth is real: when your partner is already sitting at bogey, you need to decide whether to fire at the pin for the low ball point or play safe to protect the total. Most groups play for $1–$2 per point, and common variations include birdie doublers (a point won with a birdie counts as two) and carryovers (tied points roll to the next hole at double value). If your foursome likes Four-Ball but wants more accountability from every player, this is the upgrade.
Read the full rules, variations, and team strategy in the Low Ball Low Total Official Guide →
Shamble
Players: 2–4 per team · Team: Yes · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
A Shamble fixes the biggest complaint about a Scramble: that three players stand around watching the scratch golfer carry the team. Everyone tees off, the team picks the best drive — same as a Scramble so far — but from that point, each player plays their own ball into the hole. Your approach, your chips, your putts all count.
Most groups score either one best ball or two best balls per hole from the team. The format is quietly taking over member-guests, corporate outings, and buddy trips because it keeps every player engaged on every shot while still giving the team the safety net of a shared tee shot. If your group has outgrown Scramble but isn’t ready for the brutality of Alternate Shot, this is the sweet spot.
Read the full rules, scoring options, and handicap math in the Shamble Official Guide →
Worst Ball
Players: 1–4 · Team: Yes (or solo) · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Brutal — but evens out skill
Worst Ball flips the Scramble on its head. Every player tees off, the team plays the worst ball, and you grind it from there — every shot, every hole. One bad swing doesn’t get bailed out by a partner; it becomes the team’s next lie. Most groups play 2-vs-2, but it works just as well solo (Tiger’s version, where one player plays both balls and writes down the higher score).
It’s the most punishing format in this guide and the most honest. There’s nowhere to hide and no easy hole — bogeys feel like birdies and a clean par feels like a tournament round. That’s exactly why Tiger uses it as a practice game: forcing yourself to play out of trouble repeatedly is the fastest way to sharpen your short game and your mental game.
Read the full rules and Tiger’s solo version in the Worst Ball Official Guide →
Aggregate
Players: 2-person teams (scales to 3 and 4) · Team: Yes · Betting: Yes (optional) · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Good
In aggregate, both partners play their own ball, and you add their scores together on every hole. Lowest combined 18-hole total wins. The WHS calls this format “Total Score of Partners” and recommends 100% of course handicap for both players — full strokes, no reduction. Both scores already count, so there’s no piggyback risk like in better-ball.
The format eliminates the lazy partner. In Four-Ball (Best Ball), your partner’s quadruple bogey goes in the trash if you posted par. In Aggregate, that quad is part of the team total and it counts against you every single time. Both partners have to actually play golf on every hole. Boring, conservative golf wins. Every time.
Read the full rules, the Stableford variant, and the 4-person scaling in the Aggregate Official Guide →
Stroke Play
Players: 1–4+ · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Poor without handicaps
Stroke Play — also called Medal Play — is golf in its purest form. Count every shot, post a score, lowest total wins. It’s the format the PGA Tour uses, the format every club championship is decided by, and the default format you’re playing any time nobody suggests anything else.
Stroke Play is brutal for mixed skill groups without handicaps — the scratch golfer is going to beat the 20-handicap every time. But layer in proper handicap allowances (typically 100% for stroke play) and it becomes genuinely competitive for groups with a wide handicap spread. It’s also the base format most betting games sit on top of: Skins, Nassau, and Dots all use stroke play scoring underneath.
Read the full rules and handicap application in the Stroke Play Official Guide →
Match Play
Players: 2–4 (best 1v1 or 2v2) · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Good
Match Play is golf measured hole-by-hole instead of stroke-by-stroke. Win the hole, you’re 1-up. Lose it, you’re 1-down. A quadruple bogey costs you the same as a single bogey — one hole, no more, no less. That structural forgiveness is what makes it the most dramatic format in the game and the reason it’s the signature format of the Ryder Cup.
Match Play works best as a 1v1 duel, but it also scales cleanly to 2v2 partner formats like Four-Ball match play. When the match is decided early (say you’re 6-up with 5 holes left — “6 and 5”), the game ends. Match Play is the answer when you want hole-by-hole tension without the grinding math of stroke play.
Read the full rules, concessions, and match-scoring in the Match Play Official Guide →
Scramble
Players: 2–4 per team · Team: Yes · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Scramble is the friendliest game in golf and the default format for every charity outing and corporate event on the planet. Everyone on the team tees off. The group picks the best ball, and all players hit their next shot from that exact spot. Repeat until the ball is in the hole. That’s it.
Your 22-handicap buddy hitting one great drive all day? The team still benefits. Somebody pures an 8-iron to 3 feet? Everyone putts from there. Scramble works for 2, 3, or 4 players per team, and variations like Texas Scramble (each player’s drive must be used a minimum number of times) add a small strategic layer. If your foursome has a wide range of handicaps and you just want everyone to have fun, this is the call.
Read the full rules and all the Scramble variations in the Scramble Official Guide →
Points-Based Golf Games for 4 Players
Points-based games reward specific achievements instead of total strokes. They handle mixed handicaps better than almost any other format, and they keep every player engaged on every hole — because even after a blow-up, there’s still a point or a dot available on the next shot.
Bingo Bango Bongo
Players: 2–4 (4 ideal) · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Simple · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent — best in the sport
Bingo Bango Bongo is the most skill-gap-friendly points game in golf, and it’s not close. Three points are up for grabs on every hole: Bingo goes to the first player to reach the green, Bango goes to whoever is closest to the pin once all balls are on the green, and Bongo goes to the first player to hole out. The brilliant thing is that none of those points automatically favor the better player.
A 20-handicap has just as good a shot at “first on the green” from 140 yards as a scratch golfer does from 190. Bango rewards good irons into the green, which anyone can hit on a given hole. Bongo rewards putting order, which usually favors whoever is farthest away. The result: everyone stays engaged on every hole, regardless of score.
Read the full rules and scoring details in the Bingo Bango Bongo Official Guide →
Dots
Players: 2–4 · Team: No · Betting: Yes · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes — you build the menu
Dots — also called Junk, Garbage, or Trash — is the most customizable betting game on the list. Before the round, your group agrees on a menu of “dot events” — each one a specific on-course achievement worth a set dollar value. Standard dots include birdies, sand saves, chip-ins, greenies (closest to pin on par 3s), and longest drive in the fairway. Some groups add negative dots for three-putts, hitting OB, or double-bogeys.
You pick the menu that fits how your group wants to play. Because Dots rewards specific moments rather than cumulative score, it keeps every player engaged even after a blow-up hole — a 20-handicap can still cash in on a sandie or a long drive. Dots works as a standalone game or as a side bet layered on top of a Nassau.
Read the full rules, the complete dot menu, and setup tips in the Dots Official Guide →
Stableford
Players: 1–4+ · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Stableford flips stroke play on its head. Instead of counting strokes, you earn points based on your score relative to par. A typical scoring system awards 1 point for bogey, 2 for par, 3 for birdie, and 4 for eagle — with zero points for double bogey or worse. The highest point total wins.
Because blowups stop costing you beyond a zero, Stableford is designed for aggressive play: you can swing freely on a risky approach knowing that the worst case is a zero, not a quintuple bogey that torches your whole round. The PGA Tour runs a modified Stableford format every year at the Barracuda Championship. It’s one of the best formats on the market for mixed-skill groups and one of the few scoring systems that genuinely rewards taking on risk.
Read the full scoring system and strategic approach in the Stableford Official Guide →
Modified Stableford
Players: 1–4+ · Team: No (team versions work casually) · Betting: Yes (optional) · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Modified Stableford is a points-based golf game where birdies and eagles are worth more than in standard Stableford, and bogeys actively cost you points instead of just zero. The PGA Tour scale runs Albatross +8, Eagle +5, Birdie +2, Par 0, Bogey -1, Double Bogey or worse -3. Highest point total wins. It’s the only PGA Tour event that doesn’t use stroke play — the Barracuda Championship has run this format since 2012 because it rewards aggression and punishes blowups.
The math is built to pay risk-takers. A birdie (+2) is worth twice what a bogey costs (-1). One eagle (+5) wipes out a double bogey and two bogeys combined. Playing safe gets you nothing — a round of 18 pars totals zero points. An even-par round with five birdies and five bogeys totals +5. Same score on the card, completely different result on the points sheet.
Read the full PGA Tour scoring table, the handicap-applied scoring, and the Tour-style strategy in the Modified Stableford Official Guide →
Quota
Players: 2–4+ · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Excellent
Quota is the points format specifically built to level mixed handicaps. Every player’s quota is set by subtracting their course handicap from a fixed target number (usually 36). A 12-handicap has a quota of 24. A scratch golfer has a quota of 36. Players then earn points per hole — typically 1 for bogey, 2 for par, 3 for birdie, 4 for eagle — and the winner is whoever exceeds their own quota by the widest margin.
Because everyone is playing against a personalized benchmark, a scratch golfer and a 24-handicap genuinely have an even match. No strokes handed out, no post-round handicap adjustments. Quota is a favorite for company outings and weekend buddy rounds where the skill range is wide and everyone wants a real chance to win.
Read the full rules and quota-setting method in the Quota Official Guide →
Draft 18
Players: 2–4 · Team: No · Betting: No · Complexity: Medium · Mixed Skill Level Friendly? Yes, with handicaps
Draft 18 is a Golf Games Hub original that brings fantasy-sports strategy to the golf course. Before the round, each player drafts holes using a snake draft. You play all 18 normally, but only your drafted holes count toward your score. The catch: harder holes (based on the scorecard’s handicap ranking) are worth significantly more points — a par on the #1 handicap hole scores 18 points, while a par on the easiest hole scores 1.
The scoring rewards aggressive drafting: birdies earn bonus points, bogeys earn half, and double bogeys or worse zero out completely. Strategy starts before the first tee shot — do you stack hard holes for the ceiling, or grab safe pars for the floor? Draft 18 is the format for groups who are bored with stroke play and want something that makes every hole feel like it was personally chosen to test them.
Read the full rules, point values, and draft strategy in the Draft 18 Official Guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
Nassau is far and away the most played betting format for a foursome, because the three-bet structure (front nine, back nine, overall) keeps everyone engaged even after a slow start. For a non-betting game, Scramble is the most universally played format — it’s the default for charity events and any group with mixed skill levels.
Bingo Bango Bongo is hard to beat for mixed groups because the three points available on every hole (first on the green, closest to the pin once everyone’s on, first in the hole) don’t all favor the better player. Quota and Stableford are also strong because they’re built around individual targets, and Scramble works because it puts everyone on the same team. Any of these formats use handicaps cleanly, which is where they really start to shine. If you’re doing the math on your own, a quick run through our handicap calculator will save you from the post-round spreadsheet argument.
For pure betting value, the classic three are Nassau, Skins, and Wolf. Nassau gives you the most structured bet with the lowest downside, Skins creates the most drama through rollover pots, and Wolf rewards strategic decision-making because partners change every hole. If your group has a deeper bankroll and wants something with more volatility, Vegas and The Bounty are both designed to create big swings on individual holes.
Skins and Bingo Bango Bongo are the two easiest to teach on the first tee — both are “lowest score per hole” or “first to do the thing” formats that don’t require any running math. Scramble is also simple if you want a team game: everyone hits, pick the best one, play from there, repeat. Any of the three can be explained in under a minute.
Almost all of them, yes. Handicaps are especially important for Stroke Play, Skins, and Nassau if your group has mixed skill levels, and they’re standard for Four-Ball, Stableford, and Quota. The method varies slightly by format (stroke play allocates strokes differently than four-ball match play), so the safest move is to decide on handicap method before you tee off. A quick run through the Golf Games Hub handicap calculator will get you squared away in about a minute.
Most of these games flex. Nassau, Skins, Bingo Bango Bongo, and Stableford all work cleanly with any number. The ones that lock to exactly 4 are Sixes, Vegas, Low Ball Low Total, Acey Deucey, and 6-6-6 — the team or pairing structure depends on it. If you know your group size is going to shift, check our 3 Player Golf Games and 2 Player Golf Games collections for formats designed for those sizes.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve read this far, you’re officially more prepared for Saturday than every golfer in your group combined. The honest truth is most foursomes play the same one or two games every single week because it’s what someone taught them ten years ago. You’re now sitting on thirty-seven.
Pick one that sounds fun, send this page to the group chat, and run it on your next round. Worst case, you try it once and decide it’s not for you. Best case, you’ve just found your new favorite game — and a story you’ll be telling in the clubhouse for years.
