Nines is a 3-player points game where 9 total points are split between the three players on every hole based on score — and the most points after 18 holes wins the pot.
It also goes by 5-3-1, the Nine Point Game, 9-Point, and Baseball, depending on whose group you’re rolling with.
Nines exists for one reason: your fourth bailed. Rather than turning a threesome into a sad scorecard with no wager, this format keeps every player in every hole on every shot. Nines is one of our favorite golf games for 3 players for exactly that reason.
Nines Golf at a Glance
Nines is built on a clean little math problem: 9 points per hole, 3 players, points always sum to 9. Players are ranked by score on each hole and the points get divvied up based on the finishing order. Most points after 18 wins the pot.
It’s the de facto game when a foursome turns into a threesome the morning of, when you can’t find a fourth at the muni, or any time three buddies want every shot to matter without setting up a complex format on the first tee. Casual or competitive, Nines plays great either way.
ROLLING WITH A THREESOME?
These 3-player formats deserve a spot in the rotation:
- Split Sixes — the 6-point sibling format that’s faster and a touch more brutal
- Wolf — rotating-partner pressure that turns every tee box into a gut decision
- Snake — the three-putt punishment side bet that keeps growing and eats whoever’s holding it last
Game Setup
Lock these basics in before you tee off:
- Players: Exactly 3. Nines is built around three. It does not work with two or four — the point math collapses.
- Bets: Set the price per point on the 1st tee. Quarters, fifty cents, and dollar-per-point are the most common stakes. You pay the difference between your point total and each opponent’s at the end.
- Handicaps: Strongly recommended unless all three players are within a stroke of each other. Strokes apply by hole based on the scorecard’s stroke index. Run everyone through the free golf handicap calculator if anyone in your group is rusty on their number, and the breakdown of how a golf handicap is calculated will smooth out any disagreements.
- Tee order: Standard golf rules — low net score takes the honors on the next tee.
- Scorecard: Track each player’s running point total in a separate column or use a scoring app. Don’t try to do running math from raw strokes — you’ll lose track inside of three holes.
STRATEGY TIP
Lock up 2nd when you’re out of it. Don’t force shots that turn a safe 3 into a costly 1.
Nines Rules & Scoring
The rules are tight, and once you’ve played a few holes the scoring is automatic:
1. Every hole is worth exactly 9 points. Points get divided based on how the three players’ net scores stack up against each other.
2. The five possible point distributions:
| Outcome on the hole | Point split |
|---|---|
| 1st, 2nd, 3rd — no ties | 5 – 3 – 1 |
| Two players tie for 1st, one in 3rd | 4 – 4 – 1 |
| One winner, two tied for 2nd | 5 – 2 – 2 |
| All three players tie | 3 – 3 – 3 |
| Win the hole by 2+ strokes (Blitz) | 9 – 0 – 0 |
3. Example — Hole 4, Par 4:
- Player A: 4 (net)
- Player B: 5 (net)
- Player C: 6 (net)
- Result: A gets 5 points, B gets 3 points, C gets 1 point. Standard 5-3-1 split.
4. Handicap strokes apply to the net score only. If a player gets a stroke on the hole based on stroke index, that stroke comes off before the points are calculated. Always rank players by net, never gross.
5. Penalty strokes count. Lost balls, OB, water hazards, unplayable lies — all penalty strokes are added to the player’s score for the hole exactly as in stroke play. For a full breakdown of common penalty situations, here’s every golf course penalty explained.
6. Most points after 18 wins. Multiply the point differential between you and each opponent by the agreed-upon dollar value to settle up. If you finish on 78, your buddy on 65, and the third guy on 19, you collect 13 units from the second guy and 59 from the third.
STRATEGY TIP
Lay up when you’re already winning the hole. Sitting in 2 on a par 5 with both opponents short? Going for it is the worst play in the game. Don’t trade a 5-point win for a 1-point disaster — pitch it close and pocket the points.
Nines Variations
Five variations worth knowing — each one shifts the texture of the round:
Blitz / Win-by-Two. Most groups play this as a default these days. If a player wins a hole by two strokes or more, they take all 9 points and the other two get zero. Massive momentum swings on par 5s, and one bad swing can cost you a whole hole’s worth of points.
Birdies Double. Any hole where someone makes a birdie, all the points double across the board. So a standard 5-3-1 hole becomes 10-6-2. Rewards the guy who’s hot and turns a flat back nine into a money grab.
Press / Repress. The trailing player can call a press on any tee, doubling that hole’s points. The leader can repress, doubling them again. Use this with care — a single hole with both a press and a repress can swing 36 points.
Nines Nassau. Three matches in one round: front 9, back 9, and full 18. Same dollar-per-point applies to each. Keeps the guy who blew up the front in it for the back, just like a regular Nassau golf game.
Closeout Choice. When the group reaches the 16th tee, the player in last place picks the point values for the final three holes. Could be straight 9-point holes, could be triple. Forces a comeback or seals the deal.
COMMON MISTAKE
Sleeping on par 3s. Most amateurs think they’re low-risk — in Nines they’re the most volatile holes on the course. One routine par against two missed greens is a 9-0-0 blitz, an 8-point swing. Aim for the fattest part of the green every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The point math (5-3-1, 4-4-1, 5-2-2) only resolves cleanly with three players. With four, switch to a different format like Wolf, Skins, or Stableford.
Same idea, different math. Split Sixes uses 6 points per hole on a 4-2-0 base — high score gets nothing. Nines uses 9 points on a 5-3-1 base — everyone earns at least one point on most holes. Nines feels more forgiving; Split Sixes is sharper. Both are excellent 3-player games.
A blitz is when one player wins the hole by two or more strokes — they take all 9 points and the other two players get zero. Most groups play with blitz on by default since it adds real consequence to bad holes. Some groups also stack it with Birdies Double for swings up to 18 points on a single hole.
No, but it’s strongly recommended unless all three players are within a stroke of each other. Without net scoring, a 5-handicap will run away with the bag against a 20 inside of nine holes and the format stops being fun. Net scoring keeps every hole live for everyone.
Multiply the point differential between you and each opponent by the agreed-upon per-point value. Example: if you finish on 78, the second-place guy on 65, and the third on 19, at $1 per point you’d collect $13 from the second guy and $59 from the third. Each loser pays only the winner’s differential, not each other’s.
5-3-1 refers to the standard point split when there are no ties — first place gets 5, second gets 3, third gets 1. Baseball comes from the way every hole is its own self-contained inning, with three outcomes possible. They’re all the same game.
Final Thoughts
Nines is the most reliable game in golf for one specific reason: it never lets your round die. Every hole is its own little nine-point match. Trail by 15 at the turn? A few pars and you’re back. Lead by 30? You’re still grinding because anyone can still drop a blitz on you. If you’ve been stuck running the same threesome scorecard with no wager, run Nines once and tell me how often you go back.
