Golf game variants

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Golf game variants are modifications of the ball game golf .

Official forms of play

There are two official forms of golf:

In match play, two parties play an agreed number of holes against each other. A hole is won by the party who putted the ball with fewer strokes; if the number of strokes is the same, the hole is halved. If a party leads with more holes than can be played, it wins the match game. If both parties are tied after the agreed number of holes, the match will be halved in team competitions such as the Ryder or Presidents Cup , and in tournament competitions in the KO system ( WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship ) there is a jump-off for the victory.

In stroke play or medal play, two or more applicants play a fixed number of holes against each other. In the end, the winner is the applicant who has required the fewest strokes in total.

Counting methods

So that golfers of different skill levels can compare their results with each other, there are two counting methods for both forms of play.

With the "gross" counting method, the strokes actually required count. With the "net" counting method, the number of strokes actually required is corrected by a value that is based on the player's skill level ( handicap ).

Game forms

In addition to the classic "single" game, there are other game forms.

Forms of match play

  • Single (also " single "): One player against another.
  • Dreier (also " threesome "): One opponent against two others.
  • Foursome (also called " Foursome "): Two players against two other players. The players on one team take turns hitting the ball.
  • Three-ball: three players each against each other.
  • Bestball: One player against the best ball of two or three other players.
  • Fourball (also " Fourball "): The better ball of two players against the better ball of two other players.

Forms of stroke play

  • Individual: Each applicant plays for himself.
  • Foursome: Two applicants each play together.
  • Four ball: Two applicants each play one ball. The better result per hole counts towards the overall result.

Betting games

Competitive games (Rule 32-1) are stroke game variants.

Against par

This variant is calculated as in match play. Only the player who scores a hole better than or equal to par will achieve a result. Holes that are not scored by a player are counted as lost holes.

The player with the best overall score for the holes wins.

Stableford

At Stableford , points are counted instead of punches. The number of points depends on the number of strokes in relation to the player's (personal) par, taking into account his handicap . For 2 strokes over par or worse there are 0 points, for 1 stroke over par 1 point, for par 2 points, for one under par 3 points, for two under par 4 points and for 3 under par 5 points.

Other variants

In addition to the official ones, there are a number of unofficial variants of the game of golf.

String game

A stroke game variant in which each player receives a piece of string, the length of which depends on the handicap of the player. The player is allowed to move the ball from an unfavorable position, whereby the distance from the starting position is cut off from his piece of string.

An unused piece of string expires after completing 18 holes.

Bingo Bango Bongo

In this game variant, the individual skill level of each participant is not taken into account. It is only important that all players play in the order prescribed by the rules.

The following points are awarded for each hole played:

The player receives one point each,

  • who reaches the green first,
  • whose ball is closest to the flag after all balls are on the green,
  • who is the first to poke his ball.

Due to the order of play, the allocation of the first point can be deviated from for par 3 holes , as this can lead to one-sided advantages.

bridge

Similar to the card game of the same name , "bidding" or bidding is made before each tee shot. If this variant of the game is chosen with a foursome, the partners have to announce before each hole which common net score they will need for the hole.

On the first hole, the team with the highest common handicap has the right to place the first bid. The team that won the previous hole then bids.

Once a bid has been made, the other team has the option

  • to accept the bid
  • to accept the bid, combined with a contra - this leads to the doubling of the number of points to be achieved on this hole
  • to undercut the bid with a lower one.

Only the team whose bid has been accepted by the other side can score on a hole.

After completion of the hole - compared to the card game, points are awarded, namely

  • every blow above the bid results in a minus point
  • every hit below the bid becomes a plus.

However, only the team whose bid has been accepted receives the plus or minus points.

Chapman foursome

Both partners tee off at each hole. As a second stroke, both partners play each other's ball crosswise. After this second stroke, a ball is selected. If the selected ball is the ball that player A played as the second stroke, B plays the next stroke with this ball and the other ball is canceled. Then A hits again and so on - alternately until the ball is holed. Counting is done according to the rules of stroke play, the gross result is entered and the default entered at the end of the round. Penalty strokes do not affect the order of play! Requirement: 1/2 the sum of the partner's handicap for the round.

Texas scramble

A maximum of four players compete as a team and are rated together. After each stroke, the team picks the best ball and all players then continue playing from that point.

Shanghai foursome

The Shanghai foursome is a variation of the foursome with a selection drive (Greensome). A flight consists of four players, with two players always forming a team. Both partners of a team tee off at each hole, but instead of choosing which ball to hit next, their competitors in the same flight decide that. In the Greensome, you usually choose the ball that is lying better. In the Shanghai foursome, competitors are likely to choose the worse ball - which will lead to interesting game situations.

Double

This type of game is preferred by two-person flights. The game is played around holes according to match betting rules. The game is played for units for each hole won (exemplary € 0.50 / unit). After the first player tees off, both players have the option to double up. Only if a double is announced can the next party double or accept again. If the next party doubles again, this procedure continues until one player accepts.

Then the next stroke is made and betting starts again.

An important basic rule of this variant is that both parties can only double up after the first tee. After that, only the one who last accepted the opponent's offer can bid.

Eclectic

A stroke play over several rounds in which only the best result over all rounds is counted for each hole.

Flag competition

A stroke game variant in which each player receives a number of strokes depending on his handicap and a flag with his name. When a player reaches his stroke number, he places his flag in the appropriate place on the lane / green. The winner is the player closest to the hole (quasi "Nearest-To-The-Pin" after reaching the maximum number of strokes).

If players finish the 18th green and have a remaining number of strokes, play continues on lane 1.

KO competition

A game of 2 n players over n rounds. Two players each play against each other. The better one goes one round.

Nassau

Probably the most famous game in golf. Named after the Nassau Country Club where it was invented around 1900. There are three games running in this game mode:

  • one around the first 9 holes
  • one to the second 9 holes
  • one around the entire 18 holes.

For the evaluation of the 3 games there are usually 3 variants of the evaluation

  1. 3 units (1 for the first 9, 1 for the second 9, 1 for the entire round)
  2. 4 units (1 for the first 9, 1 for the second 9, 2 for the entire round)
  3. 5 units (1 for the first 9, 2 for the second 9, 2 for the entire round).

One ball

Match game variant in which two parties alternately play the same ball.

Prague

This is a variant of the double , and stakes per hole are also "negotiated". However, bets are only placed after all balls have been hit. Each player then has the right to double up until either side accepts.

Skin game

In the Skin Game (also known as Groschenpott or Syndikat ), an amount of money is played per hole. Here, too, valuation is usually done in units (e.g. € 0.50 / unit).

With the additional option "Carry-Over" the case is taken into account that no player achieves the lowest score on his own. In this case the skin (the unit) would move to the next hole. This is repeated until a player can choose a skin for himself.

Greensome and Bloodsome

A match game variant in which two teams play against each other. Each player tees off from the tee and the team decides which ball to continue playing with, always alternately, starting with the player whose tee shot was not chosen. In Bloodsome, the opposing team can determine which ball has to be played. Greensome is often played not as a match game, but as a stroke game in which a team's total handicap (average of both handicaps) is used.

Battle Golf

A match game variant in which the winner of a hole is allowed to remove a club from the opponent's bag or to retrieve a previously removed club.

Competition variants

Sometimes side bets (also known as trash or garbage) are placed in golf. Possible side bets are for example:

Arnies

named after Arnold Palmer . A competition in which there are points for players who miss the fairway or the green and still play at least par.

Barky

A competition (also named Woodies or Seves (after Seve Ballesteros )) in which there are points for players who hit a tree and still play at least par.

Hogans

named after Ben Hogan . A competition in which there are points for players who hit the fairway and / or the green and then play at least par.

Nessie (or Gurgly)

Here the well-known sea ​​monster had to serve for the name. A point is scored by a player who wins a net par despite a ball lost in the water hazard.

Sandy

A competition in which there are points for players who hit a bunker and still play at least par.

Snake

This additional bet is about putting . Here, bets are usually made for one unit for the first 9 holes and one for the second 9 holes.

Whoever needs 3 putts on the green first receives the "snake". He keeps this until the next player needs a three-putt. If several players need this number of strokes on a green, the snake goes to whoever finishes a three-putt last in the correct order.

It will be interesting who will last "hold" the line on the 9th or 18th green. This player owes the stake to his teammate or his teammates.

literature

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