Greetings! We are here to help you discover the top-rated golf games suitable for players of varying skill levels.
When it comes to typical golf games, they usually involve two, three, or four players playing traditional games like match play, skins games, Nassau, or Stableford.
However, these games might not be the best choice when you have a group with a wide range of skill levels.
That’s where having a collection of fun and accessible golf games can be handy. It’s common to play with groups that have different handicaps and abilities, so having these games ready to go is a great idea.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of our 10 favorite golf games that work well for players with various handicaps and group sizes. Enjoy!
Wolf Golf
Want a fun and competitive game to play with your buddies on the golf course? Give Wolf Golf a try! It’s a challenging and exciting game that keeps you on your toes as you compete against players with different skill levels. Here’s how to play.
Handicaps In Wolf Golf
Handicaps In Wolf Golf, there are three kinds of players with different skill levels.
- Scratch Golfer (0 handicaps) – These are golfers who can play at par or even better on a golf course.
- Average golfer (1-18 handicap) – These are golfers who can complete a round of golf within 90 strokes, depending on how challenging the course is.
- High Handicap Golfer (18+ handicap) – These are golfers who require more than 90 strokes to finish a round of golf.
Awesome Golf Games: 13 Choices For Any Golfer
Golfers really enjoy a friendly bet and earning the ultimate bragging rights after a round.
The cash involved doesn’t really matter much since your winnings tend to vanish quickly; besides, any golfer worth their salt will be the first one at the bar, happily buying drinks for everyone.
This collection of entertaining golf games is perfect for adding excitement to any day out with your buddies.
So, let’s get ready to hit the course and review our fantastic selection of 10 fun golf games suitable for players of all skill levels.
Fun Golf Games: Two-Person Teams for Extra Fun
In this section, we’ll talk about some exciting golf games that involve pairs. Each game consists of two teams, each with two players.
You have the option to play these games with a single bet for the entire match or break it down into three parts: The score is calculated for the first nine holes, the second nine holes, and the total score. The decision is up to you.
1: Enjoyable Golf Games: Alternative Four-Ball Matchplay – The Second Ball Matters
In this version, both golfers need to show up on every hole to earn more points. Luckily, you can still count on your partner to rescue you if you’re struggling with a high score.
Handicap rules apply to Matchplay golf.
- Award 1 point to the team with the lowest net score on a hole compared to their opponents’ lowest score. Award 1 point to the team with the lowest net score among the two higher scores on each team.
- Points can be shared on a hole – Team A has the best low score, and Team B has the best high score.
- Here’s where it gets exciting: if Team A has both the best low and high scores on a hole, they win 3 points.
- And for an even more dramatic outcome, if Team A has the lowest two scores on a hole and their worst score beats Team B’s best score, they win 5 points.
- If the low or high scores are tied, then no points are given.
2: Enjoyable Golf Games: Yellow Ball Modified Format
One of the groups here needs to buy a bunch of yellow golf balls.
In each team, players take turns using the yellow ball on different holes. So, Player 1 plays the odd-numbered holes, and Player 2 plays the even-numbered holes.
We use the Stableford scoring system, where points are doubled for the player with the yellow ball.
It’s crucial to strategize when using the yellow ball. If you lose it on a hole, you can’t use it for the next two holes. This penalty can greatly affect the outcome of the game.
On a side note, if the ball lands in a water hazard but can still be retrieved, you can continue playing with a penalty, and the two-hole ban doesn’t apply. The ball isn’t considered lost in this case.
3: Enjoyable GOLF GAMES: 6-6-6 (Aka Round Robin):
Here’s another fun Golf game variant that can be tailored to any format of your choosing.
The concept involves changing partners every six holes, which means you get to play with everyone in your group. Initially, your friends become allies but soon transform into fierce competitors!
This format is a fast-paced sprint that lasts for six holes, with agreed-upon side bets to make things more exciting. To select pairings, the players with the longest and shortest drives from the first tee are paired up for the first six holes.
The same process is repeated on hole 7 to pair up players for the middle holes, and the last pair for holes 13-18 are formed by default.
If hole 1 or 7 is a Par 3, the player closest to and furthest from the pin will partner up.
4: Enjoyable Golf Games: Win, Place, and Show
It’s a really straightforward format. For each hole, the person with the lowest net score earns three points, the one with the second-lowest score gets two points.
The one with the third-lowest score gets one point, and the person with the highest score gets zero points. You need to either win, place, or show to score.
The following three enjoyable golf games are a great addition for a second round during a golf trip/vacation.
5: Enjoyable Golf Games: Chapman
This is a variation of Greensomes and follows the same handicap rules. You can choose to play it as Matchplay, or if you’re feeling more daring or have a lower handicap, you can go for Stroke Play.
Here’s how it works: Each player tees off and then they switch balls. For example, Player A will hit Player B’s ball and vice versa.
After both players hit their second shot, they decide which of the two balls to continue playing with, if they still have a choice.
From there, players take turns hitting the ball until they finish the hole, alternating strokes with just one ball.
6: Enjoyable Golf Games: Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a golf game where two teams of two golfers go head-to-head. Instead of adding up their scores individually, they combine them to create a new score. They play for cash, and the difference in points on each hole determines the amount they win or lose.
For instance, if Golfer A scores 4 and Golfer B gets 5 on Hole 1, their team score is 45. If their opponents score 4 and 5, their score is also 45, resulting in a tie for the hole. However, if their opponents score 6 and 7, their team score is 73, and they lose the hole by 6 points, which means they owe the other team $6 (if they play for $1 per point).
Furthermore, when combining team scores, the lower score always comes first, except if one golfer scores 10 or more, in which case the higher number is placed first. This helps keep the scores from becoming too high.
Las Vegas can be an enjoyable game, but it can also be risky, particularly if you’re wagering a substantial amount of money. It’s crucial to understand the rules and agree on the stakes before playing.
7: Enjoyable Golf Games For Three-Balls
Playing golf with your buddies can be a blast. Usually, we aim for a group of four, but sometimes someone might cancel last minute due to reasons like an injury.
Forgetting their partner’s birthday, or having a wild night before. So, we end up with just three players.
What can you do in this situation? Your choices are a bit more limited, but there are still some options available.
8: Enjoyable Golf Games: Split Sixes / Nines
Here’s a fun golf game called Split Sixes or Nines where you can win either 6 or 9 points on each hole. It’s pretty simple.
You’ll play with your full handicap allowance and use strokeplay scoring.
In Split Sixes, the player who wins a hole outright gets 4 points. The second-best score gets two points, while the third-best score gets zero points.
If scores are tied, the points are shared. For example, if two players have the same best score, they each get 3 points out of the 6 points available for that hole. So, the score on that hole would be 3-3-0. Make sense?
In Nines, the points are allocated as follows: 5 points for the lowest score on the hole, 3 points for the second-lowest score, and 1 point for the player with the highest score on that hole.
9: EnjoyableGolf Games: Middle Ball
In this game, we play strokeplay with a full handicap allowance, and we use a points-scoring system.
Three players start by teeing off. The player who hits the middle shot (all three players agree on this) plays by themselves against the other two players.
When playing alone, winning a hole earns two points whereas a pair earns one point each for a win. If the hole is tied, then no points are awarded.
For an added thrill, the player playing alone may choose to declare “double” before their second shot, which is a high-risk move but could pay off in the end if they win the hole.
If they win the hole after announcing “double,” they score double the points (4 points). However, they must win the hole; otherwise, they lose points. If someone ties the hole, each member of the pair receives one point, and if the pair wins, they each receive two points.
The individual player must execute this daring maneuver with caution.
Here are the reasons why it makes sense:
- The other two players are struggling with their tee shots.
- The solo player has a good chance of scoring well on the hole.
- The solo player is far behind in the match and needs to take a risk to catch up.
10: Fun Golf Games: 44 Balls
This is a cool game where you have to use some strategy and keep track of your scores.
You play with 4 people and go through 18 holes, so there are 72 possible scores in total. However, you only get to choose the best 44 scores. It may sound easy, but it’s not as simple as it seems!
One person chooses the Team Captain, and the Team Captain collects the scores from each player on every hole. Before starting the next hole, the team needs to decide how many scores they want to keep. You can’t go back and change your selection later in the round if things get tough.
In reality, with 44 scores to count over 18 holes, it means you need to average about 2.44 scores per hole.
Here are some important things to consider when making your choices:
- Don’t fall too far behind; a score equal to par is good enough.
- You don’t want to have too many scores required to score well in the final holes.
- It’s best to avoid putting a bogey score on your scorecard.
- Be mindful of what’s coming up ahead, like difficult holes, holes where you need to make a challenging shot or holes where you don’t need to take a shot at all.
Scores are tallied according to the par system outlined below, with the example of yellow balls being used as a demonstration.
The player of Hole Par 1
Below are the net scores of Player 2, Player 3, and Player 4, along with the total number of balls utilized.The following are the net scores for Player 2, Player 3, and Player 4, as well as the total number of balls used.
How does the score of the chosen running team measure up against the established benchmark?
1 4 3 4 4 4 3 1 under par
2 5 5 3 6 5 6 3 under par
3 4 4 4 3 7 8 4 under par
4 3 2 5 4 3 10 5 under par
5 5 5 4 4 6 13 7 under par
6 4 4 5 4 3 16 8 under par
7 3 3 4 3 5 18 8 under par
8 4 4 7 5 6 19 8 under par
9 4 5 3 5 5 20 9 under par
Total
Golf Games: A Summary
You have many options available and can have plenty of enjoyable experiences.
It’s the perfect opportunity for your golf crew to think outside the box and try out a new style of play from our collection of enjoyable golf games suitable for all golfers.
We’re eager to hear from you, sharing your experiences with the different fun golf games you’ve played and which one has become your new favorite. Leave us a comment and let us know how it went!
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