Variations of golf
Sometimes the rules are in place to provide a structure for side-betting that is independent of the final "traditional" score.
[2] Under the Stableford scoring system the player gains points according to the number of strokes taken on each hole in relation to par.
For example, in professional golf at the Barracuda Championship on the PGA Tour, the points system is: plus 8 for an albatross, plus 5 for an eagle, plus 2 for a birdie, 0 points for par, minus 1 for a bogey, and minus 3 for a double bogey or worse.
[7] A variant of greensomes, often referred to as gruesomes or bloodsomes, is sometimes played where the opposing team chooses which of their opponent's tee shots they should use, usually the worse one which may even be unplayable.
Every player then plays their second shot from within a clublength of where the best ball has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.
[14] The format is used in the PGA Tour's QBE Shootout and Father/Son Challenge, titled since 2020 as the PNC Championship.
Commonly played ones include Ambrose, which uses net scoring with a team handicap; Florida scramble, where after each stroke the player whose ball is selected does not play the next one; and Texas scramble, in which a set number of each team member's tee shots must be used.
The Nassau is perhaps the most common bet among golfers and can be applied to all standard scoring formats.
The player with the best outright score on each hole wins the "skin", which is prize money in the professional game or a wager for amateurs.
The player with the highest score after 18 holes (in which there are 162 points to be awarded) wins the game.
This format can be used to wager on the game systematically; players each contribute the same amount of money to the pot, and a value is assigned to each point scored (or each point after 18) based on the amount of money in the pot, with any overage going to the overall winner.
[8] Bingo Bango Bongo is a points-based game that can be played by two or more players or teams.
In Bingo Bango Bongo, three types of achievements are rewarded with a point: first player to get their ball on the green (bingo), closest to the hole once all balls are on the green (bango), first to hole out (bongo).
[21][17] Bingo Bango Bongo is considered a game for skilled players, and its point-based scoring makes it a popular side-game for wagering.
It is scored individually but played as 2-on-2 better-ball or 3-on-1 best-ball in teams that are determined at the start of each hole.
The Wolf may choose to reject all the other players, in which case the hole is played as 3 against 1 and the points are doubled.
[17][21] Criers and whiners is known by many different names including No Alibis, Replay, Play it Again, and Mulligans.
As the latter would suggest, it's a game of mulligans with handicaps being translated into the number of do-overs golfers are allowed during the round.
[17] A betting game whereby any player making par after having been in a bunker on the hole wins points or money.
They are won automatically by any golfer who makes a par without having managed to get their ball into the fairway.
