12 Golf Trip Awards Your Group Will Fight Over
Twelve golf trip awards and superlatives, from MVP to the Snowman. How to pick winners, what to hand out and how to run the ceremony.
The cup is the headline. The awards are the stories.
Ten years from now, nobody will remember who won the four-ball on day two. Everybody will remember who won the Snowman.
Here are twelve awards that work on almost any buddies trip.
The serious ones
1. MVP
Most points won for their team across the trip. The real prize.
Tie-breaker: most matches won outright.
2. Low round
The best single round of the trip. Gross or net, your choice. Some groups give both.
3. Best shot
The one shot everyone talks about at dinner. A hole-out, a long putt, a recovery from the trees.
Vote on it the last night. The person who hit it does not get a vote.
4. Iron man
Played every hole of every round, including the optional afternoon one. Respect.
The funny ones
5. The Snowman
Worst single hole of the trip. Named for the 8. Usually a crowd favorite.
6. Sandbagger
The player who beat their handicap by the most. Delivered with full suspicion.
7. Hammer King
Most hammers called in the Hammer side game. Bonus if most of them worked. Learn the game in our Hammer guide.
8. Lost and found
Most balls lost. Track it honestly. Gift: a dozen balls for next year.
9. Cart path only
Most shots off a cart path, road or parking lot.
10. The weatherman
Most confident wrong forecast of the trip.
The trip ones
11. Social chair
The person who made the nights fun. Organized dinner. Found the bar. Kept everyone together.
12. Commissioner's award
For the organizer. Every trip needs one, and they rarely get thanked.
How to pick winners
Three methods. Use a mix.
- Data. MVP, low round, Snowman, Iron man. These come from the scores.
- Vote. Best shot, Social chair. Everyone votes on the last night.
- Committee. Weatherman, Cart path only. Two or three people decide. No appeals.
What to hand out
Keep it cheap and memorable.
- MVP: a small trophy that stays with them for a year. Engrave the name.
- Snowman: a little snowman figure. Must be displayed at home.
- Lost and found: a box of the cheapest balls you can find.
- Everything else: a printed certificate is enough. People keep them.
A rotating trophy is the best gift of all. It turns one trip into a tradition.
Running the ceremony
Do awards before anyone leaves. The last lunch is ideal.
- Start with the funny awards. Get people laughing.
- Then the serious ones.
- End with the cup.
- Take one photo with everyone and every prize.
Keep speeches short. One line each. The best speeches are the shortest.
Let the app track the numbers
Half of these awards need data. Scores, points, worst holes. If you are keeping score on paper, someone has to dig through cards on the last morning.
MATCHUPS has end-of-trip awards built in and makes AI pro-style headshots of the players, which make great award photos. It runs two equal teams of 4, 8 or 12 over one to five rounds, scores Skins, High/Low, Low/Low and the Hammer side game, and runs on iPhone and Apple Watch only.
The awards in the app may not match this list exactly. Use them as a base and add your own.
See other options in our golf buddies trip app comparison.
Make up your own
The best awards are inside jokes. Look for them during the trip.
- The player who talked to the most strangers.
- The guy who brought the wrong shoes.
- The longest drive that ended up in the wrong fairway.
Write ideas in the group chat as they happen. You will have plenty by the last night.
Award ideas by group size
| Group | How many awards |
|---|---|
| 4 players | 4 to 5, so everyone gets one |
| 8 players | 8 to 10 |
| 12 players | 10 to 12 |
Aim for everyone to win something. Even if it is the Snowman.
Traditions to start
Awards get better with history. Try one of these.
- The plaque. Add every winner's name to one board or trophy base.
- The jacket. A cheap blazer for the MVP. They must wear it at dinner next year.
- The Snowman hand-off. Last year's Snowman presents this year's.
- The photo wall. One printed photo per year of the winners, in the organizer's garage.
Small traditions are what make a group say "same time next year."
Keep them coming back
Awards are how a trip becomes a yearly event. Keep a list of past winners. Read it out at the start of next year's trip. The defending Snowman will hear about it all weekend.
Next up: learn the most popular golf side bets, so there is more to hand out next year.
Full disclosure: The 19th Hole Gazette is made by the MATCHUPS team. MATCHUPS runs Skins, the Hammer and team games on iPhone and Apple Watch. Get it on the App Store · matchupsgolf.com
FAQ
What awards should you give on a golf trip?
MVP, low round, best shot, plus funny ones like the Snowman for the worst hole and Sandbagger.
When should you do golf trip awards?
At the last lunch or dinner, before anyone leaves.
Does MATCHUPS have golf trip awards?
Yes. End-of-trip awards are built into MATCHUPS.