How to Settle Golf Bets Without a Fight

Golf bets should make a round more fun. Badly run, they do the opposite. Someone thinks they won. Someone else thinks they owe less. Nobody wrote it down.

Here is how to set up bets, track them and settle up cleanly.

Rule 1: agree the stakes first

Before the first tee, say the numbers out loud.

• What each game is worth.
• Whether carryovers stack.
• Whether there is a cap per day.

Good rule: nobody should lose more in a day than they would happily spend on dinner.

If someone does not want to bet, that is fine. They play for pride.

Rule 2: agree the exact rules

"Skins" means different things to different people. Do ties carry? Is it gross or net? Does a birdie beat a net birdie?

Write each game's rules in one line. Share it in the group chat. Our side bets guide has plain-English rules to copy.

Rule 3: one scorekeeper

Pick one source for bet results. One app, or one person with one card.

If two people are tracking, you will get two answers. Decide which one counts before the round.

Rule 4: track as you go

Do not reconstruct bets from memory at dinner. Track them hole by hole.

• Skins: note who won each skin and any carryovers.
• Hammer: note the hole value after every hammer.
• Team games: note points per hole.

An app does this best. Paper works if one person owns it.

Rule 5: net it out

The trick to clean settling is netting. Do not pay every bet one by one. Add up each person's total for the day or trip, then settle the difference.

A worked example

Four players: A, B, C and D. Two games.

Skins: each skin is worth $1 from each of the other three players. Player A wins 3 skins. Player B wins 1.

• A collects $3 per skin: +$9. A pays $1 for B's skin: -$1. A is +$8.
• B collects $3: +$3. B pays $1 for each of A's three skins: -$3. B is $0.
• C pays $1 for each of the 4 skins: -$4.
• D pays the same: -$4.

Team High/Low: A and C beat B and D by 4 points, at $1 a point. A and C are +$4 each. B and D are -$4 each.

Check: the nets add to zero. They always should.

Now settle with two payments, not ten. B pays A $4. D pays A $8. Done.

That still took a table to work out. With more players and more games, it gets harder. Which is why many groups use a pot.

Rule 6: the pot method

For buddies trips, a pot is the cleanest system.

1. Everyone puts in the same amount at the start. Say $20.
2. Decide how the pot splits. For example, 60 percent to skins, 40 percent to the winning team.
3. At the end, pay out from the pot.

Nobody owes anybody. Nobody chases payments. The pot is spent.

Rule 7: settle once

Settle at the end of each day or the end of the trip. Not after each hole.

• Use a payment app or cash.
• Do it before anyone leaves.
• The person who holds the pot pays out.

Rule 8: no new bets mid-round without agreement

Presses and side side-bets are fun. But nobody should be added to a bet they did not agree to. Anyone can say no.

Common mistakes

• Vague rules. "We said skins" is not a rule.
• Big stakes. If someone is nervous over a four-footer for money, it is too much.
• No record. Memory is not a scorecard.
• Paying hole by hole. It slows everything down.
• Mixing bets and trip costs. Keep them separate.

Apps that track bets

The more games you play, the more an app helps. Check that it scores your exact games.

• MATCHUPS (made by us) scores Skins, High/Low, Low/Low and the Hammer side game, with live scoring and a lock-screen scoreboard. iPhone and Apple Watch only. No Nassau or Wolf.
• 18Birdies lists ten side games, including Skins, Nassau, Wolf, Vegas and Dots, on iPhone and Android.

Neither app is a payment app. Settle the money yourselves.

See every option on our golf buddies trip app comparison.

Copy this into your group chat

1. Stakes: $20 per person into one pot.
2. Games: Skins (gross, ties carry) and team High/Low.
3. Split: 60 percent skins, 40 percent to the winning team.
4. Official score: the app.
5. Settle: last night, from the pot.

Five lines. No arguments.

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 is the easiest way to settle golf bets?

Use one pot. Everyone puts in the same amount, and winnings are paid from the pot at the end.

How much should you bet on a golf trip?

Keep it small. Nobody should lose more in a day than they would spend on dinner.

Can MATCHUPS track golf bets?

MATCHUPS scores Skins, High/Low, Low/Low and Hammer. It does not handle payments.