Every format, explained.

Every player on the team tees off; the team picks the best shot and everyone plays their next shot from that spot — repeat until the ball is holed. One score per team per hole.

Each player plays their own ball for the full hole; the team's score is the lowest individual score among teammates on that hole.

Head-to-head scoring by hole, not total strokes — you win, lose, or halve each hole, and the match is decided by holes won, not overall score.

The classic format — total strokes for the full round. Lowest score wins.

Points are awarded on every hole based on your score relative to par (more points for birdies and better, fewer for bogeys and worse) — highest total points wins instead of lowest strokes.

The two-player version of Best Ball — each partner plays their own ball, and the better of the two scores counts for the team on every hole.

Everyone tees off and the team picks the best drive, like a Scramble — but from there, each player plays their own ball into the hole. Team score is the best individual score on the hole.

A two-player team plays a single ball, taking turns hitting each shot — one player tees off on odd holes, the other on even holes, alternating every shot in between.

Both players on a team tee off, then each hits the other player's ball for the second shot. The team picks whichever ball is in better position and plays alternate shot from there to finish the hole.

A two-vs-two team format where each team's two scores are combined into a two-digit number (lower score first) — the gap between the two teams' numbers is the point differential paid by the losing team.

Each player gets a personal points "quota" based on their handicap. Points are earned or lost hole by hole based on score versus par, and the goal is to finish above your quota.

Each player starts with a set number of strokes (typically course par plus their handicap) and keeps playing holes until they run out — planting a flag wherever their last stroke lands. Whoever gets farthest around the course wins.

A multi-round team event that mixes formats across the competition — often Four-Ball and Alternate Shot rounds followed by a final round of individual Match Play — with points awarded per match, not by total strokes.

Players or teams rotate partners and opponents across holes or rounds, so everyone in the group plays with and against everyone else at some point in the event.

A single designated par-3 hole for the whole tournament field — whoever's tee shot finishes nearest the pin over the course of the day wins a standalone prize. (Different from Greenies, which is a per-hole side bet among your own group.)

A single designated hole for the whole field — longest drive that still finishes in the fairway wins a standalone prize.

Uses only your gross score for the round — no handicap needed. A set number of your worst holes (more for higher scores, fewer for lower ones) are automatically deducted based on a published Callaway table, producing a net score for prizes.

A set of holes (often 6 or 9) is chosen in advance and kept secret from players until after the round. Each player's score on just those holes is used to estimate a one-day playing handicap, which is applied to their full gross score.

Each hole is worth a "skin." The player with the outright lowest score on a hole wins the skin; if two or more players tie, the skin carries over and stacks onto the next hole.

Players rotate being the "Wolf" each hole. After watching the other three tee off, the Wolf chooses a partner for that hole — or goes it alone against the other three for a bigger payout.

Three bets in one round: one for the front nine, one for the back nine, and one for the full 18 — so a bad front nine doesn't have to sink your whole match.

On par-3 holes, whoever's tee shot finishes closest to the pin wins the greenie — often forfeited if that player then three-putts the hole.

Win a "sandie" by making par or better on a hole after your ball was in a greenside bunker.

Like a Sandie, but for saving par or better after a bunker shot earlier in the hole (for example, a fairway bunker on your approach) rather than just a greenside bunker.

A side bet triggered any time a player needs three or more putts on a green — that player pays into the pot for the hole.

Whoever three-putts (or worse) last in the round is left "holding the snake" and pays the group at the end — a running bet across all 18 holes.

The first player to win a hole outright "holds the rabbit." They keep holding it until another player beats them on a hole; whoever holds the rabbit at the end of the round wins.

One player is the "banker" for the hole and takes on bets against each of the other players individually, rotating who's banker hole to hole.

Three points are up for grabs on every hole: first ball on the green ("Bingo"), closest to the pin once everyone's on ("Bango"), and first ball in the hole ("Bongo") — rewards more than just low score.

A points-based side game for a threesome: 9 points are split among the three players on every hole based on how their scores compare to each other (for example 5-3-1, or an even 3-3-3 split for a tie).

The foursome version of Nines — 12 points are split among four players each hole based on relative scores, so every hole matters even if you're not in the lead.