Golf and betting go hand in hand. We all love the way we get butterflies in our stomach over a two-foot putt to win a hole, or the camaraderie a measly $2 bet can make. It’s one of the few sports where you can setup a competitive match between players of vastly different skill levels. That being said, what are some bets you can make on the golf course? What kind of bets can you place on players on the tour?
When it comes to online sports betting, there are tons of options out there. If you’re looking for something fun and on-going, there are plenty of Fantasy Golf Leagues, where you can win great prizes and cash. The basic premise here is that you pick 5-10 players, and they receive a specific amount of points based on their standings in specific tournaments, or even golf rankings or money earned. The Golf Channel has a great one.
Got your heart set on a specific player? There are many sites that allow you to bet on a player finishing in the top ten, four and even taking home the first place trophy.
Love Phil Mickelson? Place a bet on the top American in a tournament, or try and guess how many Majors he’ll win in 2011. Think a player’s hit a slump? You can make a bet that they’ll miss the cut, or place 40th or worse in tournament.
Miss the first day of action on a tournament and still want to get in on the betting? Don’t worry, many online betting sites offer bets in each and every round of a tournament, and on a variety of tours including PGA, European, Champions and LPGA.
There are tons of websites to choose from, and tons of possible bets you can make. Do your research, find a bet and odds you like and go for it. I know for us Canadians, the winters can get really boring, and when the auto-return golf hole just isn’t as doing it for you anymore – betting on some PGA Tour action may be your answer.
On the course betting
I’m sure by now you all have your usual games you play on the course. Whether your game is a $2 Nassau or something a little more exciting like Las Vegas – it all adds to fun of your round. Below, I’m going to do a quick run through of some great on the course betting game you can try that may just up the ante on your next round.
Progressives
If you’re feeling lucky, or just love the back nine at your course, you may want to give progressives a try. You can play this game with any number of players, and here’s how it works: set an amount, and a required score for the progressives, for example, $1 per birdie. The first birdie is then worth $1, the 2nd is worth $2 and so on. Things get interesting when you have multiple players putting for birdie on the same hole, and even more so the later in the game you make your birdies. This is a really fun game to play, but the stakes add up quickly.
Gruesomes
A variation of the 2-man scramble. You play this match in foursomes and pit two 2-man teams against each other. Everyone tees off, and then each opposing team gets to pick the ball their opponents must play from – always the worst ball. This game can get really nasty, and adding in bets always makes it a little more so. When I play this we tend to play either $1 a stroke, skins or 10-cent Las Vegas.
Validation
This is a great game to play if you have a group of say 20-30 players, or even a great add-on to your league. If you have a wide range of handicaps, you’ll have to make this “net” skins. At the start of the match everyone pitches in $5 for the skins. If a player wins a hole, they must validate it by either tying or beating the lowest score on the next hole to win. With this format you can get some huge pots, and lots of pressure!
What are some great golf betting games you love to play?
