Birdies or Better
Make a net birdie and everyone without one pays you. Birdies on the same hole split the pot.
2 or more players
Birdies or Better is a simple side bet that rewards going low. On every hole, anyone who makes a net birdie or better collects, and anyone who doesn't pays the stake. It runs alongside whatever else your group is playing.
Each player pays at most one stake per hole, no matter how many birdies there are. If two people birdie the same hole, they split what the rest of the group puts in, and if nobody birdies, nothing changes hands.
How to play Birdies or Better
- 1Set a stake per hole
Agree on what each hole is worth, say $2. That's the most any one player can lose on a hole.
- 2Use full course handicaps
Net birdies are measured against par, so every player should use their full course handicap as strokes, not strokes relative to the best player in the group.
- 3Check for net birdies
After each hole, see who made a net birdie or better (net score at least one under par). An eagle counts the same as a birdie.
- 4Everyone without one pays the stake
Each player who didn't make a net birdie puts in the stake once for that hole.
- 5Birdie-makers split it
The players who made birdie or better split that pot evenly. If nobody birdied, or everybody did, no money changes hands on the hole.
A few holes with 4 players at $2
- One player birdies: the other three pay $2 each, so the birdie is worth $6.
- Two players birdie the same hole: the other two pay $2 each, and the birdie-makers get $2 apiece.
- Nobody birdies: nothing changes hands.
- Your worst case is one stake per hole, so 18 holes at $2 can cost you at most $36.
Common variations
Some low-handicap groups count only real birdies. Net is fairer for mixed abilities, which is why it's the default here.
Some groups pay double for an eagle. In Three Putt any birdie or better counts the same, which keeps the worst case predictable.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if two players birdie the same hole?
They split the pot. Everyone without a birdie pays the stake once, and the birdie-makers divide it evenly, so with four players at $2 each birdie-maker gets $2.
Does an eagle pay more than a birdie?
Not in Three Putt. Any net birdie or better counts the same, so nobody can lose more than one stake on a hole.
Why should everyone use their full course handicap?
Birdies are measured against par, not against the best player. Using strokes relative to the low player would mean the best golfer never gets net birdies from handicap strokes, skewing the game.
Skip the 18th-green math
Three Putt scores Birdies or Better for you and shows exactly who owes who. Everyone can score from their own phone, or one person can handle it. Nothing to download.
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