Golf betting glossary
The terms you'll hear on the first tee, in plain English. For full rules of each game, see the betting games guide.
- All square
- In match play, when the two sides have won the same number of holes, so nobody is ahead.
- Best ball
- A team format where each team's score on a hole is its lowest single player's score, not a combined total.
- Bogey or better
- A hole played in one over par or lower (bogey, par, birdie, and so on). Some side bets are built around how many of these you make.
- Carryover
- When a hole is tied in skins, its skin isn't won and carries to the next hole, making that hole worth more.
- Closed out
- When a match ends early because one side is up by more holes than remain, e.g. winning '3 & 2'.
- Dormie
- In match play, being up by exactly as many holes as remain. You can't lose the match, though the other side can still tie it.
- Four-ball
- A match between two teams of two where each side plays its own balls and counts the better score on each hole (team best ball).
- Foursomes
- A team format where two partners alternate hitting the same ball. Also called alternate shot.
- Gross score
- Your actual number of strokes on a hole or round, before any handicap strokes are applied.
- Handicap
- A number representing a player's ability, used to add or subtract strokes so players of different levels can compete fairly. Your course handicap is what's applied for a given course.
- Halved
- A hole (or match) that ends tied, with neither side winning it.
- Match play
- A format scored hole by hole. Whoever wins more holes wins; total strokes don't matter.
- Nassau
- Three bets in one round: the front nine, the back nine, and the overall eighteen.
- Net score
- Your gross score minus the handicap strokes you receive. Net scoring lets mixed-ability groups compete.
- Press
- A new side bet started, usually by the trailing side, that covers only the remaining holes.
- Push
- A tied bet where no money changes hands and stakes are returned.
- Skin
- The prize for winning a single hole outright in a skins game. Ties carry the skin to the next hole.
- Stableford
- A scoring system that awards points per hole based on your score versus par, with the highest total winning.
- Stroke index
- The difficulty ranking of each hole (1 = hardest), used to decide where handicap strokes are given.
- Stroke play
- A format where you count every stroke over the round and the lowest total wins.
- Up / down
- How far ahead or behind a player is in match play, for example '2 up' or '1 down'.