Overview
Hole by hole: the side with the lower net score wins the hole, ties are halved. Whoever wins more holes wins the match. Total strokes never matter.
Sides
- 1 v 1: singles.
- 2 v 2: best ball (four-ball): each side counts its better net score on every hole.
- 1 v 2 or 1 v 3: one player against the best ball of the others.
Money
Each player on the winning side wins the bet; each on the losing side pays it. With uneven sides the loner plays every opponent for the bet, so in 1 v 3 they win or lose three bets.
Closing it out
A match ends as soon as one side leads by more holes than remain: 3&2 means 3 up with 2 to play. Dormie means the leader can’t lose. The remaining holes don’t count for this bet.
Presses
Turn presses on and a side that falls behind by the set number of holes can start a fresh bet for the same amount over the remaining holes.
Both balls count
A house rule for 2 v 2, off unless you turn it on: partners add their two net scores on each hole instead of counting the better one. A side missing a partner plays best ball that hole.
The bye
A house rule, off unless you pick it: when the match is closed out early, the holes left are a new bet of their own, for half the match bet or all of it. Win 5&4 and the last four holes are the bye.