Golf is arguably one of the most popular games in the world. Millions of people enjoy this game, whether as professionals, beginners, or watchers. So it goes without saying that apart from playing golf, you can enjoy different other games, connected with the sport. Many people like to change it up or even gamble on the scores. After all, there is big money behind this game and a lot of people want to get at least a small portion of it. That is why today we are bringing a list of the best gambling games connected with golf, where to play them, and all the basic rules you need to know to succeed.
The Popularity and Money Behind Golf
As we have mentioned in our introduction, golf is perhaps one of the most well-known sports, coming in second only after football. There are at least 26 million people who participate in golf in the United States. That number only counts people who actually play. Imagine if we added millions upon millions of individuals who simply watch or gamble. Between everyone who plays, gambles, and watches, the popularity increases with each year.
Prize Pools and Gambling
Playing or enjoying sports nowadays is not a cheap task. Successful players can receive millions for winning, while those who gamble can either win or lose thousands of dollars. For example, the set prize pool of the Valspar Championship for the 2024 season is $8.4 million. This may not be a number in circulation when it comes to the Super Bowl, but in a couple of years, it might as well become just as profitable. Apart from public prize pools, some people come up with certain games during the championship.
Where to Play and How to Choose
Sports betting is one of the most popular ways to have fun and make money at the same time. It attracts millions of people. Besides, online sports betting is much more accessible now than it was a decade ago. People are no longer concerned with their security since e-wallets exist, and gamblers who want to ensure safety can view these iDebit casino sites with minimum deposits and maximum bonuses. There are so many options online that you can get a rather good deal, especially as a first-time player. Just be mindful and use third-party wallets like AstroPay, especially in the beginning.
E-Wallets and Other Payment Options
As we have mentioned before, there are a lot of things to consider when gambling or sports betting. The most popular concern is your security and spending money on fees. A good portion of players trust since third-party e-wallets grant them the security they need. Besides, online wallets are usually associated with lower fees. Still, you can easily use any other payment option like your credit card or debit card. However, you should still keep in mind that sharing your personal information with casinos can be rather risky, especially if you’ve never played on that website before.
Nassau
It’s the most popular game on the golf field. Funny enough, we can hardly even consider Nassau to be a gambling game at all. Besides, the rules are pretty simple. You, as a player, need to place a bet on the best score. This should be done on each hole of the front and back nines. Plus, don’t forget about the best score for a total of eighteen. As for the wager amount, everything depends on your wallet. You can opt for a couple of dollars or thousands.
Wolf
The wolf is perhaps one of the most fun ones on our list. First thing first, all players need to establish the tee-off order to be followed to the end of the game. There is a wolf aka player for each hole who needs to tee off first. Then the wolf picks another player as a partner. The rest of the golfers are trying to beat the wolves and their partners. Every hole starts the process all over again, with a different player as a wolf.
Stableford
Do you want to bet on the highest possible score? Then Stableford is for you. Here you are not wagering with the lowest scores. Quite the opposite, each scoring outcome is given a point value. At the end of the game, whoever has the highest score, wins.
Chicago
Remember how we talked about Stableford? Chicago is not too far from the aforementioned game. The main difference is that Chicago is preferred by players with higher caps. Higher handicappers have better opportunities here since they start with a bigger score. The winner is the golfer who ends the round with the highest score.
Scramble
If you are someone who likes to play big, look no further. Scramble is yet another popular game for people who want to spend/gain hundreds or thousands of dollars. It’s an all-or-nothing type of pursuit. Here groups of four are competing for the lowest score. They are all hitting from the group’s best shot. The team with the lowest score wins.
Miami
This game is a traditional Scramble with a bit of a twist on ordinary rules. The rules are pretty simple. The player whose tee shot (the first stroke played from the teeing ground of a golf hole) was chosen needs to stop playing until their teammates reach the green.
Las Vegas
This is two against two, online scramble. Two players on the same team combine their scores. By combining we mean whoever scores less, their number comes first. By that logic, if one player scores 3 and the other 5, we have a score of 35. Then, both teams calculate the difference between scores and subtract. At the end of the game, the number that was calculated during the subtraction is a score one team owes to the other.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there are dozens of variations of your favorite game. You can place bets from one dollar and up to thousands of dollars, depending on how much you’re willing to spend. Still, let us remind you that gambling on the field can be risky, although entertaining. That is why you should do proper research when engaging in any sort of gambling and understand your limits. However, if you ever want to gamble on golf you can do that with trustworthy websites, using online wallets, and enjoying fun games like Nassau.
