Nassau Golf Game
Nassau is one of the classic golf betting games. It splits an 18-hole round into three separate matches: the front nine, the back nine, and the full 18-hole match.
That means one round of Nassau is really three bets in one.
Best for
Nassau works best with 2 players or 4 players.
It is most common as:
- 1 vs 1
- 2 vs 2
- Individual match play between multiple players
Handicaps
Handicaps are usually used.
Nassau is commonly played as net match play, where strokes are given on the hardest holes based on each player's course handicap.
If players have different handicaps, the lower-handicap player usually plays at zero, and the other player receives the difference.
Example:
- Player A handicap: 4
- Player B handicap: 10
- Player B receives 6 strokes
Player B gets one stroke on the holes with handicap rankings 1 through 6.
How Nassau works
A Nassau has three parts:
- Front nine match
- Back nine match
- Overall 18-hole match
Each part is usually worth the same amount.
Example:
- $5 front nine
- $5 back nine
- $5 overall
That is commonly called a $5 Nassau.
Even though the bet is $5, there are three possible payouts, so a player can win or lose up to $15 before presses or side bets.
Match play scoring
Nassau is usually scored using match play.
On each hole:
- The player or team with the lower net score wins the hole.
- If both sides tie the hole, the hole is halved.
- The match score moves up or down based on holes won.
Example:
- Player A wins hole 1: Player A is 1 up.
- Player B wins hole 2: match is all square.
- Player A wins hole 3: Player A is 1 up again.
The front nine result is based only on holes 1 through 9.
The back nine result is based only on holes 10 through 18.
The overall match is based on all 18 holes.
Simple Nassau example
Two players are playing a $5 Nassau.
At the end of the round:
- Player A wins the front nine
- Player B wins the back nine
- Player A wins the overall 18-hole match
Payout:
- Player A wins $5 for the front
- Player B wins $5 for the back
- Player A wins $5 for the overall
Net result:
- Player A wins $5 total
- Player B loses $5 total
Team Nassau
Nassau is also commonly played as 2 vs 2.
Example:
- Team 1: Player A and Player B
- Team 2: Player C and Player D
Each hole can be scored by:
- Best ball net score
- Combined team net score
- Low ball / low total variation
The most common casual version is best ball Nassau, where each team uses its best net score on each hole.
Example:
Team 1:
- Player A net 4
- Player B net 5
- Team score: 4
Team 2:
- Player C net 5
- Player D net 4
- Team score: 4
The hole is tied.
Individual Nassau with more than 2 players
With 3, 4, or 5 players, Nassau can also be played individually.
Each player can have a Nassau match against every other player.
Example with 4 players:
- A vs B
- A vs C
- A vs D
- B vs C
- B vs D
- C vs D
This creates multiple head-to-head Nassau matches at the same time.
It can be fun, but the math can get messy quickly, especially with presses. A scorecard app makes this much easier to track.
Presses
A press is a new bet that starts during the match, usually when one side is losing.
Example:
- Player A is 3 down after 6 holes
- Player A presses
- A new match starts from hole 7 forward
The original match still continues, but now there is also a new side match.
Presses are one of the biggest reasons Nassau can become confusing.
Automatic presses
Some groups use automatic presses.
Example:
- A press automatically starts when a player or team goes 2 down.
- Another press can start if they go 2 down again on the new press.
Common auto-press rules include:
- Press at 2 down
- Press at 3 down
- Press only on the back nine
- Press anytime
- No presses
Groups should agree before the round whether presses are allowed.
Manual presses
Manual presses happen only when a player or team calls for one.
Example:
- Team A is 2 down
- Team A says “press”
- A new bet starts on the next hole or current hole, depending on group rules
Most casual groups keep this simple:
- Press starts on the next hole
- Press is worth the same as the original Nassau amount
Nassau with junk or side bets
Nassau is often combined with other small side bets, sometimes called junk or dots.
Common add-ons include:
- Birdies
- Greenies
- Sandies
- Closest to the pin
- Longest drive
- Low putts
- Three-putt penalties
These are separate from the front, back, and overall Nassau bets.
Common Nassau rules
Before starting, the group should agree on:
- Bet amount
- Gross or net scoring
- How handicap strokes are applied
- Whether teams or individual matches are being used
- Whether presses are allowed
- Whether presses are automatic or manual
- Whether presses start immediately or on the next hole
- Whether side bets or junk are included
How to win a Nassau
There are three ways to win money in a basic Nassau:
- Win the front nine
- Win the back nine
- Win the full 18-hole match
You do not need to win all three to make money.
A player can lose the front, win the back, and still win or lose the overall depending on the full match result.
Nassau payout example
Two players are playing a $10 Nassau.
Results:
- Front nine: Player A wins
- Back nine: tied
- Overall: Player B wins
Payout:
- Player A wins $10 for the front
- Back nine is a push
- Player B wins $10 for the overall
Net result:
- Player A wins $0 total
- Player B wins $0 total
The bets cancel out.
Why use a Nassau scorecard app?
Nassau starts simple, but it can get hard to track when you add:
- net handicap strokes
- team scoring
- multiple players
- presses
- automatic presses
- side bets
- front/back/overall totals
Golf Betting Games keeps the front nine, back nine, overall match, and payouts organized during the round.