Sixes Golf Game
Sixes is a rotating partner golf game most commonly played with four players.
The round is split into three six-hole matches. Players change partners every six holes so that each player gets to partner with every other player once.
Sixes is one of the cleanest team games for a foursome because it keeps the teams balanced and gives everyone a chance to play with each other.
Best for
Sixes works best with 4 players.
It is not really a 2-player or 3-player game because the whole format is built around rotating 2 vs 2 teams.
For 5 players, games like Wolf, Skins, Stableford, Banker, Defender, or Rabbit usually work better.
Handicaps
Handicaps are optional.
Sixes can be played gross or net. If handicaps are used, each player receives strokes based on their course handicap and the course handicap row on the scorecard.
Net Sixes is usually better when the four players have different skill levels.
How Sixes works
Sixes splits the round into three matches:
- Holes 1–6
- Holes 7–12
- Holes 13–18
Each six-hole match has a different team pairing.
Example with four players:
- Holes 1–6: Player A / Player B vs Player C / Player D
- Holes 7–12: Player A / Player C vs Player B / Player D
- Holes 13–18: Player A / Player D vs Player B / Player C
By the end of the round, every player has partnered with every other player once.
Simple Sixes example
Four players are playing Sixes.
First six holes:
- Team 1: Player A and Player B
- Team 2: Player C and Player D
Team A/B wins the first six-hole match.
Second six holes:
- Team 1: Player A and Player C
- Team 2: Player B and Player D
Team B/D wins the second six-hole match.
Final six holes:
- Team 1: Player A and Player D
- Team 2: Player B and Player C
Team A/D wins the final six-hole match.
At the end, each six-hole match is settled based on the group's bet.
Common Sixes scoring
Sixes can be scored a few different ways.
The most common versions are:
- best ball match play
- combined score
- low ball / low total
- points per hole
- stroke total by six-hole segment
The group should agree on the scoring format before starting.
Best ball match play Sixes
Best ball match play is one of the cleanest versions.
Each hole, both players on a team play their own ball. The team's best score is compared against the other team's best score.
Example:
Team A/B:
- Player A net 4
- Player B net 5
- Team score: 4
Team C/D:
- Player C net 5
- Player D net 6
- Team score: 5
Team A/B wins the hole.
At the end of the six-hole segment, the team that won more holes wins that Sixes match.
Combined score Sixes
In combined score Sixes, both teammates' scores are added together.
Example:
Team A/B:
- Player A net 4
- Player B net 5
- Team total: 9
Team C/D:
- Player C net 5
- Player D net 6
- Team total: 11
Team A/B wins the hole.
This version makes both players' scores matter on every hole.
Low ball / low total Sixes
Low ball / low total gives teams two ways to score points on each hole.
Example:
- 1 point for the best individual score
- 1 point for the best combined team score
Team A/B:
- Player A net 4
- Player B net 6
- Low ball: 4
- Total: 10
Team C/D:
- Player C net 5
- Player D net 5
- Low ball: 5
- Total: 10
Result:
- Team A/B wins low ball
- Team totals tie
Team A/B wins 1 point, and the total point pushes.
This version creates more action but is slightly more complex.
Points per hole Sixes
Some groups make every hole worth a set number of points.
Example:
- Win a hole: 1 point
- Tie a hole: 0 points or split point
- Team with the most points over the six-hole segment wins
This is easy to track and works well with best ball or combined score.
Six-hole segment bets
Sixes is usually paid by segment.
Example:
- Holes 1–6 are worth $5
- Holes 7–12 are worth $5
- Holes 13–18 are worth $5
The team that wins each segment wins that segment bet.
Because partners rotate, each player's final money total depends on how their teams perform in each six-hole match.
Per-player payout
The cleanest payout is per player.
Example:
- Segment bet: $5
- Team A/B beats Team C/D
- Player A wins $5
- Player B wins $5
- Player C loses $5
- Player D loses $5
This makes each six-hole segment easy to settle.
Team-pot payout
Some groups treat each segment as a total team pot.
Example:
- Segment bet: $10 total
- Winning team splits or settles the $10
This keeps the total money lower but can feel less natural than per-player settlement.
Tied six-hole segments
Groups should agree what happens if a six-hole segment ends tied.
Common options include:
- segment pushes
- carry the bet to the next six-hole segment
- sudden-death on the next hole
- use total strokes as tiebreaker
- split the segment bet
For casual groups, the easiest rule is:
- tied segments push
Gross Sixes
Gross Sixes uses actual scores only.
Example:
- Team A/B best ball: 4
- Team C/D best ball: 5
Team A/B wins the hole.
Gross Sixes works best when all four players are close in skill level.
Net Sixes
Net Sixes uses handicap-adjusted scores.
Example:
- Player A gross 5 and receives 1 stroke
- Player A net 4
- Player B gross 6 and receives 1 stroke
- Player B net 5
The team score is calculated from the net scores.
Net Sixes is usually better for mixed-handicap foursomes.
Partner rotation
The classic Sixes rotation ensures every player partners with every other player.
Example:
Holes 1–6
A/B vs C/D
Holes 7–12
A/C vs B/D
Holes 13–18
A/D vs B/C
This is the main thing that makes Sixes different from a normal team match.
Sixes vs Round Robin
Sixes and Round Robin are very similar.
In many groups, they are basically the same format.
The difference is mostly naming:
- Sixes emphasizes the three six-hole team matches.
- Round Robin emphasizes rotating partners so everyone partners with everyone.
For a foursome, both usually use the same team rotation.
Sixes vs Nassau
Sixes and Nassau both split the round into smaller bets, but they work differently.
Nassau usually has:
- front nine bet
- back nine bet
- overall bet
Sixes has:
- holes 1–6
- holes 7–12
- holes 13–18
Nassau usually keeps the same sides. Sixes rotates partners every six holes.
Optional overall bet
Some groups add an overall bet to Sixes.
Example:
- Each six-hole segment is worth $5
- Overall best individual money total wins an extra $5
- Or overall team points across all segments are tracked
This is optional. The simple version only pays each six-hole segment.
Presses
Some groups allow presses during each six-hole match.
Example:
- Team A/B is down after three holes
- They press the remaining holes in that segment
- Now there is an extra bet for the rest of the six-hole match
This makes Sixes more like Nassau, but it can add complexity.
For most casual groups, start with no presses.
Plus handicaps
Plus-handicap players can be handled the same way as other net games.
Give back to course
A plus golfer gives strokes back on the easiest handicap holes.
Example:
- A +2 golfer gives back strokes on handicap holes 18 and 17
- On one of those holes, gross 3 on a par 4 becomes adjusted 4 for net scoring
Normalize to zero
Some groups normalize the lowest handicap to zero and add the difference to everyone else.
Example:
- +2, 4, 6, 10 becomes 0, 6, 8, 12
Groups should agree before the round how plus handicaps are handled.
Common Sixes rules
Before starting, the group should agree on:
- gross or net scoring
- team rotation
- scoring format
- bet amount per segment
- whether payouts are per player or team total
- what happens if a segment ties
- whether presses are allowed
- whether an overall bet is included
- how handicap strokes are applied
- how plus handicaps are handled
Sixes payout example
Four players are playing Sixes for $5 per player per segment.
Rotation:
- Holes 1–6: A/B vs C/D
- Holes 7–12: A/C vs B/D
- Holes 13–18: A/D vs B/C
Results:
- Segment 1: A/B wins
- Segment 2: B/D wins
- Segment 3: A/D wins
Payouts:
Segment 1:
- A wins $5
- B wins $5
- C loses $5
- D loses $5
Segment 2:
- B wins $5
- D wins $5
- A loses $5
- C loses $5
Segment 3:
- A wins $5
- D wins $5
- B loses $5
- C loses $5
Final totals:
- Player A: +$5
- Player B: +$5
- Player C: -$15
- Player D: +$5
Totals balance to zero.
Strategy
Sixes rewards teamwork, but your partner changes throughout the round.
A player who struggles in one segment can still recover in the next segment with a different partner.
Best ball Sixes rewards making at least one good score per team on each hole. Combined score Sixes rewards consistency from both teammates.
Because the teams rotate, Sixes feels fair for a foursome and avoids one strong team dominating the entire round.
Why use a Sixes scorecard app?
Sixes is easy to understand, but it can be annoying to track changing teams, segment results, net scores, and payouts.
A scorecard app can track:
- partner rotation
- six-hole segments
- gross scores
- net scores
- handicap strokes
- best ball results
- combined score results
- tied segments
- presses
- payout totals
Golf Betting Games keeps Sixes scoring organized so the group can focus on the round.