Stock Market Golf Game
Stock Market is a golf betting game designed specifically for five players. It combines constantly changing teams with an individual scoring system that rewards or punishes every golfer based on how they actually play.
Every hole has three competing sides: a two-player Left team, one solo Middle player, and a two-player Right team.
Players build their final score in two ways: shares earned by winning the hole and personal dividends earned from their own net score.
Number of players
Stock Market is designed for exactly five golfers.
Before the round
Before teeing off, the group should agree on the value of one point, the handicap percentage being used, the maximum score allowed on any hole if applicable, and how unusually close or difficult-to-rank tee shots will be handled.
Full handicaps are recommended because personal dividends are based on each player's net score relative to par.
How teams are formed
All five players tee off. After every tee shot has come to rest, rank the balls from left to right based on their positions relative to the intended direction of play.
- The two leftmost tee shots form the Left team
- The middle tee shot becomes the Middle player
- The two rightmost tee shots form the Right team
The teams reset on every hole.
A golfer may play on the Left team, Right team, or alone in the Middle at different points during the round.
Once the teams have been determined, all five golfers play their own balls through the completion of the hole.
How each group's score is determined
The Left and Right teams play net best ball.
The lower net score between the two partners becomes that team's score for the hole.
The Middle player uses their own net score.
Each hole therefore has three competing scores: the Left team's net best-ball score, the Middle player's individual net score, and the Right team's net best-ball score.
The lowest group score wins the hole.
Winning shares
Shares are awarded only when one group wins the hole outright.
Two-player team win
When the Left or Right team wins outright, each player on the winning team receives 3 shares.
Both partners receive the same team reward regardless of which player produced the counting best-ball score.
Middle player win
When the Middle player wins outright, the Middle player receives 7 shares.
The solo player receives more because they defeated two separate best-ball teams without the protection of a partner.
Tied holes
When two or all three groups tie for the lowest score, no shares are awarded.
There are no split shares, half-shares, or carryovers under the standard rules.
Personal dividends
Every player receives a Personal Dividend based on their own net score, regardless of whether their group wins or loses.
Personal Dividends make individual performance matter on every hole.
A player can earn a positive dividend while being on a losing team. A player can also receive a negative dividend while being on the winning team.
Calculating a player's score
Each player's result for a hole is calculated by adding their shares and Personal Dividend.
Hole Score = Shares Won + Personal Dividend
The hole scores are added throughout the round to create each player's final Portfolio Value.
Example 1: A two-player team wins
The Left team consists of Player A and Player B.
- Player A makes net birdie
- Player B makes net bogey
- The Middle player makes net par
- Player D makes net par
- Player E makes net bogey
The Left team's net birdie beats both the Middle player and the Right team, so the Left team wins outright.
Player A
- Winning-team shares: +3
- Net-birdie dividend: +2
- Hole score: +5
Player B
- Winning-team shares: +3
- Net-bogey dividend: 0
- Hole score: +3
Player C
- Shares: 0
- Net-par dividend: +1
- Hole score: +1
Example 2: The Middle player wins
Suppose the Middle player makes net par and beats both two-player best-ball scores.
- Solo-win shares: +7
- Net-par dividend: +1
- Hole score: +8
If the Middle player makes net birdie and wins outright, the hole score becomes +9.
Example 3: A winning player makes net double bogey
Suppose a two-player team wins because one partner makes net birdie while the other makes net double bogey.
The player making net double bogey receives:
- Winning-team shares: +3
- Net-double dividend: −1
- Hole score: +2
Their partner who made net birdie receives a stronger result because of the better individual score.
Example 4: The groups tie
Suppose the three competing group scores are Left team: net par, Middle player: net par, and Right team: net par.
Because no group wins outright, no shares are issued.
Each player still receives their Personal Dividend based on their own individual net score.
Keeping score
For every player on every hole, record their Left, Middle, or Right position, their individual net result, shares earned, Personal Dividend, and total score for the hole.
Add each player's hole scores throughout the round. At the end of 18 holes, each golfer's accumulated shares and Personal Dividends make up their final Portfolio Value.
Settling the bet
The recommended payment method is to compare each player's final Portfolio Value against the other four players.
- Subtract the lower Portfolio Value from the higher Portfolio Value.
- Multiply the difference by the agreed point value.
- The lower-scoring player pays the higher-scoring player that amount.
Because every player is compared against four other golfers, the group should use a relatively small point value until it becomes familiar with the typical scoring range.
Quick rules summary
- Stock Market is played with exactly five golfers.
- All five players tee off before the groups are determined.
- The two leftmost balls form the Left team.
- The middle ball plays alone.
- The two rightmost balls form the Right team.
- The Left and Right teams use net best ball.
- Each member of an outright winning two-player team earns 3 shares.
- An outright winning Middle player earns 7 shares.
- Tied groups receive no shares.
- Every golfer earns a Personal Dividend from their individual net score.
- Net eagle or better earns +3.
- Net birdie earns +2.
- Net par earns +1.
- Net bogey earns 0.
- Net double bogey or worse earns −1.
- Shares and Personal Dividends are added together.
- Each player's final total is called their Portfolio Value.
Stock Market is a changing-team golf game where players win shares together but earn dividends individually.