Nassau
Three bets in one: front 9, back 9, and overall 18.
2–4 playersEasy to learnBetting optional
How to play
- •Each of the three bets — front, back, and overall — is played as match play (holes won vs. holes lost, not total strokes).
- •Win more holes than your opponent on the front 9 and you win that bet. Same for the back 9.
- •The 18-hole bet is decided by total holes won across the full round — independent of the front and back results.
- •A player can win all three bets, split them, or lose all three.
- •With handicaps, strokes are applied hole by hole based on each hole's stroke index.
Example — typical result
Ali wins the front 9 (5 holes to 4). Ben wins the back 9 (6 holes to 3). Ali wins the overall 18 (9 holes to 9 — Ali wins ties, or it can be halved). Each bet is settled independently.
Setup — before you tee off
- 1Enter player names. Nassau works best 1v1 or 2v2 teams.
- 2Set the bet amount. A $2 Nassau means $2 on the front, $2 on the back, $2 overall — max exposure of $6.
- 3Decide on handicaps — yes or no. If yes, enter each player's handicap index.
- 4Decide on presses — optional automatic double-bets when a player goes 2 down (see variations).
- 5Enter scores hole by hole. The app tracks front, back, and overall simultaneously.
Pro tip
Nassau is a great format for mixed-skill groups because handicaps level the playing field hole by hole, not just at the end.
Variations
Press
When a player goes 2 down in any bet, they can 'press' — starting a new parallel bet for the remaining holes. Adds drama and comeback potential.
Automatic press
The press triggers automatically whenever a player goes 2 down, no agreement needed. Agree on this before the round starts.
$2-$2-$2
The classic stakes setup: $2 on front, $2 on back, $2 overall. Maximum loss of $6 per player — keeps things friendly.