This is small set of games for a single foursome where there are no known or believable handicaps.  The games are almost fair if the bets are kept small.

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Rotating Best Ball Twosomes

Pairings for each six hole segment will be determined by lot. Example: Players A and B will compete against Players C and D on holes one through six. Players A and C will compete against Players B and D on holes seven through twelve. And Players A and D will compete against Players B and C on holes thirteen through eighteen. If the group wishes to speed up play and equalize any significant differences in ability, players will play their own ball starting from the selection of best drive off the tee (as in Florida and Texas scrambles.)

Variation 1:

          Best Ball -- The single best score for each team on each hole will be compared. The low score wins a point for that team. At the end of each 6 hole segment, the team with the most accumulated points is declared winner.

Variation 2:

          Three Best Balls -- The teams get only three best balls in each 6 hole segment. The selection of best ball must be made by the team at the conclusion of each hole and before the beginning of play on the next hole. Once selected, a best ball score cannot be abandoned in favor of another. At the end of each 6 hole segment, the team with the most accumulated points is declared winner.

Variation 3:

          Five-Four-Three -- Similar to #2, teams get five best balls in the first segment, four in the second segment, and only three in the last segment. Once selected, a best ball score cannot be abandoned in favor of another. At the end of each 6 hole segment, the team with the most accumulated points is declared winner.

Variation 4:

          The STRyder Cup -- The first 6 hole segment is played as a two person scramble. The second 6 hole segment is Best Ball as in Variation #1 above. The final 6 hole segment is Three Best Balls as in Variation #2 above.

Effect of wagering:

         If golfer A has managed to be on all three winning teams, he will be paid an equal amount from golfers B,C, and D,

         Likewise, if golfer C has managed to be on all three losing teams, he will pay an equal amount to each of the other golfers.

         If golfer A is on two winning teams, and one of the 6 hole matches results in a draw, then he will win two times the wager from the golfer who has lost twice.  The other golfers have won once and lost once, and will break even.

         Similarly, if golfers A and D are on a winning team, and the other two matches result in a draw, then golfers B and C will each pay the amount of the wager to golfers A and D respectively.

Modified Wolf for play after best drive.

Wolf is a game in which the players in a foursome establish an order of play (after best drive) on the first tee and rotate that same order throughout the round. The player that plays first (after best drive) is the Wolf. The players take turns playing the Wolf based on the established rotation.

The Wolf has the following options:

1) Choose one of the other three players as a partner for the hole as each one takes his/her shot(see example), or

2) Play the hole alone against the other three players if none of their shots give you an advantage.

Example:

The Wolf would play first (after best drive.)  The second player in the rotation plays next.  Based on the results of the second players shot, the Wolf has the option to select the second player as a partner or to pass. (Here is where the strategy begins). Once the third player plays his ball, the second player is no longer eligible as a partner for the Wolf. Likewise, once the fourth player plays his ball, the third player is no longer eligible as a partner for the Wolf.  Once the fourth player plays his ball, the Wolf must select the fourth player as a partner for the hole, or play the hole alone against the other three players.

Wolf can be played low ball or low total.

Points are earned as follows:

1. Winning team: 2 points each player

2. Wolf plays alone and wins: Wolf earns 3 points

3. Wolf plays alone and one player beats Wolf: All players earn 2 points except Wolf.

4. No Points earned for ties.

Example 1: (low ball play)

Wolf is the only one to hit the first green. Other players chip onto the green, but none get close. Wolf elects to play alone, but misses his birdie putt. At least one other player sinks putt for par. No points.

Example 2: (low ball play)

Best drive is on the green of the second hole (par 3). Wolf misses putt. Player 2 sinks putt. Wolf selects Player 2 as his partner. Players 3 & 4 miss putt. Wolf and Player 2 each get 2 points.

Example 3: (low ball play)

On the par 5, only player 4 hits the green in regulation.  Wolf selects player 4 as his partner.  Player 2 sinks his chip for birdie.  Wolf and player 4 get par.  Player 2 and player 3 are each awarded 2 points.

Points conversion to cash (assume .25/point):

Animal

My favorite individual betting game is called Animal.  I believe that "Animal" may be a
trademarked game which is available in retail stores, though I have not found one anywhere.  It is good for a threesome, since you cannot form rotating pairs.

Make four hard discs.  Mark each of them with one of the following words:  Frog,
Snake, Camel, or Gorilla.

By definition, the Frog signifies a ball in the water; the Snake is a missed second putt, the Camel is a ball in a sand trap (not a waste area), and the Gorilla is a ball which is either lost, out-of-bounds, or declared unplayable.  It is always fun to watch a player swing at a ball which is deep in the woods in order to save a nickel.

A separate score card is used to record the points awarded for these error events in the order in which they occur for each player.  Each event is one point.  A camel becomes
two camels only if the ball is hit from one sand trap into a different sand trap.
As each error event occurs, the golfer holding the disc for that type of event passes
the disc to the latest golfer committing the error.

At the end of the round, the golfer holding each disc becomes liable for every
point earned by that disc across all four golfers.  For example:

Four somewhat matched golfers might accumulate the following point distribution
across the round:  

• Player A  --  one frog, one snake, and two camels
• Player B  --  2 snakes, and one camel
• Player C  --  1 gorilla
• Player D  --  4 snakes, and three camels

If each point is worth a nickel, for example, then:

• Player A owes each of the other players a nickel for the frog, and 30 cents each for all six camels since he/she was the last player to hit a sand trap.
• Player B owes each of the other players 35 cents, since he/she was the last golfer to three-putt, thereby left holding all the snakes at the end of the round.
• Player C owes each of the other players a nickel for the only gorilla of the day.
• Player D owes no money, since he/she was not holding any disc at the end of the round.   Moral: make your mistakes early in the round.

Clearly, the golfer is playing against himself rather than his opponents.  That is why there should not be a wide disparity in handicaps among the players.  The strategy in this game is to play well, especially nearing the end of the game.  Any disc earned during the last four holes might cause the golfer to have to pay off on all of the previous errors of that type.  If one of the golfers has a weaker game than the others, he can be spotted a free camel and/or one free snake in order to equalize the competition. Better yet, begin play after selecting best drive from the tee.  That strategy equalizes a foursome with mixed abilities (almost) by eliminating most of the frogs and gorillas.

This game becomes more entertaining every time you play.  And, if you get bored with
it, then spice it up by playing another game simultaneously, especially one which
requires risk taking.  A Stableford points game would be a good example of one which
encourages maximum risk in hitting greens in regulation.  The animals all come in to
play in that game when laying-up is unattractive in the other game.

If the golfer minimizes his/her risk in order to limit losses at "Animal", he/she would automatically minimize the probability of making money at "Points".  Likewise, the golfer
seeking the most "Points", automatically maximizes the probability of losing money at "Animal."  It is an interesting game in the right group.  There must be a hundred betting schemes designed to punish the golfer having a bad day.  The above combination of games helps the golfer to think about course management, i.e., "when to play to one's ability, and when to play to one's expectations."  Clearly, that one phrase describes every golfer some of the time, and some golfers almost all of the time.  You know which golfer you are. Either you play within your limitations by keeping the ball in play and using the course to your advantage, or you simply grip it and rip it, and shoot for the cup on every shot.  

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