How to play Hammer (golf game): rules and examples
Hammer is a game where the stake on any hole can double mid-hole. The side holding the hammer may throw it, and the other side must either accept at the doubled stake or give up the hole.
- Players: 2 or 4 players
- Also called: hammer, hammer bet
- Teams: Played in teams or pairs in some versions
- Scores needed: Not just scores: some results come from order of play or putting
The scores, plus Throw, Accept or Decline whenever the hammer is used.
Win more holes, especially after the hammer has doubled them.
How to play Hammer
- Play two players or two teams of two. Every hole starts at the base stake.
- The side holding the hammer may throw it at any moment the rules allow. By default that is any time up to the first player holing out.
- The other side accepts, which doubles the stake and gives them the hammer, or declines and concedes the hole at the stake before the throw.
- A throw can be thrown back, up to the limit for the hole. The default is three hammers, so the stake can reach eight times the base.
- Whoever has the better net score at the end of the hole wins the stake. A tied hole is a push by default.
A worked example with numbers
Base stake 1. Ann throws the hammer on the tee and Bo accepts, so the hole is worth 2 and Bo now holds the hammer. Bo throws it back after the approach shots. Ann declines.
A declined throw concedes the hole at the stake before that throw, which was 2, so Bo wins 2 for the hole. If Ann had accepted, the stake would be 4 and she would hold the hammer. A third throw would make it 8, and the default limit of three hammers would then be used up.
Options and defaults
These are the rules groups change. The first column is the setting, the second is what Hole19Tally starts with, and the last says what it changes.
| Option | Default | Choices | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who may throw first on a hole | either | either, lost previous, trailing | Either side, only the side that lost the previous hole, or only the side trailing overall. |
| Hammers per hole | 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, unlimited | Limit of 3 means the stake can reach 8x. |
| Hammer before any tee shot | can decline | can decline, must accept | Whether a hammer thrown before any tee shot can be declined. |
| Latest moment to throw | not after holed out | not after holed out, any time | The last moment a hammer may be thrown. |
| Tied hole | push | push, carry | Carry adds the hole's stake to the next hole. |
| Team scoring (4 players) | best ball | best ball, aggregate | Best ball or both scores added when four play. |
| Gross or net | net | net, gross | Whether scores are net or gross. |
| Handicap allowance % | 100 | 100, 95, 90, 85 | How much of each Course Handicap is used. |
| Teams (4 players) | 1&2 v 3&4 | 1&2 v 3&4, 1&3 v 2&4, 1&4 v 2&3 | Which players are partners when four play. |
Common disputes
Can you hammer before the tee shots?
By default yes, and the other side can decline. There is a setting that forces them to accept.
Who can throw first on a hole?
Either side by default. You can limit it to the side that lost the previous hole or the side that is trailing.
How many throws are allowed?
Three per hole by default. You can pick one to five or unlimited, and the limit is the single biggest control on how much a hole can cost.
What if I throw after the other side holes out?
By default the latest moment to throw is before anyone has holed out.
Frequently asked questions
How many players can play Hammer?
Two, or four as two teams.
Is Hammer net or gross?
Net by default.
What stops the stake getting out of hand?
The hammer limit per hole. With a limit of three the maximum is eight times the base stake.
Is Hole19Tally a betting app?
Hole19Tally is a scorekeeper. It records scores, works out strokes and shows who owes whom, but it never holds, moves or takes a share of money, and it is not a gambling service. Players settle up directly with each other.
Score it in Hole19Tally
Hole19Tally keeps the score for Hammer, applies the handicap strokes and shows who owes whom. Hole19Tally is a scorekeeper. It records scores, works out strokes and shows who owes whom, but it never holds, moves or takes a share of money, and it is not a gambling service. Players settle up directly with each other.
Related games
In Banker, one player is the banker on each hole and every other player has a separate bet against them.
Read more WolfIn Wolf, one player is the wolf on each hole and decides, after seeing the others tee off, whether to take a partner or play alone against everyone.
Read more Match playMatch play is a head-to-head game where every hole is its own contest: the lower score wins the hole and equal scores halve it.
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