Learn a new golf game in five minutes
Golf betting games explained in plain English: the rules, the options groups argue about, a worked hole with numbers and the calculators to check the arithmetic. Free, with no account and no cookies.
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.
Five steps from curious to confident
Pick a game
Answer four questions about your group and get two or three suggestions.
Read the rules
Each game page has the rule, a worked hole and the disputes that come up on the first tee.
Print the cheat sheet
A one-page rules card for your pocket or the cart.
Check the arithmetic
Calculators for presses, carryovers, handicap strokes and who pays whom.
Look up a word
The glossary has a short answer for every term, from carryover to press.
Fifteen games, in plain English
Start with these six.
2 to 5 players. A Nassau is three bets in one round: the front nine, the back nine and the full eighteen, each with its own stake.
Read more Skins2 to 5 players. In skins, each hole is worth a skin and the lowest score wins it only if nobody ties it.
Read more Las Vegas3 or 4 players. Las Vegas is a team game for four where two partners' scores on a hole are put side by side to make one two-digit number, low score first.
Read more Wolf3 to 5 players. In 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 Stableford2 to 144 players. Stableford scores points on each hole against par instead of counting every stroke, and the highest total wins.
Read more Match play2 to 5 players. Match 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.
Read moreEverything you need to learn and check
Longer reads
A practical 10 step plan for organizing a golf outing: budget, format, flights, scorecards, day-of checklist, tallying, awards and settling up.
Read more Scramble vs shamble vs best ballScramble, shamble and best ball compared: how each is played, how handicaps work, pace of play and which one suits your mix of golfers.
Read more How to set fair flightsHow to split a golf outing field into flights: by handicap, by team handicap or by score, how many flights, caps, ties and a worked example.
Read moreQuestions from learners
Where should I start if I have never played a betting game?
Skins and match play are the easiest to learn. Read their pages, print the cheat sheet and play one round with a friend before you add presses or teams.
Are the rules the official rules of golf?
No. Group games are customs, not official rules, which is why every game page lists the options groups agree on before they tee off. Handicap strokes follow the official handicap system.
Is it free?
Yes. The game guides, calculators, cheat sheets and glossary are free, need no account and set no cookies.
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
When you are ready to play it, the app keeps the score, applies the strokes and shows who owes whom.