Course Games 1: Playing Las Vegas, Left vs Right & Gammon

Two man best ball, skins games and Stableford are all games that we have played.  But sometimes you need some new games to spice up your golf.

Here are 3 favorites for you:  Las Vegas, Left vs Right & Gammon.

Las Vegas

This is a hole by hole game for teams of two.  It can be played with gross scores, or net scores.  It's all about your score.  If team A makes a 3 and a 4 on a par 4, their score is the small number followed by the larger number, in this case they would have 34.  If their opponents both made a 4 and a 5, that would give them 45.  The difference between the scores is 34 minus 45, or 11.  

Now for low rollers, you might want to go $1 per point.  So in that example, Team A would have one 11 times $1 for a total of $11 on that hole.

You can take it to another level by "flipping the bird."  That means that a birdie, or better, flips the big number on top of the little number.  In our example, that would flip the 5 on top of the 4 for a 54, so 34 minus 54 is 20, making it a $20 win for Team A.

It can add up quickly, so strap on for some serious fun when you play Vegas.

Left vs Right

Let's face it, sometimes you get stuck with a partner that is just not your first choice.  What if you could pick, or try to pick your partner on every hole?

This is usually a two man game, but it can be great for fivesomes, or even a sizsome if you are playing some emergency golf.  Basically the two guys on the left play the two guys on the right.  If you have five, its always the two on the left against the three on the right.

How do you determine left from right?  Look back at the tee box, not toward the green.  One key is that you have to alternate the order of play.  Its especially fun on par 3s when you have scats for close ups (greenies).   You can use this format in straight best ball, handicapped best ball or even when playing Vegas above.

Gammon

One of the games often played on tour is "Hammer."  Gammon is taken from backgammon where opponents can double when they want to.

Every hole starts at $1.  You say the word "Gammon" to double the bet at any time.  So if your opponent hits a bad shot off the tee, you might Gammon the bet to $2.  Now nothing can happen until your opponent(s) change the bet on that hole.  If you happen to hit one in the bunker, while they recover onto the green, they might Gammon back to $4.  You hit a nice bunker shot to gimmie range, while they run their birdie putt by 6 feet.  So you Gammon back to $8 to watch them try to tie you.

Got it?  You can always concede the bet and not accept the Gammon, paying at that point.  Want more spice?  Try the Double Gammon method with a two on two game.  Basically every player has a Gammon, so in our earlier example, the first team Double Gammons off the tee to get the bet to $4, instead of the single Gammon of $2.  It adds up quickly, and you will find yourself standing over putts for $64 in a hurry.

Want more games?  Be sure to check back on http://www.bucketlistgolftour.com for more.