The most interesting side games and bets for golfers

A round of golf with friends is exciting in its own right, but adding side games and bets can add an extra layer of enjoyment. What are some of the best options to consider trying?

Blackjack golf

Blackjack is a classic card game where you want to get a total in your hand as close as possible to 21. Playing blackjack for cash online adds the possibility of playing with a live dealer in games like First Person Blackjack and Live Lightning Blackjack. Some versions introduce additional rules, including side bets or multipliers, but the basic rules remain the same as you hit or stand to try to get the perfect hand of 21.

This concept can be incorporated into golf games by rewarding players who rack up 21 strokes in consecutive holes. This works so well because it gives players of all ability levels a chance to win. Even someone who hits 21 strokes in just two or three holes will win using this rule.

Seves

Hitting the fairway is usually the main goal whenever you stand over the tee.

However, the Seves side bet is all about your ability to do what Seve Ballesteros did so often and recover from missing the fairway to still hit par or better. Alternative versions of this bet include getting par or better after going into a hazard or hitting a tree.

The players need to decide before they score how much any of these feats is worth and then keep track of them. It doesn’t have to be as spectacular as Ballesteros’ famous visit to the car park on his way to winning the British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1979, but it can add a lot of fun to the round.

Snake or rabbit

The idea with the snake bet is that the first golfer to three-putt a green gets the snake. They keep it until someone else does the same, in which case it gets passed to that player. The snake then carries on getting passed between everyone who three-putts, with the person holding it at the end paying the agreed amount to the other players.

Rabbit is similar, but in this case it’s the player who gets the lowest score on the first hole who holds the rabbit. It passes between the players until the person who holds the rabbit at the end wins the prize.

Bingo Bango Bongo

Another way of adding some extra excitement, Bingo Bango Bongo has three points to be earned on each hole. Bingo is given to the first player to hit the green. Bango is given to the golfer who gets closest to the green with their approach shot, and bongo is awarded to the first one to put their ball in the hole, with a cash value for each of these achievements.

If you love playing golf with friends, any of these side games and bets can add even more fun to the round. The rules are simple, and it’s easy to start playing in this way without taking away from the main action.