Golf on a Bet – “The Nassau” – Not Just an Island in the Bahamas
One of the important but often overlooked aspects of golf is the terminology used when playing the game. Par, Ace, Bogie, Double Bogie, Eagle, Sandie, Greenie, Nassau, etc. these are all golf terms you pick up when learning to play and will be covered in a future post. But what is “El Nassau” you say. Well, I’m glad you asked. Nassau is not only a popular vacation destination in the Bahamas, but in terms of golf, it’s a friendly gamble between friends to make the round of golf a little more interesting. The term Nassau, if I’m not mistaken, was derived from its inception at a country club in Nassau County, New York, in fact I think it was The Nassau Country Club.
In my opinion, Nassau is the most popular and fun format for golf betting. It consists of a front nine hole bet, a back nine hole bet and an overall score bet which is determined by the team or individual player who has won the most holes in a particular round of golf. As noted above, the Nassau can be played as a solo player or as a team. There are also various types of bets that can be made during a Nassau. Stroke Play, usually handicap, NOTE: I’d be passed if I didn’t explain the handicap here: Just like in bowling, the handicap is the equalizer in competitive golf. In bowling, a player is spotted the difference between the average of another player who may be better than him or her. In other words, if Player A has an average of 180 and Player B has an average of 150, Player A has to give Player A 80, 90, or 100% points, or 24, 27, or 30 pins respectively, depending on the player. of the rules established for a certain league or tournament, in order to equalize the fairness of any bet or competition.
The same analysis applies to golf. If one player normally averages a score of 80 and another player averages 95, then the 80 shooter will have to spot or handicap the other player with 15 shots or a percentage of the difference in hitting average, again depending on the rules set by the club. or tournament for that particular competition. In addition to stroke play, which is the count of all strokes incurred for the first nine, back nine, and overall score, you can play Match Play, which is a hole-by-hole format where you have an individual game for each hole and the player with the most winning holes at the end of the first nine or first nine, back nine and 18 holes overall is declared the winner. In Stroke Play, the handicap is deducted from the total score at the end of the top nine, back nine, and total to determine the winner. In Match Play the handicap is adjusted for each hole. As you know, there are 18 holes in professional golf and each hole has a difficulty rating, depending on its rating relative to the other holes on the golf course. Since there are 18 holes, the holes will be rated in difficulty from 1 to 18. If a player is entitled to 15 strokes in a stroke or match play, he will receive a stroke on the 15 most difficult holes on the golf course (see the score card). for the Difficulty Range of Each Hole).
The remaining 3 holes will be played tied, so the player taking shots should take advantage of that opportunity whenever possible. There are many different formats that can be used when playing a Nassau, but the one I enjoy the most is Low and General, which keeps all players competitive and can only be played with four players. This means that the player with the lowest score on a given hole would get one point and the total of both players on the team with the lowest total score would get another point. If the two low scoring players tie on any hole, no points will be awarded because the bet is off on each player’s score and so would the total score if the teams were tied on that hole. Each player’s handicap is considered on each hole and added or subtracted as appropriate before a point is awarded for that hole.
A friendly bet is usually $2 to $5 front, back and overall, which would mean a total loss of six to fifteen dollars if a team or player loses all three bets. Teams should be lined up as evenly as possible to allow for a fun and fair match. There is also an additional bet that can be added to the game called “The Press”. The press is a bet that can be automatic or at the discretion of the player depending on how many holes they have lost and their optimism that they can beat the other player or team and recover the lost money. In the auto press format, if you are down by one hole, you automatically have an additional bet on the next hole and the potential loss or win can become substantial using this format. For beginning golfers I would recommend a $2 single bet and optional presses after you have set a handicap. To establish your handicap you must average at least ten scores and use that average to establish how many strokes you hit or receive from the other player(s) you are competing with.
As noted above, there are many fun betting formats in golf to make the game even more interesting, competitive, and fun. The next time you go out to play with friends, give it a try, even if it’s just for fun and no money is exchanged at the end, but especially remember to have a good time and Happy golfing everyone!