The Best Golf Betting Games for 3 Players

Golf gambling games for a threesome

A threesome doesn't have to mean a boring round. Some of the best golf betting games are actually built for three players — and when you know the right formats, a three-man round can be just as competitive (and chaotic) as a full foursome.

Here are four of our favorites.

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Nine Point (5-3-1)

Also called Nines or 5-3-1 — this is the quintessential three-player golf game, and for good reason. It's simple, every hole matters, and the points keep everyone locked in from start to finish.

How it works: On each hole, nine total points are awarded across the three players based on their scores:

• Low score earns 5 points
• Middle score earns 3 points
• High score earns 1 point

In the event of a tie, the points split evenly:

• All three tie: 3-3-3
• Two-way tie for low: 4-4-1
• Two-way tie for high: 5-2-2

Nine Point is almost always played with handicaps — specifically, "net off low" handicaps. That means the lowest handicap player plays scratch and everyone else gets the difference. This avoids the redundancy of holes where all three players are getting a stroke, which wouldn't change anything anyway.

Set a dollar amount per point before the round and let it ride. Over 18 holes, that's 162 total points in play.

Variations

GolfApp supports custom variations for Nine Point. One of the best: "Win with birdie: 7-1-1." If you win a hole outright with a birdie, you take 7 of the 9 points. It rewards aggressive play and makes birdie putts feel like they matter even more.

Add a snake

Want to spice things up? Add a snake side game. Set a dollar amount — say $1 — and every time someone three-putts, they "get the snake." At the end of the round, whoever was the last person to three-putt pays each of the other two players $1 for every three-putt in the round.

If there were 5 three-putts total and you're the last one holding the snake? You're paying each opponent $5. Suddenly that four-footer for par is about a lot more than just your score.

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Individual Nassau

Nassau is the most popular golf betting game in the world — and it works beautifully in a threesome when played as individual matchups.

How it works: Instead of one Nassau game, each player runs two — one against each opponent:

Each Nassau has three bets: front nine, back nine, and overall. So across the group, there are three matches and nine total bets running simultaneously. It sounds like a lot to manage, but that's the whole point of using an app.

Turn it up with auto presses

This is one of our all-time favorites at GolfApp: turn on Auto-2-Down Presses. Whenever a player falls 2 down in a match, a new press (side bet) automatically kicks in. It keeps matches from feeling over too early and adds layers of action as the round goes on.

A threesome with three individual Nassaus and auto presses? That's as much friendly competition as you can pack into 18 holes.

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Skins

Skins is a classic — and while it's often associated with larger groups, it works just as well with three players. In fact, some would argue it works better, because there are fewer ties and more skins get won outright.

How it works: Set a dollar amount (or cent amount) per hole. On each hole, the player with the lowest score — usually net — wins the skin. But there's a catch: you have to win the hole outright. If any two players tie, nobody wins, and the skin carries over to the next hole.

Now the next hole is worth two skins. And if that one ties? Three skins on the following hole. It builds tension fast.

With only three players, the carryovers don't stack up quite as often as they do in a big group — which means more action, more holes decided, and more money changing hands. GolfApp handles the carryovers, the net calculations, and the final payouts. No abacus required.

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Wolf

Wolf is gaining steam and it's one of the more strategic games you can play — especially with three players.

How it works: Before the round, spin a tee to determine who's the Wolf on the first hole. Pick a rotation order — usually clockwise or counterclockwise based on how you're standing around the tee — and stick with it for the rest of the round.

On each hole, the Wolf watches the other players tee off one by one. After each tee shot, the Wolf decides: do I want this person as my partner for this hole?

The key rule: once a player is passed, they can't be picked later. So if Player B hits a good drive but the Wolf passes, they can't go back if Player C dunks one into the trees.

If the Wolf passes on everyone, they play the hole alone against the other two. That's called the Lone Wolf.

Scoring

Set a dollar amount per point before the round.

• If the Wolf and their partner win the hole, each earns 1 point
• If the other team wins, they each earn 1 point
• If the Lone Wolf wins, they earn 2-3 points (depending on your group's rules)

Variations

Wolf has more house rules than almost any other game. Some groups give extra points for birdies. Some use twists and re-twists to amp up the scoring. Others let carryovers happen on tied holes. And some allow the Blind Wolf — where the Wolf decides to go alone before anyone even tees off.

GolfApp lets you play your way. Enter each player's scores, then enter the resulting Wolf points for each hole. The app handles the final calculation and payout from there.

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Which one should you play?

Honestly? Mix them. That's what the best threesomes do.

Run a Nine Point game as your main event, layer on a snake for three-putts, and throw in individual Nassaus with auto presses for extra action. Or keep it simple with Skins and Wolf.

GolfApp lets you stack multiple games on the same round — just enter your raw scores and the app handles the rest for every game running.