Golf without a little money on the line is still golf. But golf with something on the line is a different sport entirely. Suddenly every putt matters. Suddenly the par-5 on 14 is a real decision. Suddenly you find out a lot about the people you play with.

Here are 10 betting games worth knowing – from the ones every golfer should have in rotation to the ones that will ruin a Saturday in the best possible way.

1. Nassau

The most common golf bet in the world, and for good reason. A Nassau is three bets in one: front nine, back nine, and overall 18. Each is typically worth the same amount. Simple to track, hard to blow completely – even if you lose the front badly, you can still win the back and the overall. Every golfer should know this one. If you don’t, you probably haven’t played with anyone who cares about golf.

2. Skins

Each hole has a set value. Win the hole outright, you win the skin. Tie the hole and the skin carries over to the next one. By the 17th, a carried-over skin can be worth an uncomfortable amount of money. Skins rewards the hot hand and creates genuine drama on every hole, even when you’re already out of the round.

3. Wolf

One player per hole is designated the Wolf. The Wolf watches each player tee off in order and decides after each shot whether to take that person as a partner. If the Wolf doesn’t pick anyone, they go Lone Wolf against the field – double or nothing. Rotates every hole. High strategy, high variance, endlessly entertaining once everyone understands the rules.

4. Bingo Bango Bongo

Three points available per hole: first ball on the green (Bingo), closest to the pin once everyone’s on (Bango), first ball in the hole (Bongo). Points are worth whatever you agree on upfront. Works especially well in groups with mixed handicaps because it rewards different skills – long hitters, short game specialists, and good putters all have a path to points.

5. Match Play

Head to head, hole by hole. Win a hole, you go one up. Lose a hole, you go one down. Win by more holes than remain and the match is over — a 4&3 win means you won by four holes with three remaining. No scorecards, no math, no cumulative disaster. Just hole-by-hole competition. The format every major uses for a reason.

6. Vegas (a.k.a. Monte Carlo)

A team game. Each side combines their two scores into a two-digit number, lowest score first. If your team shoots a 4 and a 6, your score is 46. If the other team shoots a 5 and a 7, their score is 57. Difference is 11 points. Get assigned an unlucky 9 on a hole and watch your partner turn white as they realize the other team just scored 49 against your 99. Vegas lives up to its name.

7. Hammer

Start with a base bet on the hole. At any point before someone holes out, either player (or team) can throw the Hammer – doubling the bet. The other side must accept or concede the hole. You can Hammer back. It adds a poker element to every shot and creates genuinely awful decisions with the ball in the air. Not recommended for new friendships.

8. Greenies, Sandies, and Birdies

Side bets that run alongside whatever else you’re playing. A Greenie pays out to whoever hits the green first on a par 3, but only if they make par or better. A Sandie pays for making par out of a bunker. A Birdie is self-explanatory. Stack these on top of a Nassau and suddenly every shot has something attached to it.

9. Stableford

Points-based format instead of stroke play. Double bogey or worse: 0 points. Bogey: 1. Par: 2. Birdie: 3. Eagle: 4. The math is simple. The effect is significant – a blow-up hole costs you two points instead of torpedoing your entire scorecard. Great format for groups where skill levels vary and stroke play turns into a slog by the back nine.

10. Snake

Also called Putting Snake or just Snake. Whoever three-putts first is holding the Snake. They hold it until someone else three-putts, at which point the Snake passes. Whoever is holding the Snake at the end of the round pays the table. No one talks about their putting more carefully than a group playing Snake. The psychological weight of that Snake by the 16th hole is something you have to experience.

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A few ground rules: agree on stakes before the first tee, not after. Keep it at a level where everyone’s comfortable. And know that the best golf bet is one where everyone’s trying on every hole — even the ones who are already losing.

Want more golf content that doesn’t take itself too seriously?

Land at Charleston International, grab a rental car, and about 40 minutes later you roll up to the gates of Kiawah Island. That drive matters, and I’ll come back to it, because how you get around Kiawah is one of the few things people get wrong on their first trip.

I’m Pete, and I run Golfed, an app for logging every course you’ve played, so a place like Kiawah is right in my wheelhouse. You can knock out five legit championship courses in one trip, all run by the same resort, all a short drive apart. It’s one of the rare destinations where the golf lives up to every bit of the hype, and there’s a real vacation wrapped around it for whoever you drag along.

Here’s how I’d think about a Kiawah trip.

Quick Facts

• Five public championship courses, plus two private courses: Cassique and the River Course
• About 40 minutes from Charleston International Airport
• Home of the 1991 Ryder Cup, the “War by the Shore,” and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, with the PGA Championship returning in 2031
• The Ocean Course has more seaside holes than any course in the Northern Hemisphere
• Best weather is spring, from March to May, and fall, from September to November
• Gated island, so a rental car is close to essential
• Freshfields Village sits right outside the gate for food, coffee, and shopping
• Charleston, one of the best food cities in America, is about 40 minutes away

Perfect For…

Bucket-List Chasers

If the Ocean Course is on your list, and it should be, this is the trip. Standing on that property where the Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships were decided is worth the trip on its own. The rest of the lineup just makes it a no-brainer.

Guys’ Trips

Five courses, a stack of rental houses big enough for the whole group, and Charleston a short drive away when you want a real night out. Golf all day, then steaks and bars in the city or a low-key night grilling at the house.

Couples and Mixed Groups

This is where Kiawah pulls ahead of a lot of pure golf destinations. The beach is gorgeous, Freshfields has shopping and good restaurants, and Charleston is one of the best food-and-history towns in the country. Non-golfers will not be bored, which buys you more golf.

The Courses

The Ocean Course

 

The headliner, and one of the most famous courses in the world. Designed by Pete and Alice Dye, it hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, and it’s already booked to host again in 2031.

Ten holes run right along the Atlantic, and the wind off the water can turn a good round into a long afternoon in a hurry. One piece of advice: do not play it from the back tees. Move up, enjoy the views, and you’ll have one of the best days of golf in your life. Play it from the tips to prove something and you’ll lose a sleeve and your dignity.

Turtle Point

A Jack Nicklaus design and a genuinely great golf course that gets a little overshadowed by its famous neighbor. The front nine winds through live oaks, then the middle of the back nine, holes 14 through 16, swings out toward the ocean. Some folks will tell you you’re as close to the Atlantic there as you are on the Ocean Course.

Osprey Point

The most player-friendly of the bunch, and a really fun round. Tom Fazio built it around four natural lakes, marsh, and maritime forest, so there’s water in sight on most holes without it constantly being in play. Save room after for the clubhouse, the barbecue there is a legit reason to linger.

Cougar Point

A Gary Player design with some of the prettiest river views on the island, especially through the middle of the front nine along the Kiawah River. The clubhouse is newer and a great spot for a beer and lunch when you make the turn.

Oak Point

The one people skip, and they shouldn’t. It actually sits just off the island on Johns Island, so you pass it on the way in. Clyde Johnston routed it along the Kiawah River and Haulover Creek, it usually plays a little friendlier on the wallet, and you’ll see more wildlife here than anywhere else, gators included. A great value round to balance out a pricey Ocean Course tee time.

The Two Private Ones

Worth knowing about even if you can’t just book them. Cassique, a Tom Watson links-style design, and the River Course, a Tom Fazio layout, are both part of the private Kiawah Island Club and require membership or a member to get you on. If you know someone, beg. If you don’t, the five public courses are more than enough.

Where to Stay

You’ve got options at every level. The Sanctuary is the resort’s five-star hotel if you want to do it big. For most groups, though, the move is a rental. There are a ton of resort villas, and Airbnb and VRBO are loaded with houses on and around the island. Splitting a big rental with the group is the best value, gives you a place to grill and play cards, and keeps you close to the first tee.

Getting Around: Rent a Car

This is the tip that saves your trip. Kiawah is a gated island, and getting an Uber or Lyft to come through the gates, or to find you out there at all, is a real headache. Cars are scarce and waits are long.

Just rent a car at the airport. Everyone in the group should have a way to get around, because you’ll be driving between courses, out to Freshfields, and into Charleston, and you do not want to be stranded behind a gate waiting on a ride that may never show.

Beyond the Golf

Freshfields Village is your home base off the course. It’s right outside the island gate and has coffee in the morning, solid restaurants, and shops for whoever skipped golf that day. It’s the easy answer for breakfast or a group dinner without driving far.

Then there’s Charleston, about 40 minutes away and one of the best food cities in the country. Cobblestone streets, incredible restaurants, rooftop bars, and history everywhere. Build in at least one night in town. The beach is also right there on Kiawah when you need a recovery afternoon.

Pro Tips

• Book the Ocean Course early, especially in spring and fall. Tee times go fast.
• Play the Ocean Course from a forward tee. Have fun, take the photos, skip the suffering.
• Rent a car. Do not rely on rideshare on the island.
• Pair a splurge round on the Ocean Course with a value round at Oak Point to balance the budget.
• Stay in a group rental to save money and have a place to hang at night.
• Log your rounds as you go so you remember which course you actually liked best. I use Golfed for this, since keeping track of where I’ve played is the whole reason I built it.
• Build in a Charleston night. Your non-golfers will thank you, and so will you.

Final Thoughts

Kiawah is one of those rare trips that delivers for everybody. Serious golfers get a true bucket-list course and four more that hold their own. Everyone else gets the beach, Charleston, and a Lowcountry vacation that happens to have great golf attached. Five courses, easy logistics once you’ve got a car, and a setting that’s hard to beat anywhere in the country.

It’s been near the top of my own list for a long time, and once you’ve played it, it’s the kind of place you’ll want to log and remember. Put it on the schedule.

About Golfed

Golfed is a new app for logging every course you’ve ever played. Each course gets a ranking, and you can track your courses against the Golf Digest Top 100, Second 100, and Top 100 You Can Play, broken out by state, architect, and more. It’s built for golfers who care about where they’ve played. Track where you’ve been and where you’re headed, and check Kiawah off the list.

Golfed is free on iOS and Android at golfedapp.com

 

1.For The Dads: Pinehurst, North Carolina

 

If someone in your group has never been on a guys golf trip before, start here. Pinehurst Resort has nine courses on property, the most famous being No. 2 – which has hosted the U.S. Open and is genuinely one of the best courses in the country. The town of Pinehurst is small, clean, and built for exactly this. You won’t spend two hours on a highway between golf and dinner. The food is good. The lodging is dialed in. The pace is right.

It’s not trying to be flashy. It’s just excellent golf in an excellent setting, and that’s usually exactly what you need.

2.For Golf Sickos: Bandon Dunes, Oregon

 

If your group consists of people who argue about course architecture, debate which Masters was better – 2019 or 1986 – and genuinely want to play 36 holes a day in the wind off the Pacific Ocean, Bandon is for you. Five courses, all walkable, all world-class.

The whole property is designed around the idea that golf is supposed to be hard and beautiful and a little brutal. You will get rained on. You will love it. No one at Bandon is there casually. Everyone is there to play golf, and that energy is contagious. It’s a pilgrimage. 

3. For The Bachelor Party: Scottsdale, Arizona

 

Not every guys trip is a spiritual experience. Some of them are four days of golf during the day and whatever happens after dinner stays in Scottsdale. The golf options are legitimately good – TPC Scottsdale, We-Ko-Pa, Troon North – but the real selling point is what happens off the course.

The restaurant scene is excellent. The bars stay open. The weather in spring is perfect. If your group has a Derek who’s going to want to extend Thursday night into Friday morning, Scottsdale gives Derek a safe place to do that while the rest of you can still make your 7:30 tee time.

Bonus: you can book your trip during Superbowl / WM Open weekend. 

4. Best Value Trip: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

 

Myrtle Beach gets underestimated because the vibes are a little chaotic and the town itself can have a lot going on (anybody ever been to Bike Week?). But there are over 100 golf courses within driving distance, aggressive pricing, and packages built specifically for guys trips.

You can play four rounds in four days for what one round costs at a resort destination. If your group’s budget is a real conversation – and for most groups, it is – Myrtle delivers more golf per dollar than anywhere else in the country. Go in April or October for the best weather.

5. Best Underrated Trip: Northern Michigan

Nobody’s group chat ever says ‘Northern Michigan.’ That’s the whole point.

Arcadia Bluffs is the anchor of the trip and the reason it belongs on any serious list — a clifftop links course overlooking Lake Michigan that plays as hard and looks as good as anything in the country. But the surrounding area gives you legitimate depth: Boyne Highlands, Treetops, Bay Harbor, The Bear. You can build a four-day itinerary without repeating yourself and without driving more than an hour between stops.

The prices are reasonable, the courses are quiet, and the scenery doesn’t look like it belongs in Michigan. Stop sleeping on it.

A guys golf trip sounds perfectly innocent. Four days, some golf, a few steaks, some guys you genuinely like. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot, as it turns out. Not because golf is the problem, but because most guys handle the logistics of a trip the same way they handle everything else – impulsively and without nearly enough communication.

Here’s how to go on the trip and still be welcomed home when it’s over.

1. Don’t Announce The Trip After It’s Already Booked

This is the single biggest mistake guys make. You book flights, you book tee times, you book the rental house – and then you tell her. At that point it’s not a conversation, it’s a notification. She’s not going to feel good about that, and she’s right not to.

The trip doesn’t have to be her idea. It just has to be a conversation she was included in before money changed hands. This is a small thing. Do it.

2. Don’t Pretend It’s “Basically A Work Thing”

It’s not a work thing. You know it’s not a work thing. She knows it’s not a work thing. Framing it as anything other than what it is – four days away with your friends doing something you love – makes it weird and a little insulting.

“I want to go on a golf trip with the guys” is a fully defensible statement that requires no spin. Lead with that.

3. Give Real Numbers

Dates. Cost. All of it. Vague answers (“it’s probably around $1,200 or so, depends on how things shake out”) are worse than real numbers even when the real numbers are higher than she’d like. Uncertainty is harder to plan around than a specific number she can actually evaluate.

Tell her what it costs. Tell her exactly when you’re leaving and when you’re back. She can work with that. She can’t work with “sometime around Thursday.”

4. Don’t Come Home Useless

You had four days off. You played golf, you ate well, you slept in a bed with no one kicking you. Now you’re back.

The dishes don’t know you were gone. The laundry doesn’t care. The kids definitely don’t. Come home ready to be a functioning participant in your own life. If you need 48 hours of recovery time after a guys trip, you did the guys trip wrong.

5. Bring Something Back That Isn’t A Hangover And A Quarter-Zip

You don’t have to spend a lot. A bottle of something she likes, a restaurant reservation for the week you get back, flowers if you’re going to do flowers. The specific thing matters less than the fact that you thought about it.

“I was away for four days and I thought about you while I was there” is a simple message to send, and it does a lot of work.

Here’s the honest truth about guys golf trips: they’re good for you. They’re good for your relationship. Four days with your friends, away from routine, doing something you love – that’s not a threat to your relationship, it’s a deposit into it. Just handle the details like an adult and you’ll be back on the course next year.

To me, San Antonio flies way under the radar in the golf trip world. Maybe it’s because I’m from here, but that doesn’t change the fact that it offers some of the best golf-trip value in the country.

With year-round golf weather, a deep lineup of public courses, incredible Tex-Mex and barbecue, and nightlife that actually fits every type of group, San Antonio deserves a serious look for your next buddies trip.

Home to the Valero Texas Open, San Antonio has been a PGA Tour stop for more than 100 years. From the historic fairways of Brackenridge Park Golf Course to the modern championship setup at TPC San Antonio, golf runs deep here.

Quick Facts

• Over 25 public and resort golf courses across the city and Hill Country
• Home of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio
• Best golf season: October–December and March–May, though golf is playable year-round
• Easy access via San Antonio International Airport
• Affordable compared to other major golf-trip destinations
• Incredible food scene: Tex-Mex, barbecue, steakhouses, breweries, and nightlife
• Great mix of resort golf, historic courses, and value public tracks

Did you know San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities in America and sits at the gateway to the Texas Hill Country? The terrain creates dramatic elevation changes you don’t usually expect in Texas golf. Add in towering oak trees, limestone canyons, and warm-weather golf nearly all year long, and it’s easy to see why more groups are discovering it.

Perfect For…

Guys’ Trips

San Antonio is built for buddies trips. Play PGA Tour-caliber golf during the day, then hit the River Walk, Pearl District, or La Cantera area for steaks, rooftop bars, breweries, and nightlife.

Couples & Mixed Groups

Non-golfers have plenty to do here. Think wineries in nearby Fredericksburg, shopping at La Cantera, spa days, live music, historic missions, and great restaurants. The River Walk alone makes the city feel more like a true vacation destination than just a golf trip.

Budget-Conscious Golfers

This is where San Antonio really shines. You can stay in a rental home, play excellent public golf, eat well, and still spend less than your average golf trip.

Top Standout Courses

TPC San Antonio

The headliner. Home of the Valero Texas Open and arguably the premier golf facility in South Texas. The property features two 18-hole courses — the Oaks Course and Canyons Course — both routed through rugged Hill Country terrain with dramatic elevation changes, natural rock outcroppings, and immaculate conditioning.

The Oaks Course is the PGA Tour venue and the tougher test, especially when the Texas wind starts blowing. Wide fairways still demand strategy, while the greens can get lightning fast during tournament season. Staying at the resort gives you access to both courses and creates the ultimate stay-and-play experience.

La Cantera Golf Club

One of the most scenic rounds in Texas. Perched high above the city, La Cantera delivers incredible panoramic views of the Hill Country, Six Flags, and downtown skyline. The Resort Course hosted PGA Tour events for years and remains one of the city’s must-play tracks.

Canyon Springs Golf Club

A local favorite tucked into the northern hills of San Antonio. Canyon Springs winds through tree-lined corridors, rocky creeks, and elevation changes that feel far removed from typical Texas golf. It’s challenging without being punishing and consistently ranks among the best daily-fee courses in the city.

The Quarry Golf Course

One of the most unique golf experiences in Texas. The front nine plays through a traditional parkland layout, but the back nine drops into a massive abandoned limestone quarry with towering rock walls surrounding the holes. It’s visually stunning and unlike anything else in the state. Try to play this one in the morning.

Brackenridge Park Golf Course

Historic Texas golf at its finest. Brackenridge hosted the first-ever Texas Open back in 1922 and remains one of the most important public courses in the state. Designed by legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast, it’s shorter than the modern resort tracks but packed with charm and history. Be sure to explore the clubhouse, which is home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.

Great Stay-and-Play Options

Resort Route

Stay at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa for direct access to TPC San Antonio. Massive pools, restaurants, bars, spa amenities, and two championship golf courses make it ideal for groups wanting an all-in-one experience.

Rental House Route

For better value, grab a rental home near the River Walk, Pearl District, or La Cantera area. This gives your group easy access to restaurants and nightlife while keeping you close to most of the city’s top golf.

Beyond the Golf

Part of what makes San Antonio such a great golf destination is everything outside the golf course.

• River Walk bar hopping and nightlife
• Legendary Tex-Mex and barbecue
• Spurs games during basketball season
• Breweries and cocktail spots in the Pearl District
• Day trips to Texas Hill Country wineries
• Historic sites like The Alamo

Pro Tips

• Fall and spring are prime golf seasons; summers are hot but cheaper
• Book TPC tee times well in advance during Texas Open season
• Stay on the north side, near La Cantera or TPC San Antonio, for easiest golf access
• Mix resort golf with value rounds like Canyon Springs or Brackenridge
• Bring extra golf balls — Hill Country rough and limestone can be unforgiving
• Early morning tee times help avoid Texas afternoon heat and wind

Final Thoughts

San Antonio may not get the golf-trip hype of Scottsdale or Pinehurst, but that’s part of the appeal. Great golf, great food, affordable lodging, and a city with real personality make it one of the best hidden-value golf destinations in America.

If you’re looking for a trip that blends championship golf with laid-back Texas energy, San Antonio belongs on your shortlist. Make sure to use our partner, Good Guy Golf Trips, who has the local knowledge to ensure you book the best trip possible.

If you’ve never played a links style course, it’s imperative you give it a try. It’s the way the game was supposed to be played. There’s really not that many in America. Arcadia Bluffs is one of them. Arcadia Bluffs is one of the Midwest’s premier golf destinations  perched on windswept bluffs overlooking 3,100 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline in Arcadia. With true seaside links-style golf, dramatic elevation drops, natural dunes, and panoramic lake views from nearly every hole, it’s often compared to Bandon Dunes or Whistling Straits but with that pure Great Lakes magic. Add exceptional lodging, dining, and a newer South Course for variety, and it’s bucket-list territory.

Quick Facts

• Two championship 18-hole courses + The Dozen (12-hole short course)  Bluffs (1999, Warren Henderson/Rick Smith) and South (2019, Dana Fry/Jason Straka)
• Links-style drama: Wind-swept fescues, sod-walled bunkers, wide fairways, huge greens, and massive Lake Michigan vistas
• Seasonal play: Mid-April to mid-November, peak summer/fall for best weather (60s-80s°F), winds add challenge
• Public access: Daily-fee resort open to all; stay-and-play packages with priority tees, caddies available
• Top-ranked: Bluffs Course often #1 public in Michigan (Golfweek); South Course highly acclaimed as a classic homage

Did you know that the Great Lakes hold 20% of the world’s surface freshwater? Also the Great Lakes are home to several shipwreck grave yards. They’re absolutely massive and pictures don’t do it justice. Go see for yourself.

Perfect For…

• Guys’ Trips: Epic multi-round days (Bluffs for drama, South for strategy), post-golf steaks or cocktails with sunset views, bagpipes at dusk, and easy Traverse City brewery hops
• Families: Luxe lodge rooms with lake views, pools/spa vibes, short course fun for kids; non-golfers enjoy beach walks, wineries, or nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes

Top Standout Courses

The Bluffs Course

The original legend, a seaside links masterpiece with rolling dunes, native grasses, and cliff-edge drama (holes 11-13: downhill par-5, bluff-top par-4, canyon-carry par-3). Stunning Lake Michigan views from everywhere, challenging yet playable with multiple tees. Often called one of America’s best public courses, pure wow factor

The South Course

A tribute to early American golf (C.B. Macdonald style), strategic angles, thought-provoking bunkers, subtle contours, and simpler, timeless design. More landlocked but equally beautiful with rolling terrain and serene vibes. Complements the Bluffs perfectly for variety.

The Dozen (12-hole short course)

Fun, creative addition, mix of 6 par-3s and 6 par-4s (100–550 yards), generous areas, big greens, and clever bunkers. Ideal for quick rounds, warm-ups, families, or evening play. High-energy and replayable.

Great Stay-and-Play Resorts & Spots

• The Lodge at Arcadia Bluffs: Nantucket-style luxury above the clubhouse; rooms with Lake Michigan or sunrise views, exceptional dining (The Restaurant, deck/patio bars)
• On-site packages emphasize unlimited practice, priority tees, and resort perks (carts included, caddies optional)
• Nearby Traverse City for extra lodging if needed, but on-property is the way to go for immersion

All Key Arcadia Bluffs Golf Highlights at a Glance

• The Bluffs Course (seaside links icon)
• The South Course (classic strategic gem)
• The Dozen (12-hole short-course fun)
• Plus full practice range, short-game area, and massive panoramic views

Pro Tips

• Book stay-and-play packages early via arcadiabluffs.com peak season (summer/fall) fills fast; twilight deals for value
• Fly into Traverse City (TVC) 1-hour drive; or Grand Rapids (GRR) for longer scenic route
• Pair golf with Northern Michigan classics: fresh cherries, wineries, craft beer, Sleeping Bear Dunes hikes, or Lake Michigan sunsets
• Embrace the wind (play mornings if breezy); use caddies for local knowledge; forward tees keep it enjoyable for all

Time to tee it up on the bluffs, feel the lake breeze, and reset with world-class links golf. Arcadia Bluffs is calling your escape.

The Caddy Shanks Team