Nassau golf bet rules

The Nassau is the most common money game in club golf. Three matches in one round: the front 9, the back 9, and the overall 18. The bet on each is the same fixed amount, and the side that wins the most matches takes home the most money.

The basics

Three separate match-play bets run simultaneously through the round:

• Match 1: holes 1–9.
• Match 2: holes 10–18.
• Match 3: holes 1–18 (the overall).

Each match is decided like normal match play — one point per hole won, the side that's "up" the most at the end wins. Halved holes are draws.

A standard "$5 Nassau" means $5 on each of the three matches, so the maximum someone can win without presses is $15. Most casual groups play £1 to £10 nassaus; serious players go higher.

Presses

A press is a new, concurrent bet started by the losing side, running from the current hole to the end of that match. The press is at the same stake as the original bet.

Two common press rules:

Automatic press. When a side goes 2 down in any match, a press is automatically opened on the remaining holes. This is the standard "2-down press" — agreed before the round starts.

Optional press. The losing side can call a press at any time, usually when 2 down or worse. The other side must accept (no negotiation; it's the rule of the game).

Presses can themselves be pressed if the side that opened them then falls 2 down on the press. A bad day with multiple losing presses can pile up real money fast.

A worked example

Two players, $5 Nassau, automatic 2-down presses.

Front 9: Player A wins 5 and 3. Player B is 2 down after hole 7, an automatic press opens on holes 8–9. Player B wins hole 8, halves hole 9. Result:

• Original front-9 match: B loses, owes A $5.
• Press on holes 8–9: B wins 1 up, A owes B $5.
• Front 9 net: tied.

Back 9: Player A wins 3 and 2. Press at the 16th when B was 2 down. Press is halved over holes 16–18. Result:

• Original back-9 match: A wins, B owes A $5.
• Press: halved, no money.

Overall 18: A wins. B owes A $5.

Total: B owes A $5 (front net 0 + back $5 + overall $5).

The maths gets fiddly fast with three or four players. Many groups now use apps to track Nassau matches and presses live.

Foursomes Nassau

Two-player teams. Most common format: better-ball match play within each Nassau match, so each side plays its better ball per hole against the opposing side's better ball. Apply WHS allowances first (85% in four-ball stroke play, 90% in four-ball match play — see our allowance table for the full list).

Origin

The Nassau was invented in 1900 at Nassau Country Club on Long Island, by club captain J.B. Coles Tappan. The reason was journalistic, not mathematical. Nassau CC was a strong club, and the local papers carried results when Nassau players thrashed visiting clubs by 8 and 7 or 10 and 9. The headlines were embarrassing.

By splitting the match into three sub-matches, the worst a losing side could lose was 3 matches to 0 — which read in the papers as something more like "Nassau wins three Nassau matches" rather than "thrashed at home." It worked. The format spread first to other Long Island clubs and then nationally. It remains the dominant friendly-stakes format in US club golf and has long since spread overseas.

Handicap

For singles Nassau, apply 100% allowance to Course Handicap (singles match play). For four-ball Nassau, apply 90%. Strokes get distributed by stroke index. A player with strokes on a hole subtracts them from their gross before the hole result is decided.

Common questions

Do presses carry over to the overall 18 match? No — presses are tied to the match they were opened in. A press on the front 9 ends when hole 9 is played, regardless of result.

What happens if a press is halved? No money changes hands on that press. The original match continues unaffected.

Can the winning side press? No. Presses are a rope thrown by the losing side. The winning side keeps their lead unless allowed by house rules.

Is the Nassau decided after the front 9 or at the end? Each of the three matches is decided independently. The front 9 result is locked in when hole 9 is played.

Try it

Calculate your match-play Playing Handicap on the playing handicap calculator, then apply strokes by stroke index from the scorecard before each hole.

Sources

• Wikipedia — Nassau (bet).
• Golf Digest — Nassau betting explainer.
• LiveAbout — How to play a Nassau in golf.