Golf Games Explained is exactly what it sounds like. You want to mix it up and try something new for once? Well, someone has to do the thankless work of playing different golf formats and telling you if it’s worth it. You can thank me later.
Is there anything worse than the overly complicated game your buddy tries to introduce to you on the first tee? The one that, 10 seconds into them explaining it, some hero in the foursome speaks up and says the equivalent of the classic “I ain’t reading all that” Twitter meme. Let’s just play our standard Nassau. Front. Back. Overall. $5, $5, $10. Simple.
That’s how I felt when I read the rules of “Tug of War,” a game sent to me by reader Brian Clark. It came via an excel document. I made it about seven seconds before I said “this is way, waaaay too much.”
But then, I decided to keep reading. To give it a chance. And while I haven’t played it yet, man do I want to give it a go. Sometimes, the complicated game that makes it out of the group chat / email chain and onto the first tee can become a staple for your group. “Tug of War,” which was introduced to Clark by a friend who has passed on, Robb Peglar, has that sort of potential. Peglar played the game at his two courses in Florida, Medalist and McArthur, where it was known as the three-point game. Clark thought “Tug of War” sounded better and it has since become a go-to at his place in Connecticut, The Country Club of Darien.
If you can find a few buddies who are patient and willing to give it a try, it could be your next go-to, too. Here’s how to play.
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Number of players required: Four.
Best for: Groups in dire need of a new format. Players who like constant action for all 18 holes. People who don’t mind changing partners throughout the round. Gamblers unafraid of the pot getting a little out of hand.
How to play: First order of business – toss balls on the first tee to determine which players will be teamed together for the first 2v2 match (your partner is the ball who lands closest to yours).
The goal of “Tug of War” is to be the first team to get to “net” three points. Each point is worth a dollar amount of the group’s choosing on the first hole. Clark says they like to start at $2.
On each hole, there are three points up for grabs: 1 for the lower ball of Team 1 vs. lower ball of Team 2; 1 for the higher ball of Team 1 vs. the higher ball of Team 2; 1 for a natural birdie if one is made. The goal is to get your team to the three-point mark while the other team is “tugging” in the opposite direction.
Example: On Hole No. 1, Team 1 comprised of Players A and B wins both the low and the high ball vs. Team 2, comprised of Players C and D (Player A makes 4, Player B makes 5, Player C Makes 5, Player D makes 6. A’s 4 beats C’s 5; B’s 5 beats D’s 6). No one made birdie. This means Team 1 won two points on Hole No. 1 and is now just one point away from winning the match.
On Hole No. 2, Team 2 takes both the low and the high ball AND makes a natural birdie, meaning they earned three points. Since they were down 2 points, they are now up 1 point and they crossed what Clark calls the “Mongolia” line, AKA 0. Any time this happens, the dollar amount per point doubles. So each point is now worth $4 instead of $2.
On Hole No. 3, Team 1 wins lower ball and ties higher ball and no birdies are made. The match is now back to “0”, AKA the “Mongolia” line, which increases the dollar amount per point again. From $4 to $6.
On Hole No. 4, Team 1 wins low ball and high ball and makes a natural birdie. That gets Team 1 to three points and they’ve now won the first match of the day. Each point is worth $6 in this match, so they would be owed $18 as a team ($9 each). After this, a new match begins with new teams (toss balls again on the fifth tee). “Tug of War” could be a series of matches or one long 18-hole match if no team reaches the three-point mark. If no team does at the end of 18, you pay out whatever points are on the table and however much the dollar amount increased to by that time.
Confused? Here’s a fun diagram from Clark that might help:
Variations: There are three optional bonus scoring methods, according to Clark. The first – if you close out the match in one hole (your team won low ball and high ball AND made a natural birdie), you get three bonus points (an extra $6 if you are playing $2 per point). The second – if you close out the match in two holes, two bonus points. The third – if you close out the match in three holes, one bonus point. This rewards the teams who get the job done quickly. That said, when the match gets dragged out and there are a number of “Mongolia” line hits and crosses, the payout can be nice, too.
If you have any golf games or variations of golf games we haven’t covered and you’d like to explain, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X @Cpowers14 or email me at [email protected].
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
