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.
You ever play a match where you’re only getting a few shots on the hardest holes? The ones that you always make double bogeys on, rendering the shots absolutely useless? Then you make your pars or your birdies on the non-shot holes, rendering those useless, too? Frustrating stuff. Been there.
Well boy, do we have the game for you. It’s called “Bisque,” and it lets you call your own shots, literally.
Here’s how to play.
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Number of players required: Bisque is a match-play game, so two or four.
Best for: Players who struggle on the really hard holes. Strategic people. Opportunists.
How to play: In your standard match against a buddy, let’s say Player A is playing to a 7 handicap and Player B is playing to a 12 handicap. In that scenario, Player A plays off zero while Player B gets five shots on the five hardest holes. Bisque adds a fun twist on this format.
In Bisque, both players would play their full handicap, meaning Player A would get seven shots off the course and Player B would get 12. The twist here is that both players would get to choose what holes those shots come on. The one key rule is that you must make this decision before teeing off on a hole, not before the round. On the harder holes, Player A, the lower handicap, might choose to employ his shots there, knowing he or she already has an advantage and can add to that advanatge by getting a shot. But on the No. 18 handicap hole, which would more than likely be a par 3 where Player B wouldn’t normally get a shot, Player B might choose to use one of his or her 12 shots and make a soul-crushing hole-winning 3-for-2. This adds a fun strategic element for both players who now have to think ahead on where and when they might employ their shots, as opposed to just marking up the card at the beginning of the round and playing off the low man.
The other key rule to remember, which should go without saying, is that you cannot use more than one stroke on any hole. So you’ll have to be smart about how you spread your wealth.
Variations: There’s not really any variations to Bisque specifically, but the Bisque twist can be used in other games. For example, if you’re playing in a standard match that ends on the 16th hole, some players like to still make those last two holes interesting. Maybe one player suggests you play a two-hole match to finish, but the other player denies it because they aren’t getting any strokes on the final two holes. In this case, the player who suggested the match can offer a “bisque” stroke on one of the holes, goading the other player into another bet.
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.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
