Next time you’re out on the course with some friends, you have to try out Nassau. It’s an easy way to have some fun and create stakes during a round of golf. It’s also one of the easiest and most basic golf games to play, but you can still spice it up with as many side bets or presses as you want.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Nassau golf game.
What Is Nassau?
Nassau is a golf game that splits up one round of golf into three to decide a winner — the front nine, the back nine and the overall 18 holes. Whoever wins one round earns a point, and each point is valued by the amount of money the group decides to throw on it. Nassau is often called “two-two-two” because two dollars is a common wager to throw on one of those rounds. If a team were to then sweep all three rounds, then, they would win six dollars.
Nassau originates from the early 1900s at Nassau Country Club in Long Island. According to lore, the game was created to prevent members from feeling embarrassed when they lost a golf round by huge margins. In order to close the gap and get rid of this embarrassment, one of the members — J.B. Coles Tappan — invented Nassau, where there were only three points up for grabs for the entire round. That way, the biggest margin would only be 3-0.
How to Play Nassau
If you’ve never played Nassau before, it might sound complicated. Once you’ve played it once, however, you’ll realize just how easy it is to set up and play. Follow these steps for a great round of Nassau.
1. Determine Teams
First, you’ll want to decide teams. Nassau will work best with foursomes, that way you can split up teams into groups of two. Try to make them even, if you can — if not, Nassau does allow for weaker teams to press and get the winnings. Not to mention, you can always switch up teams on the back nine if things get lopsided.
2. Decide Format
Choose your Nassau format. You can play Nassau is any variety of ways, including:
- Match Play
- Stroke Play
- Scramble
- Alternate Shot
- Full Handicaps
- Partial Handicaps
The most popular way to play Nassau is match play. Obviously, you could still do match play with any number of variations — scramble, alternate shot, etc. Just be sure to narrow one down before you start so everyone knows wha they’re doing.
3. Figure Out Payouts
Once everyone’s settled on how to play, figure out payouts. As mentioned earlier, two dollars for each round is typical. This might not seem like much to begin with, but adding presses to the mix can quickly multiply that original number.
4. Play
Play your round as was agreed upon.
5. Keep Track of Points, Presses and Side Bets
One of the most important things about golf betting games is the ability to keep track of scores and any side betting that goes on. Nassau is one of those games where a lot of side betting can take place within the actual game. Closest to the pin, first in the hole, longest drive — all of these side bets can start to pile up within the simple framework of a game like Nassau.
Be sure at least one of you — preferably more than one, is keeping track of scores on a scorecard or on an app on their phone.
6. Crown a Winner
When it’s all said and done, you should have a clear winner that you can then dish out your payout to.
Variations of Nassau
Nassau is a very simple golf game. That’s why it’s one of the best golf games to manipulate with other side bets and presses. We’ll go into more detail about that here.
Pressing
A press typically occurs when a golfer is down in the match and still wants to be competitive. So, say it’s the front nine and you’re playing Nassau, you’re down three holes with three to go. You decide to offer a press for the remainder of the holes. That means if you win the majority of the remaining holes, then you win the agreed-upon wager for the front nine — say two dollars.
If you lose, your competitor doubles their winnings, gaining four dollars instead of just the original two. In both cases, the original winner of the front nine still gets their money — they just now have the ability to double up if they win the press.
In some variations, presses are worth double the original wager amount, while in other variations they are only half of the original wager amount.
Presses can happen at any point during the round if someone is trailing. It’s up to the other team if they want to accept the press. As more presses are added to a round, the stakes and the money increases, so be careful about how much you’re pressing.
Side Bets
Nassau is great for side bets. Here are some to consider adding in during a round of Nassau:
- Snake
- Bingo Bango Bongo
- Sandies
- Longest Drive
- Closest to the Pin
Side bets are a great way to keep things interesting during a round of golf. Just be sure to keep track of all those bets while you play.
How to Win Nassau
If you’re the competitive type, you may be looking for a way to get a leg up on your competition. Here are some tips that may help you take home the grand prize.
Know Your Format
Although Nassau is simple in its original form, your group will likely put their own spin on it, whether that be in the form of a scramble, match play, stroke play, etc. Be sure to understand the format you’re playing so that you can strategize and fit your gameplay to that style.
Press Confidently
Pressing can be your friend in Nassau, but it can also be your greatest enemy. If you are going to press, make sure you’re doing it confidently — don’t just press to press. That’s a recipe for a lot of lost money.
Play as a Team
Nassau is a team game. Make sure you’re collaborating with your partner throughout to help them with shots and to also get help from them on strategy. If you work as a unit, you have a much better chance of taking home the prize money.
Why Should You Play Nassau?
So what’s all the hype around Nassau anyways? Is it really worth it? Yes — here’s why.
It’s Stood the Test of Time
Nassau has been around for more than a century, and for good reason. It’s just basic enough to easily play but open-ended enough to allow for a lot of pressing and side bets. It’s the perfect game for players of all skill levels.
It’s a Great Framework
It’s hard to beat the original framework of a game like Nassau. Mold it to how you want and have fun with friends as you play.
Nassau: The Bottom Line
Nassau is a classic golf game. Once you try it once, there’s a good chance it may become your favorite. Feel free to return to this article to brush up on the rules or to read some tips for how to win.