Side bets guide
Golf Trip Side Bet Games That Do Not Need a Spreadsheet
Side bets are fun until the math shows up. The trick is to keep the action simple enough that everyone still trusts the number at the end.
Skins are the easiest crowd-pleaser
A skin goes to the sole low score on a hole. Decide whether you are playing gross or net, the stake, and whether ties carry forward. In carryover skins, a tied hole adds to the next pot; in no-carry skins, it does not. Also decide what happens if the final hole leaves skins unclaimed.
Nassau works if you define presses early
A traditional Nassau has three separate bets: front nine, back nine, and overall. A press opens another bet over an agreed remaining segment. Decide who may press, when, for how much, and whether further presses are allowed. In Stymie’s Nassau setting, front, back, and overall results are tracked, but the configured stake settles on the overall result. Do not assume three separate payouts or automatic press settlement; agree how any extra wagers will be recorded.
Team bets need clear sides
Team bets are great on Ryder Cup trips, but they need a clean rule for who is paired against whom. If the sides are fuzzy, the payout will be fuzzy too.
Junk adds flavor, but keep it small
Birdies, sandies, greenies, and other junk bets are best when the values are low and the definitions are clear. Otherwise the end of the night becomes a trial.
Settle once
Record the stakes and results while everyone remembers them. Before paying, review the ledger together and resolve any missing or disputed entries. Stymie simplifies the recorded balances into a list of who pays whom; the actual payments happen outside the app.
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