Side game · 3–4 players
How to play Chairman
Also called: chairman golf game · the chair
Win a hole and you become the Chairman, which earns you the right to set what the next hole is worth.
The rules
- The player who wins a hole outright becomes the Chairman.
- The Chairman sets the multiplier for the next hole: one, two, or three times the unit.
- A tied hole pays nothing and the Chairman carries over unchanged.
- Whoever wins the inflated hole collects at that rate and becomes the new Chairman.
- The first hole is played at the base unit, since nobody has earned the chair yet.
A worked example
Setup. $5 unit, four players.
- C wins hole 3 and becomes Chairman.
- C sets hole 4 at three times — $15 a unit.
- A wins hole 4 at the inflated rate.
Result. A collects at $15 and takes the chair for hole 5.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- Some groups let the Chairman double only, not triple. The app offers one, two or three.
- Others make the Chairman play alone against the field. That is closer to Defender.
How it works in the app
- Add Chairman at setup with a base unit.
- After each hole the live screen asks the Chairman for the next multiplier.
- Settlement shows each hole at the rate it was actually played.
Chairman FAQ
- What happens if a hole ties?
- Nothing is paid and the current Chairman keeps the chair. The multiplier they set stays in force for the next hole.
- Can the Chairman set a lower rate?
- They can set one times, which is the base unit. There is no way to go below it.