Side game · 2–4 players
How to play Closeout
Also called: closeout match · auto-restart match play
Match play that refuses to have dead holes. The moment a match is mathematically over it pays out and a fresh one starts on what is left.
The rules
- Start with an 18-hole match for a set amount.
- When one side leads by more holes than remain, the match is decided and pays immediately.
- A new match begins on the remaining holes for half the original amount.
- If that one closes out early too, another starts at half again.
- The round can therefore settle several matches at descending stakes.
A worked example
Setup. A $20 match over 18 holes.
- A goes five up with four to play, so the match is decided.
- A wins $20 and a new $10 match starts on holes 15 to 18.
Result. If that second match also closes out early, a $5 match starts on whatever is left. No hole is meaningless.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- Some groups restart at the full amount rather than half. The app halves it, which keeps the back nine from outweighing the front.
- Others play a "press" instead of a restart. Presses are supported separately on match play.
How it works in the app
- Add Closeout at setup with the match amount.
- Enter scores; the app detects the closeout and opens the next match on its own.
- Settlement lists every match, the holes it covered, and its amount.
Closeout FAQ
- How is this different from a press?
- A press adds a new bet alongside the one still running. A closeout ends the first bet because it cannot change, then starts a clean one.
- What if the match is all square after 18?
- It pushes. No money on a halved match, which is the ordinary match-play outcome.