Side game · 2–4 players
How to play Dots
Also called: Garbage · trash · junk · dots golf game
The garbage bag: a pile of small awards and penalties layered on any round. Tally the dots at the end and pay the difference.
The rules
- Positive dots: a greenie (closest on a par 3) is +1, a sandie (up and down from a bunker) is +1, a chip-in is +2, a birdie is +1.
- Negative dots: a three-putt is −1, a double bogey or worse is −1.
- Dots accumulate all round; nothing resets.
- At the end each player settles the difference in dots against every other player at the unit value.
A worked example
Setup. $1 a dot, three players.
- After 18 holes the tallies are A +8, B +2, C −3.
Result. A collects $6 from B and $11 from C. B collects $5 from C. Everything nets out against everyone.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- Every group has its own bag. Common extras: a "polly" for hitting a tree and making par, an "oozle" for first on the green. The app ships the six above.
- Some play dots at a different value from the main game. Set its own unit at setup.
How it works in the app
- Add Dots at setup with a unit per dot.
- Tap the dot chips on each hole as they happen; three-putts and doubles come off the score and putts automatically.
- Settlement shows every dot by hole and player, then nets the difference.
Dots FAQ
- Can we add our own dots?
- Not yet — the six in the app are the common set. Track a house dot on paper and settle it alongside.
- Do I need stats tracking on?
- For the automatic ones, yes: three-putts need putts tracked and sandies need the bunker toggle. Birdies and doubles come off the score alone.