Side game · 2–4 players
How to play Greenies
Also called: greenie · closest to the pin · KP
Closest to the pin on a par 3 — but only if you convert. Stiff it and three-putt and the greenie is void.
The rules
- On every par 3 the player whose tee shot finishes closest to the hole wins the greenie.
- The tee shot must finish on the green to qualify.
- The winner must then make par or better. If they do not, no greenie is awarded on that hole.
- The greenie pays one unit from every other player.
A worked example
Setup. $5 greenies, four players.
- Hole 7, a par 3: C hits it to eight feet, closest of the group, and two-putts for par. C collects $5 from each player.
- Hole 12: A hits it to four feet but three-putts for bogey.
Result. No greenie on 12 — the closest shot did not convert, which is the point of the rule.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- Some groups drop the par requirement and pay the closest shot outright. The app requires the par, which is the traditional game.
- Others carry an unconverted greenie to the next par 3. Not in the app.
How it works in the app
- Add Greenies at setup with a unit value.
- On each par 3 tap the closest-to-pin player; the app checks the score for the par itself.
- Settlement lists each par 3, who was closest, and whether it converted.
Greenies FAQ
- What if the closest shot misses the green?
- It does not qualify — the shot has to finish on the green. If nobody is on in one, there is no greenie.
- Why did my greenie not pay?
- Almost always the par requirement. Closest to the pin and then a bogey wins nothing.