Side game · 2–4 players
How to play Nassau
Also called: 2-2-2 · 5-5-5 · front-back-total
Three matches in one round: the front nine, the back nine, and the full eighteen, each its own bet. The most played side game in golf.
The rules
- Agree one unit, say $10. The front nine, the back nine, and the overall eighteen are each a separate match worth that unit.
- Each segment is match play: lowest net score wins the hole, ties halve. Whoever is up at the end of the segment wins it; a tied segment pushes.
- With four players you play as two-person teams using best ball on every hole.
- A press starts a new bet for the rest of the segment when a side falls behind, usually two down. The pressed bet is worth the same unit and runs alongside the original.
- Settle each segment and each press separately, then net it out. Every match is zero-sum.
A worked example
Setup. $10 Nassau, two-person teams.
- Team A wins the front nine 2-up: +$10 to A.
- Team B wins the back nine 1-up: +$10 to B.
- Team A wins the overall 1-up: +$10 to A.
Result. Team A is +$10 net, Team B −$10. Each player on A collects $10 from their opposite number.
This is exactly how Bagpipe Golf settles it: hole by hole, zero-sum, no arguing at the 19th.
Variations and house rules
- Auto press: a press fires automatically whenever a side goes two down. The app supports Off, Manual, and Auto.
- Presses on presses: allowed by most groups. The app tracks each press as its own match from its starting hole.
- Some groups pay the overall double. Set a different unit for it by hand at settlement.
How it works in the app
- Add Nassau when setting up the round and choose the press rule: Off, Manual, or Auto at two down.
- For four players the app pairs teams; you can edit them before the first tee.
- Live scoring shows all three segments and every press with their running state. Settlement lists each one and nets the total.
Nassau FAQ
- What does "2-2-2 Nassau" mean?
- Two dollars on the front, two on the back, two on the overall. "5-5-5" is the same with a $5 unit. The numbers are just the unit per segment.
- When should you press?
- Convention is when you are two down in a segment. A press is a fresh bet from that hole to the end of the segment, so it is a chance to get back to even without touching the original match.
- Is Nassau net or gross?
- Either. Most groups play net using course handicap strokes by hole. The app applies strokes automatically from each player's handicap and the course stroke index.