Nassau Golf Betting Game: Rules and How to Play
What is the Nassau?
The Nassau is the most popular golf betting game in the world. It turns a single round into three separate matches played simultaneously:
- Front nine (holes 1–9): one bet
- Back nine (holes 10–18): one bet
- Overall 18 (total round): one bet
Each match is a head-to-head (or team vs team) competition, and each has its own winner. You can win one, two, or all three — or lose any combination of them.
The name comes from the Nassau Country Club in New York, where the format was reportedly invented in the early 1900s.
How scoring works
Nassau is played as match play within each of the three matches:
- Each hole is won, lost, or halved (tied).
- The running score tracks how many holes up or down you are.
- At the end of holes 9 and 18, the winner of each match is determined by who's ahead.
Example of a front-nine Nassau: After 9 holes, you're 2 up. You win the front nine bet. After 18 holes, your opponent rallied and you end all square. The 18-hole bet is halved (no money changes hands on that one).
The press — Nassau's most powerful feature
A press is when the losing player or team starts a new, additional match within the Nassau. It's the mechanism that keeps every hole relevant and prevents blowout matches from becoming boring.
How it works:
- When you're losing by 2 holes (commonly — though the threshold can be agreed beforehand), you can "press" — this starts a new mini-match from that point to the end of the nine.
- The original match continues simultaneously.
- Now you're playing two matches at once (or more, if pressed multiple times).
Example: You're 2 down after hole 5 on the front nine. You press. Now you're playing:
- The original front-nine bet (you're still 2 down)
- A new press match for holes 6–9 (starts 0–0)
This means even if you lose the front nine bet, you can win the press. And if you win the press, you've halved your losses.
Automatic press: Many groups agree to an automatic press whenever one side goes 2 down. This means no one has to ask — it just happens. Agree the rules before you start.
Presses on presses
A press bet can itself be pressed. If you go 2 down in a press, you can press the press. This creates multiple simultaneous mini-matches and can escalate the stakes significantly. Some groups cap the number of presses to keep things manageable.
Nassau with handicap
For mixed-ability groups:
Net Nassau: Use the Course Handicap (or Playing Handicap at 100% for individual match play). The difference in handicaps determines which player receives how many strokes, allocated to the hardest holes by stroke index.
Example: Player A has Course Handicap 8, Player B has Course Handicap 18. Difference = 10. Player B receives 1 stroke on the 10 hardest holes (SI 1–10). On those holes, subtract 1 from Player B's gross score before comparing.
Why the Nassau is so enduring
Three reasons:
- Multiple chances: You can lose the front nine and still win the back and 18, walking off all square or even ahead.
- The press: No hole is dead — a badly losing player can always press to stay invested.
- Simplicity: Despite the layered scoring, the format is easy to track once you understand it.
It works between two players, two pairs, or any combination of teams.
Frequently asked questions
What's a typical stake for a Nassau? Completely personal — anywhere from €1 to much more per bet. "A €5 Nassau with automatic presses" means each of the three bets (and any presses) is worth €5.
Can I press more than once per nine? Yes, in most Nassau rules — as many times as there are times you go 2 down. Some groups cap presses at one per nine for simplicity.
What if the 18-hole match and both nine-hole matches are all tied? Ties on any of the three matches result in no money changing hands on that specific bet. The others are settled normally.
Is there a Nassau in professional golf? The Nassau is a recreational/amateur game — professional golf uses official stroke play or match play formats. However, many famous professional practice rounds include Nassau bets.