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Golf Games
Bingo Bango Bongo (popular points-based game that can be played by any number of players, from two up) In Bingo Bango Bongo, three types of achievements are rewarded with a point. The first player in a group to get his ball on the green gets a point (bingo). The player in the group whose ball is closest to the pin once all balls are on the green gets a point (bango). And the player in the group who is first to hole out gets a point (bongo). Add up the points at the end of the game, high points wins. Bingo Bango Bongo gives weaker players a chance to earn points because what matters is being first at something. For example, all members of the group tee off on a par-4. The player who hit the worst drive (farthest from the hole) plays first, and so has the first shot at winning the bingo point. So, too, with closest to the pin. Criers and Whiners (game of do-overs, or mulligans that can be used from any point on the course) In Criers and Whiners, handicaps are converted into free shots that are used during a round. Say a player has a handicap of 14. Rather than applying the handicap in the proper manner, the player is instead given 14 free shots to use at any point on the course, at any time. Hit a bad shot off the second tee? Hit it again. Now you've got 13 left. The game can be played with full handicaps (as in the example above) but it's most common to use only three-fourths or two-thirds of handicaps. That forces the player to be judicious in using his replay strokes. Two other conditions usually apply: The first tee shot of the day may not be replayed, and no shot can be replayed twice. Wolf (another popular points game for a group of four players) Players rotate being the "Wolf." The player designated as the "Wolf" gets to choose whether to play the hole 1 against 3 (himself against the other three players in the group) or 2 on 2. If the Wolf chooses to play 2 on 2, he must choose his partner immediately following that player's drive. Example: Player A is the Wolf. Player B hits a bad drive. Player C hits a pretty good drive. If the Wolf wants C as a partner, he must claim his partner before Player D hits his tee ball. The side with the lowest better ball score wins the hole. If it's 2 on 2, then the winning side wins the point. If it's 1 on 3, the Wolf wins double or loses double points. There's also Lone Wolf, in which the Wolf announces before anyone tees off (including themself) that he's going it alone, 1 on 3. On a Lone Wolf hole, the Wolf wins triple or loses triple points. Seve (named for Seve Ballesteros) (side game that can have two meanings) 1. Synonym for Arnies. A golfer wins a Seve for making a par or better on a hole without having hit the fairway. 2. Synonym for Barkies or Woodies. A golfer wins a Seve for making par or better after hitting a tree on a hole. Sixes (sometimes called Hollywood or Round Robin) (game for groups of four golfers) Sixes puts the group members against each other, 2 on 2. The catch: Players rotate partners after every six holes so that each member of the foursome, over the course of the round, partners with every other member. Any scoring format for the 6-hole matches can be used, and each 6-hole segment is a separate game. If at the end of the 18 holes you've been on two winning sides and one losing side, you come out ahead. Sixes is best played by partners of similar skill levels, or by golfers using full handicaps. |
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