Tired of the same old stroke play or weekly scramble? Split Sixes is a fantastic three-player betting game that will inject excitement and strategy into your regular Saturday round. This article walks you through exactly how to play, from the basic rules and scoring to the subtle strategies that will help you take the cash from your buddies.
Split Sixes, sometimes called "Sixes," "Round Robin," or "Hollywood," is a competitive game designed for a group of three golfers. It cleverly breaks down an 18-hole round into three separate 6-hole matches. The real genius of the game lies in its rotating partnerships. Over the course of the round, you will team up with each of the other two players for one six-hole stretch.
This dynamic format keeps everyone engaged from the first tee to the 18th green. Because the teams change, a player who is having a tough start still has a chance to come back and win. It's a game of consistency, strategy, and a little bit of teamwork. You’ll have to think not only about your own game but also about your partner’s situation on every single shot.
The heart of Split Sixes is the point system. On every single hole, there are a total of six points up for grabs amongst the three players. The player with the lowest score on the hole wins 4 points, the second-lowest score gets 2 points, and the highest score gets 0 points. It's a simple 4-2-0 distribution.
Let's walk through how this works over a full 18 holes, with three fictional players: You, Tom, and Sarah.
For the first six holes, the teams are decided. Let's say it's You & Tom vs. Sarah.
Here’s an example on the 1st hole, a par 4:
To distribute the points, you look at the individual scores:
After the first hole, Sarah is already off to a roaring start. The match score for this six-hole set stands at Sarah (4 points) vs. You & Tom (2 points).
Once you putt out on the 6th hole, the teams automatically rotate. For the next six holes, imagine the partnership changes to You & Sarah vs. Tom.
All points from the first match are 'banked' individually, and a new match begins. The 4-2-0 scoring system continues in the exact same way. Let's see how Hole 7, a par 3, plays out:
When there are ties, the points for the tied positions are split. Here's how it works:
For the match score through Hole 7, the team of You & Sarah earned a combined 5 points (4 for you, 1 for Sarah), while Tom earned 1 point.
You guessed it. On the 13th tee, the teams shift one last time. Now it's Tom & Sarah vs. You.
You are now the lone wolf, playing against the other two. It's a great opportunity to pull ahead if you’re playing well. The game continues with the same 4-2-0 point allocation per hole all the way through the 18th green.
This is the best part of Split Sixes: while you compete in three different six-hole team matches, the real competition is individual. After the 18th hole, you ignore the team matches. Each player simply totals up all the individual points they've earned throughout the entire round.
So, you’d add up every point you won on holes 1 through 18. Tom does the same, and so does Sarah. The player with the highest total point count is the overall winner.
Most groups assign a monetary value to each point (e.g., $0.50 or $1 per point). The players with fewer points pay the difference to the winner(s). For example, if you finish with 52 points, Tom has 48, and Sarah has 38:
Split Sixes isn't just about hitting good shots, it’s about playing smart. The rotating partner format requires you to shift your strategy every six holes. Here's how to think like a pro and maximize your points.
Your job changes depending on whether you have a partner or not.
Split Sixes is an excellent game for players of different skill levels, and it’s very easy to incorporate handicaps. Before you start, determine each player's course handicap. The game is then played using each player's net score on a hole.
This system levels the playing field perfectly and allows a higher handicapper to compete fairly against stronger players.
One of the beauties of Split Sixes is that a bad start doesn’t sink you. You could lose the first six holes badly, but then you get to pair up with the player who was just crushing you. The standings are always in flux. Stay patient. If you have a blow-up hole, shake it off. There are still plenty of points to be won. A focused final six-hole stretch when you're playing as a single can often be enough to turn a small loss into a profitable win.
Like any good golf game, Split Sixes can be tweaked to keep things fresh. Here are a couple of popular twists:
This is a simplified scoring method. For each pair, you only take their best ball score for the hole. You compare that one score to the single player's score. The team or player with the low score wins a set number of points (e.g., 2 points for a win, 1 point each for a tie). This version is quicker to score but loses some of the "every shot counts" feel of the 4-2-0 system.
For groups that enjoy a bit more gambling action, add presses. A common version is an automatic two-down press. If one team wins the first hole with 6 points to 0, a new, separate bet automatically starts on the next hole for the same stakes. This can lead to a lot of action and big swings, so be ready if you decide to play this way!
Split Sixes is one of the most dynamic and socially engaging games you can play on a golf course. It encourages friendly competition, strategic thinking, and ensures that all three players are in the game until the very end, regardless of how the day starts out.
For games like Split Sixes where every shot contributes to a constantly shifting score, having a solid strategy is essential. When you’re faced with a tough decision - should you play it safe for the team or go for the aggressive line? - having an expert opinion can make all the difference. When you find yourself in a tricky lie or are unsure about your club choice or your target, I can analyze the situation from photos of your lie or from course data and give you instant strategic advice. Learning to make smarter decisions and manage your game hole by hole is how you improve, and trying a demo of Caddie AI is a great way to start.
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