Heard someone on your foursome mention getting a bagel and had no idea if they were talking about breakfast or a bad shot? You’re not alone. A bagel in golf is purely a slang term for scoring a zero on a hole, specifically within certain team game formats. Far from being a total failure, understanding the bagel is the first step to playing smarter team golf. This article will break down exactly what it means, the games where you’ll encounter it, and how consciously taking a bagel can actually be a strategically brilliant move for you and your partner.
In the simplest terms, a bagel is a score of “0” on a hole. The name comes from what you’d expect - the shape of the number zero looks just like a bagel. It’s important to know that this isn’t an official term you’ll find in the USGA Rule Book. It’s part of the rich vocabulary of golf course slang that’s passed between players, often causing a bit of confusion for those new to different formats.
A player "earns" a bagel when their score on a particular hole is so high that it will no longer count toward their team’s score. Instead of grinding over a five-foot putt for a triple-bogey - filled with frustration and embarrassment - a player realizes their score is irrelevant and simply picks up their ball. On the team’s scorecard for that hole, let’s say a four-ball, their partner might have a '4' written down, while there's just a dash or a '0' next to their own name. That '0' is the bagel. It’s not a mark of shame, often, it’s the sign of a savvy golfer putting the team first.
You’ll only ever encounter the bagel in team-based golf. If you’re playing your own ball in a standard stroke-play tournament or a one-on-one match play competition, you have to hole out on every green. There’s no picking up. Bagels come into play when your score directly intertwines with a partner's.
This is the most common format where bagels appear. Here’s how it works: you and a partner play as a team, but you both play your own golf ball from tee to green on every hole. At the end of the hole, you compare scores, and the lower of the two scores becomes the team score. This is literally the "best ball."
This is a common group game you might see in a member-guest or charity tournament. Your foursome is one team, and on each hole, the two lowest scores from the group are combined to make the team score. With four players in the mix, there’s even less pressure on any one individual.
Scrambles are a bit different, as the team only has one score on each hole. However, you can still apply the bagel concept to individual shots. In a four-person scramble, every player hits a tee shot, the team chooses the best one, and all four players hit their next shot from that spot. This process continues until the ball is in the hole. After one player hits a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway, the other three players on the team are free to swing for the fences. If their aggressive swing lands them in the water, it makes no difference. They essentially "bagel-ed" that shot, but the team is unharmed because they use the safe ball in the fairway.
Many golfers initially resist the idea of picking up. It feels like giving up or admitting defeat. But in team golf, taking a bagel is often the most considerate and strategic thing you can do. It's a fundamental part of playing as a partner, not an individual.
This is the number one reason to embrace the bagel. Nothing slows down a round of golf more than players grinding out high scores that have no bearing on the outcome. When your partner is already in with a net-par, taking an extra two or three minutes to hole out for a triple-bogey is disrespectful to their good play and holds up the group behind you. Picking up is a courtesy to everyone on the course.
Golf is a game of momentum and confidence. Hitting four or five bad shots in a row on a single hole can be incredibly frustrating. That frustration from holing out for an 8 can easily bleed into your mindset on the next tee box, causing you to rush your routine or swing with tension. By picking up, you draw a line under the bad hole. It's over. You can wipe the slate clean, take a deep breath, and focus on hitting a great drive on the next hole, where your team is counting on you again.
Choosing to take a bagel shows that you understand the game format and that you're a team player. You’re acknowledging that your partner made a good score and that the team’s success is more important than your individual stats for the day. Trying to hole out for a 7 when your partner made a 4 is a signal that you're more focused on your own score than on winning the match or keeping the game moving. True partners understand when it’s time to lean on each other.
While taking a bagel is often the correct move, the goal is always to have two (or more) players in every hole. Solid team golf is about proactively managing risk so that the dreaded "double bagel" - where both partners in a four-ball blow up on a hole - is a rare event.
A classic and effective strategy in any better-ball format involves assigning loose roles.
These roles can and should change from hole to hole based on who feels confident or who has the honor.
The best golf partners talk constantly. They don’t just walk silently to their golf balls. They communicate and strategize before every shot.
Even with great strategy, bagels happen. It's golf. The mark of a great partner isn't being perfect, it’s being resilient. After picking up your ball, the first instinct for many golfers is to apologize profusely. Don't fall into this trap. A simple "Nice par, you’ve got us covered," is all that's needed.
Your job on the next hole is now clear: get your ball in play and give your partner the chance to play aggressively. Reframe the narrative in your head. Your partner had your back on the last hole, and now you have the opportunity to have their back on this one. You’ll be surprised how often a player who gets a bagel on one hole comes back to make a net-birdie on the next to win the hole for the team. That's the beautiful rhythm of team golf.
Ultimately, the golf "bagel" is a simple concept with a surprisingly deep impact on strategy, pace of play, and the mental game. Understanding when and why to pick up your ball shows you're a knowledgeable teammate who prioritizes the good of the team over individual pride. As you play more team golf, you'll see it not as a failure, but as a smart and sometimes necessary part of a successful round.
Playing smart team golf often comes down to solid decision-making, and sometimes a second opinion can be the most valuable tool in your bag. We built Caddie AI to act as your on-demand strategist so you never have to guess. Before a tough hole, you can get a clear plan of action, helping you and your partner decide who plays the safe shot and who gets to be aggressive. You can even snap a photo of a tricky lie to get immediate advice on the best way to escape, giving you the best possible chance to contribute to the team and play with the confidence that you're making the smart play.
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