What Is a Chit in Golf?

Ever been on the first tee when someone pulls out a stack of poker chips and asks with a grin, Everyone in on the chit game? and you just nod along, not entirely sure what you’ve agreed to? You're not alone. This simple but thrilling on-course game can turn any casual round into a high-stakes (or low-stakes) competition. This article will break down exactly what a chit is, how a chit game works, and the common ways to play so you can step up to the tee next time with confidence.

So, What Exactly Is a Golf "Chit"?

In essence, a chit is a token, most often a poker chip, that represents a specific achievement or mistake during a round of golf. Think of them as physical trophies and punishments that get passed around your group. One chit might be for a birdie, another for a three-putt. The beauty of this system is its tangible nature - you’re not just marking a number on a scorecard, you're physically handing over a chip to a playing partner who just drained a 30-footer or sheepishly accepting one after you've bladed a shot over the green.

It's a straightforward form of on-course betting that adds a little pressure and a lot of fun to your standard round. Instead of only caring about your final score, every shot and every outcome holds potential meaning. The core idea is that positive achievements earn you "good" chits, while poor shots or bad decisions saddle you with "bad" chits. At the end of the 18 holes, these chits are tallied, and a friendly wager is settled based on who collected what.

How Does a Typical Chit Game Work?

While the rules are highly customizable, most chit games follow a simple structure for setup, play, and payout. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.

The Setup: Setting the stakes

Before you even hit your first drive, you and your group need to agree on three key things:

1. The Chit Events: This is the most important step. Decide which specific actions will be worth a chit. You want a good balance of positive and negative events. A typical game might include chits for birdies and sand saves (positive), and chits for three-putts and water balls (negative). We'll cover a comprehensive list of these later.
2. The Chit Value: How much is each chit worth? The stakes can be as low or as high as your group is comfortable with. For a casual game, $1 per chit is common. Some groups prefer $0.50 or even a quarter to keep things light. For high-rollers, $5 or $10 per chit dramatically raises the tension. The key is to make it an amount that’s meaningful enough to make you focus but not so high that it ruins anyone’s day.
3. The Rules of Exchange: How are the chits distributed? There are two primary systems:
   • Cumulative System: In this model, everybody who performs a chit-worthy action receives a chit. If you and your buddy both three-putt the same green, you both collect a dreaded three-putt chit. This is the simplest way to play.
   • Traveling System: This one creates more drama. Here, there is only one physical chip for each negative event (e.g., one “Three-Putt” chip). The first player to 3-putt holds that chip. They keep it until someone else in the group three-putts, at which point they get to joyfully pass it over. At the end of the round, whoever is left holding the negative chip is the one who pays.

During the Round: Tracking the Game

Once the game begins, one player usually acts as the “banker,” holding all the chips at the start. When a player accomplishes something good - say, a chip-in - the banker hands them the corresponding “Chip-In” chit. Conversely, when a player hits their tee shot out of bounds, they are handed the “OB” chit.

This is where the fun really begins. The clinking of chips becomes the soundtrack of your round. There's a certain look of pride as a player collects a few positive chits, stacking them up on their cart dashboard. There's also a grim sense of dread as a player gets stuck with a negative chit, constantly looking for an opportunity to get rid of it. The game makes you invested in your partners' shots almost as much as your own, especially if they are about to make the same mistake you just did.

The 19th Hole: The Payout

When the final putt drops on the 18th green, it's time to settle up. The payout method depends on how your group likes to do it, but here are the two most common approaches:

• Net Total Payout: This is arguably the most common and fairest method. Each player counts up their positive chits and their negative chits. You find your "net" chit count. For example:
  • You have 4 "good" chits and 1 "bad" chit. Your net is +3 chits.
  • Your friend has 2 "good" chits and 5 "bad" chits. Their net is -3 chits.
  • In this scenario, your friend owes you the value of 3 chits (e.g., $3 if chips are $1 each). Players with a positive net collect from players with a negative net until everything is squared up.
• Chit-for-Chit Payout: This method can get a bit more complex. Every player with a "good" chit gets paid the value of that chit by every other player in the foursome. Every player with a "bad" chit pays every other player. So, if you get a birdie, all three of your partners immediately owe you $1 each. If you hit a ball in the water, you immediately owe all three of them $1 each. This keeps a constant flow of cash (or IOUs) throughout the round and can be more volatile.

Standard Issue: The Most Common Golf Chits

The best part about chit games is that you can completely customize them. But if you’re just starting out, it’s a good idea to use a standard set of chits. Here are some of the classics, broken down into the good and the bad.

The ‘Good’ Chits (The Ones You Want)

• Birdie: The quintessential good chit. Awarded for making a score of 1-under-par on any hole.
• Sandy (or Sandie): Getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker to make par or better. This is a classic test of skill and nerve.
• Greenie: Awarded to the player whose tee shot on a par-3 lands on the green and is closest to the pin. To officially collect the Greenie chit, the player must at least make par on the hole. If they 3-putt, the chit can be forfeited.
• Chip-in: Awarded for holing out from off the putting surface (fairway, rough, or fringe). This doesn't include putting from the fringe, which is up for debate pre-round!
• Eagle: Making a score of 2-under-par. This is a rare feat and is often worth double or triple the value of a regular chit.
• Fairway-Green-Par (FGP): For the player who demonstrates solid, fundamental golf. This chit is for hitting the fairway, hitting the green in regulation, and making a two-putt par. Simple, but effective.

The ‘Bad’ Chits (The Ones You Want to Avoid)

• Three-Putt: The most infamous negative chit. Taking three or more putts on the green.
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A variation of the three-putt chit. A single “Snake" chip is given to the first person who three-putts on the front nine. It travels to anyone who subsequently three-putts. The person left holding it after the 9th hole pays out to the rest of the group. The snake is reborn on the 10th tee for the back nine.
• Out of Bounds (OB): A chit for hitting a ball out of play. Nothing feels worse than that long walk back to the tee, made even tougher by the sound of a negative chit landing in your cart.
• Water Ball: Pretty self-explanatory. Awarded for hitting your ball into any water hazard. Some groups differentiate between red-staked and yellow-staked hazards, but a ball in the water is usually worthy of a chit regardless.
• Shank: For the most humiliating shot in golf - the hosel rocket. Handing this chit over usually comes with a bit of sympathy… followed quickly by quiet laughter.
• Snowman: A chit for the player who makes a dreaded score of 8 on a single hole.

You can create chits for anything: hitting a tree, leaving a bunker shot in the sand ("Fried Egg" chit), or even for complaints ("Crybaby" chit). It's all up to your group's sense of humor.

Mix It Up: Variations an Game Strategy

While the standard chit game offers plenty of excitement, you can always tweak the rules to keep things fresh. The game is often known by other names like "Dots," "Garbage," or "Trash," but the underlying principle is the same.

One of the best ways to customize the game is through the chits themselves. For example, if you're a group of high-handicappers, maybe you create a chit for a "Double Bogey Save" or even just for making a simple par. If you're a group of scratch golfers, you might add a "Green in Regulation" chit and eliminate the more beginner-focused ones.

Strategically, you also start playing the course differently. If you are holding the "Water Ball" chit on a dogleg-left with a pond guarding the green, you might choose to bail out to the right instead of taking an aggressive line. The chits force you to think about risk and reward on every single shot, promoting smarter course management and making you a better thinker on the course.

Final Thoughts

At its heart, a golf chit game is a fun, flexible, and engaging way to add a layer of competitive drama to your weekend round. It encourages camaraderie, focuses the mind on every shot, and gives you bragging rights (or a reason to pay up) at the 19th hole. Start with a few simple chits, set a comfortable stake, and see how it transforms your game.

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a huge advantage in choosing which chits to play for. This is where using a tool like Caddie AI can give you a bit of an edge. I can help you analyze your rounds to see if you’re a three-putt machine or if you consistently leak shots to the right, letting you suggest chits that play to your strengths. Plus, when you’re standing over a tough shot with a “Water Ball” or “OB” chit on the line, I can give you a smart, simple strategy to help you navigate the trouble and keep that nasty chip out of your pocket.