If you're looking for one of the most classic, fun, and strategically engaging games to play on the golf course, the Nassau is hard to beat. This format splits a single round of golf into three distinct matches, keeping every player hooked from the first tee to the final putt. This article will walk you through exactly how a Nassau works, how to score it, popular variations that add excitement, and a few coaching tips to help you come out on top.
At its core, the Nassau is a golf game that creates three bets out of one 18-hole round. Think of it as a golf triathlon. Your three competitions are:
The beauty of this structure is that it prevents one bad stretch from ruining the entire day. Let's say your partner comes out of the gate on fire and is soundly beating you after five holes. In a normal 18-hole match, you might feel defeated. But in a Nassau, you know the back nine is a completely fresh start. You can lose the front nine badly, rally to win the back nine, and potentially tie the overall match, making everyone feel like they were in the game the whole time.
The wager is usually denoted by its base amount. For example, players might agree to a "$5 Nassau." This doesn't mean the total bet is $5. It means each of the three matches is worth $5. So, the player who wins the front nine gets $5, the winner of the back nine gets $5, and the winner of the overall 18 holes gets $5. If one player sweeps all three matches, they win $15.
Setting up and scoring a Nassau is straightforward. The first step is to decide on the details before you tee off.
While you can play a Nassau using stroke play (lowest total score wins), the traditional and most popular way to play is with match play. In match play, each hole is its own contest. If you score lower than your opponent, you win the hole and go "1 up." If they win, you go "1 down." If you tie (or "halve") the hole, the score remains unchanged. The winner of each nine-hole stretch is the person who is "up" at the end of that stretch.
Coach's Tip: Stick with match play. It’s what the Nassau was designed for. It allows for comebacks on an individual hole and adds another layer of shot-by-shot strategy which makes it much more engaging.
The "bet" in a Nassau can be for money, lunch, or simple bragging rights. A $2 or $5 Nassau is a common starting point for a friendly weekend game. Remember, this means it is a $2 wager on the Front, $2 on the Back, and $2 on the Overall.
To keep things fair between players of different skill levels, it's a good idea to use handicaps. In match play, the player with the higher handicap receives strokes from the lower-handicap player. You simply subtract the lower handicap from the higher one. For example, if Player A is a 12-handicap and Player B is a 20-handicap, Player B gets 8 strokes (20 - 12 = 8). These strokes are applied on the 8 most difficult holes on the course, as rated by the "Handicap" row on your scorecard (holes rated 1 through 8 in difficulty). On these specific holes, Player B gets to subtract one stroke from their score.
Let's imagine you and a friend are playing a $10 match-play Nassau. You are Player A, and your friend is Player B. For simplicity, we’ll an even match with no handicaps.
Front Nine Result: You finish the front nine 1 up. Player A wins the front-nine bet and is up $10.
Now, everything resets. The back nine begins as a brand new "All Square" match.
Back Nine Result: Player B finishes the back nine 1 up. Player B wins the back-nine bet and is now paid $10. At this point, you and your friend are even on money exchanged.
For the overall bet, you look at the final match-play tally over the full 18 holes. You were 1 up after the front, and Player B was 1 up on the back. Since the score was square at the end of 18 holes, the overall match is a tie, often called a "push."
Overall Result: The match is All Square. No money is exchanged for the overall bet. In this dramatic example, you each won one bet and ended up breaking even for the day, which highlights the balanced and exciting nature of the Nassau.
The basic three-bet Nassau is great on its own, but most experienced players add "presses" to the game. This is where things get really interesting (and potentially more expensive).
A "press" is an optional, additional bet that a player who is trailing in a match can initiate. The press creates a new bet for the same stakes as the original, covering only the remaining holes of that particular nine. A press must be accepted by the opponent.
The most common rule is that a player can only press when they are at least "2 down" in the current match (front, back, or overall).
Let’s say on the front nine, you go 2 down to Player B after the 5th hole. You're feeling good about the next few holes, so you decide to "press." Here's what happens:
Now, let's say you rally and win the next two holes (6 and 7).In the original bet, you are now back to All Square.In the *press* bet, you are now 2 up.If the match finishes this way, the original front-nine bet is a push (no money), but you win the press bet ($10). By pressing at the right time, you turned a potential loss into a win.
Presses can be made on the front nine, back nine, and even on the overall match in the finishing holes. Multiple presses can be active at once, which is how a small-stakes Nassau can sometimes balloon into a much larger wager.
To streamline the game, many groups agree to "automatic presses." For instance, any time a player goes 2 down, a press is automatically triggered. This keeps the action high without anyone needing to verbally initiate it.
You can also layer on small side bets, often called "garbage" or "junk," to reward good shots. These are typically worth a small amount ($1 each) and tallied up at the end. Common garbage bets include:
As a coach, I love the Nassau because it's not just about hitting great shots - it's about strategy, mental resilience, and knowing when to take a calculated risk.
The beauty of a three-part match is that you don't have to win every single one. If you win the front nine, you can afford to play a more conservative, defensive style on the back nine. Try to halve holes and protect your lead in the overall match. Conversely, if you lost the front nine, you know you need to win the back. It clarifies your mission. You have to play a bit more aggressively to try and win holes.
Learning when to press is the difference between an amateur and a seasoned Nassau player. Don't press out of pure frustration. The best time to press is when you have fallen behind but are heading into a stretch of holes that fit your strengths. For instance, if you just went 2 down heading to a short par 5 that you can usually birdie, that's an excellent time to press. You're pressing from a position of confidence, not desperation.
Golf is a game of momentum. In a Nassau, momentum can swing harder and faster than in regular play. The psychological component is huge. If you get off to a bad start, take a deep breath and remind yourself that the back nine is a completely new game. If you won the front, don't get complacent. The ability to reset your mindset at the 10th tee, regardless of what just happened, is one of the most effective skills in a Nassau match.
The Nassau is more than just a betting game, it's a dynamic format that tests your skills, nerves, and strategic thinking across three separate contests. By breaking the round into front, back, and overall matches, it ensures that every shot matters and that no player is ever truly out of the game until the last putt drops.
As a coach, I see how the strategic decisions in a Nassau can completely change the outcome. Knowing when to play it safe versus when to be aggressive is a true skill, and an area where expert guidance pays off. This is where a tool like Caddie AI can become an ace up your sleeve. When you're standing on the tee, 2-down, and debating whether to press, you can get instant advice on the smartest way to play that exact hole. We designed it to help you make smarter tactical decisions, removing the guesswork so you can swing with confidence and put the pressure back on your opponent.
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