We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Playing friendly little wager match. Is it normally assumed its a skins?

rollin

rollin

"Just playin golf pally"
Joined
Aug 28, 2012
Messages
12,622
Reaction score
1,113
Location
planet earth, milky way galaxy
Handicap
15.7
I never play competitive golf in any official capacity. Many years back (way back) we use to play friendly match for a buck a hole with my brother-in-law and a couple other close friends. I don't recall if it was skins or not. To be honest , I recall never really caring much if I won or not but only whether or not I played well.

FF decades to the other day we were a 3some of singles. I did play with one of these guys a couple of times before as singles so was a bit familiar with him. And so he decided with 5 holes left that he wanted to play a friendly buck per hole. He just said he wanted to concentrate better and didn't want non golf talk to distract him. A little story there but I wont get into that.

So anyway he asks if we want to play for a buck per hole for the final 5.So the other player said sure, and I figure what the heck, why not have some fun. And so he wins 14 for our first hole. I win 15, I win 16. Then we tie 17. Mind you Im not really paying too much mind to the whole thing and was just happy I played well during the stretch. And so we get on 18 and he mentions "this is worth 2 holes". That didn't really sink in to my head and I really gave little thought at all to what he meant. As said I never do these kinds of things so Im somewhat ignorant of it. Plus it was nothing but just little firendly fun imo so gave it no thought.

And so he then wins 18 as I had a terrible hole. I thought....well ok, for the 5 holes, I won 2 , he won 2 and we tied 1 so we are even and the third player lost all 5. He says he won3 because the tie on 17 was a skin and carried to 18. I don't care to any degree of great concern except to know that I didn't really get the situation and so he explained. Easy of course to understand. And also I only then now knew what he meant when he mentioned it was worth 2 holes while on the 18th tee.

And we didn't even take the money from the younger fellow who lost all 5. But it got me thinking, and if this were an 18 hole match with more significant possible dollars at steak, is skins normally assumed or is this something one is suppose to mention up front. The only thing he ever said at the beginning was "do you want to play a buck per hole?" and mentioned nothing else. Only after playing 18 did I come to find out he won 3 due the skin because the whole time I thought we tied 2-2-1.

When someone asks to play a buck per hole, is skins normally assumed unless dictated the other way? Or is straight up match with halves normally assumed unless skins is dictated up front? I just wanted to know in case this ever happens again with or even without him.
 
If someone says a buck per hole I would obviously assume skins but would always ask about carryovers and presses.
 
We play for money every week..not a lot, mind you, but enough to keep you focused and to give the other players some grief for getting into their wallet.

With that said, with us, skins needs to be specified...other wise it is just match play with no carry overs.
 
I always assume skins is won holes with no carryovers. If it isn't expressed at the beginning I will ask if we are playing carryovers.
 
Always be clear on the rules when gambling. My typical game does not include carryovers except on greenies on par 3's
 
Usually when playing for a friendly wager, the first thing I ask is if we're playing carryovers or not. One group I play with does, one doesn't. But yeah, skins is usually what I think of when someone asks to play for a $$/hole.
 
jdtox said:
Always be clear on the rules when gambling. My typical game does not include carryovers except on greenies on par 3's
Click to expand...

You should see the list if stuff we play for on Saturday.
Skins
CP's on par3's
Blue Plates (CP in reg on par 5's)
Sand Saves
Birdies or eagles

All worth a dot.

Carryovers are in play on skins, CP's and Blue Plates. Oh... and it's handicapped.

We have one guy I play with, if he starts getting behind on dots he'll start aiming for the bunkers to try to catch up. lol
 
jdtox said:
Always be clear on the rules when gambling. My typical game does not include carryovers except on greenies on par 3's
Click to expand...

Was going to come back and add this to my post. Always ask if you don't understand the rules they can get pretty complicated and depending on the wager could cost more than you think
 
kevin81002 said:
You should see the list if stuff we play for on Saturday.
Skins
CP's on par3's
Blue Plates (CP in reg on par 5's)
Sand Saves
Birdies or eagles

All worth a dot.

Carryovers are in play on skins, CP's and Blue Plates. Oh... and it's handicapped.

We have one guy I play with, if he starts getting behind on dots he'll start aiming for the bunkers to try to catch up. lol
Click to expand...

Thats too complicated. I have a hard enough time keeping score lol
 
jdtox said:
Thats too complicated. I have a hard enough time keeping score lol
Click to expand...

Haha... Yeah the first couple rounds was confusing as hell. After you get used to it, it's easy. The frustrating part is when you put a solid round together and still have to pay out because of the pops.
 
You know what happens when you assume? You make an ass out of you and me.
 
kevin81002 said:
You should see the list if stuff we play for on Saturday.
Skins
CP's on par3's
Blue Plates (CP in reg on par 5's)
Sand Saves
Birdies or eagles

All worth a dot.

Carryovers are in play on skins, CP's and Blue Plates. Oh... and it's handicapped.

We have one guy I play with, if he starts getting behind on dots he'll start aiming for the bunkers to try to catch up. lol
Click to expand...

That's similar to what several groups I play with do. No blue plates or birdies and eagles but poley for any first putt made longer than the pole and double if you hole out from anywhere off the green, snakes, total putts and low net.

The other group I play with it's either two man match play or hawk/wolf plus round robin teams and skins with carryover
 
Regular game my friends and I play is skins, $1 a hole, natural birdies are worth 1, KP on par 3s is also worth one, but if you 3 putt you lose it. Always carry over.

But if there is a new person in our group (3 of us are pretty regular then we might have a different 4th join us most weekends) I always explain the rules and ask if they want in or not, and if I were to play with people outside of my regular group I would ask them for rules prior to teeing it up.
 
Skins are never assumed in my group. It’s always announced. If someone says a buck a hole, that means just that, each hole is worth a buck. But carry overs are never assumed.
 
Never assume anything regarding bets, especially with people you don't know. Only bets specifically agreed to before you tee off count IMO.
 
If nothing else, we play a little money game just for fun. You don't go broke, you don't get rich. Just a little fun…

$1 skin per hole (par or better) - 1 tie all tie, no carry over
$2 birdies - 1 tie all tie, no carry over
$5 eagles - 1 tie all tie, no carry over
$5 front / $5 back / $5 total ** any tied $ goes into the "$5 total" pool and any total ties go to scorecard playoff

If you win a hole skin with a birdie, you get $3 and so on…..
 
So then.......just for sake of saying "by rights" he was wrong and shouldn't assumed I nor the other guy knew we were playing carryovers because I had no idea. He shouldn't have mentioned on the 18tee that 18 was worth 2 holes since all he ever said at the start of this short 5 hole gamble was "buck per hole".

I suppose this could have been problematic had it been a tad more serious money wise.
 
Both ways are very common. Typically someone either announces, or someone asks, about carry overs. Nobody did either (up-front) in this case so you were all just assuming you knew so it's hard to say anyone was in the wrong. It was clarified when it first applied though, when the guy mentioned #18 would be worth 2 holes before you played it. Any of you could've won #18. So in this case I side with him. In the future just ask or declare carry overs before you start.
-------------------
from OP: "And so we get on 18 and he mentions "this is worth 2 holes". That didn't really sink in to my head and I really gave little thought at all to what he meant."
 
rollin said:
So then.......just for sake of saying "by rights" he was wrong. He shouldn't have mentioned on the 18tee that 18 was worth 2 holes since all he ever said at the start of this was "buck per hole".
And there should not have been a skins carryover from the 17th tie.

I suppose this could have been problematic had it been a tad more serious money wise.
Click to expand...

If it hadn't been brought up previously, he should have mentioned it after the 17th hole. But I would guess if he regularly plays games with others that he and his normal crew always play with carryovers. Doesn't excuse it, but it does work both ways. If I go in for a bet I will confirm details so there isn't any question when it comes time to fork over dough at the end of the round.
 
TM_Bobby723 said:
If nothing else, we play a little money game just for fun. You don't go broke, you don't get rich. Just a little fun…

$1 skin per hole (par or better) - 1 tie all tie, no carry over
$2 birdies - 1 tie all tie, no carry over
$5 eagles - 1 tie all tie, no carry over
$5 front / $5 back / $5 total ** any tied $ goes into the "$5 total" pool and any total ties go to scorecard playoff

If you win a hole skin with a birdie, you get $3 and so on…..
Click to expand...

You guys aren't invited to my skins game. Par or better... pfft. lol

I won a 6 hole carryover skin with a double a few weeks ago. Didn't know if I should have felt good or bad about it. :D
 
Daddio said:
Both ways are very common. Typically someone either announces, or someone asks, about carry overs. Nobody did either (up-front) in this case so you were all just assuming you knew so it's hard to say anyone was in the wrong. It was clarified when it first applied though, when the guy mentioned #18 would be worth 2 holes before you played it. Any of you could've won #18. So in this case I side with him. In the future just ask or declare carry overs before you start.
-------------------
from OP: "And so we get on 18 and he mentions "this is worth 2 holes". That didn't really sink in to my head and I really gave little thought at all to what he meant."
Click to expand...
well....but if asking one to play for a buck per hole is all that is being mentioned. Then how can it be assumed carryover since buck per hole simply means exactly that. I would think (in light of this thread posts) that "buck per hole" is simply straight up match with halved holes for tie which is what that normally is. Its the carryover part that would be the extra clause added to the match and therefore needs to mentioned prior. Straight match needs no extra mention cause it just is what it is. So if nothing extra other than "buck per hole" is said, then it really cant be anything but a straight match.

I mean I suppose Id have to check before hand should I ever be asked again. But if this were some more substantial dollar amount and/or more serious id have to say he would have been wrong to assume all others knew that skins carryovers were going to take place because all that was mentioned was "buck per hole". No?
 
Daddio said:
It was clarified when it first applied though, when the guy mentioned #18 would be worth 2 holes before you played it. Any of you could've won #18. So in this case I side with him.."
Click to expand...

And fwiw I just think the conversation is interesting and want to think of it all (for sake of topic) as though it had all been worth more. So I want to add to my other response to you but pertain to the above quote.

Just because he mentions on 18 tee that its worth 2 holes and is also something that sort of flew over my head, that wouldn't make him right imo. Because (as said) it was never mentioned we were playing skins but simply playing $per hole. Imo you cant bring that up on the last hole and only after being down a hole. Remember at this point I am up with 2 wins vs his 1 win.
I wonder if he mentions the same thing if he were up the 2 holes instead of me?
Im thinking at this point worst I can do is tie and go 2-2-1. But he now (on last hole) has chance go 3-2 if playing with carryover. So he mentions on the last tee that this is worth 2? while never implying anything but "buck per hole" at the beginning. I think Id have a pretty darn good point there if a more serious situation than what we really had was taking place.
 
from above: 'Im thinking at this point worst I can do is tie and go 2-2-1. But he now (on last hole) has chance go 3-2 if playing with carryover'
... AND you could've gone 4-1 too.
But overall it's fine rollin, there is no 100% right or wrong, because it was all a grey area thing IMO. No one sought to clearly define things by declaration or questioning. I mean a simple "wait I thought it was a buck a hole?" when he made the statement on 18 could've cleared it all up too. It's hard to do after he won 18 as it could easily appear that you waited on the results incase you took 18. All in all $1 is a pretty cheap lesson that should prevent similar grey area assumptions from occurring in the future.
 
Always specify terms before starting a game. Nothing is ever assumed, unless it is a usual game amongst familiar players where the stakes and rules are consistent.

Carryovers usually do happen in a hole by hole skins game, but clarify beforehand to be certain.
 
Never play for money without first agreeing to all terms.

I also don't like playing for money with handicaps involved unless we all know the other guy has a legit RCGA cap.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top