Putt for DoughStart a round

Golf side game

How to play Dots

For 2 to 6 players, on top of any game.

How it works

Extra money for good shots. Each dot is worth a set amount from every other player ($1 to start), so with four players a dot earns $3. Strokes don’t count: a dot is about the shot.

What earns a dot

  • Birdie: counted from the score, one dot for each stroke under par, so an eagle is two.
  • Greenie: on a par 3, on the green from the tee and closest to the pin, with par or better. One a hole.
  • Sandy: out of a bunker and into the hole for par or better.
  • Chip-in: holed from off the green.
  • Polie: holed a putt longer than the flagstick.
  • Barkie: hit a tree and still made par or better.
  • Birdies, greenies, sandies and chip-ins are on to start; polies and barkies can be added.

Three-putts

  • The Snake (the default): a three-putt hands you the Snake, and whoever has it when the round ends pays everyone else a set amount ($5 to start), or that much for every three-putt in the round. When two players three-putt the same hole, whoever putted out last takes it.
  • Or a three-putt loses a dot, or doesn’t count.

Keeping track

Tap the dots under each player’s score on the hole. Birdies count themselves.

Example

Four players, $1 a dot. Ann gets up and down from a bunker for birdie: a birdie and a sandy, 2 dots, $2 from each of the other three.

Play Dots with your group

This is how Putt for Dough plays it; setup changes the amounts. Free, with no account: one phone keeps score, everyone follows the money live, and settling up is a tap.

More games

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