Golf side game
How to play Wolf
For a foursome.
How it works
Each hole one player is the Wolf, in the order the players are listed: player 1 on the 1st, player 2 on the 2nd, and so on. After the tee shots the Wolf picks a partner (two against two, each side’s better score counts) or takes on the other three alone.
Going alone
- Lone Wolf: alone after seeing the tee shots, for twice the stake (or three times).
- Blind Wolf: alone before anyone tees off, for three times the stake (or four, or not played).
The money
A stake per hole ($2 to start). Two against two, each winner collects the stake from a loser. Alone, the Wolf wins or loses the stake times the multiple with each of the other three. Ties push.
17 and 18
The player furthest down in Wolf money is the Wolf on 17 and 18 (a setup choice), or the order keeps going round. The scorer can pick the Wolf by hand on any hole.
Handicaps
Net (the default), with full handicaps or off the low player, or gross.
Example
Ann is the Wolf and picks Cy, and their better score beats Bo and Di’s: Ann and Cy each collect $2. On the next hole Bo goes Lone Wolf and loses: Bo pays $4 to each of the other three.
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
- Nassau For 2 to 6 players, one on one, or two teams of two in a foursome.
- Skins For 2 to 6 players.
- Banker For 2 to 6 players.
- Vegas For a foursome, in two teams of two.
- Stroke play For 2 to 6 players.
- Stableford For 2 to 6 players.
- Dots For 2 to 6 players, on top of any game.
- Birdies For 2 to 6 players, on top of any game.
- Sixes For a foursome. Also called Round Robin or Hollywood.
- Bingo Bango Bongo For 2 to 6 players.
- Low ball / high ball For a foursome, in two teams of two.
- Nines For a threesome. Also called 5-3-1.
- Team skins For a foursome, in two teams of two.
- Team stroke play For a foursome, in two teams of two.