What is Nassau?

Nassau is the most popular betting game in golf, played by millions of golfers worldwide. The beauty of Nassau lies in its simplicity: the round is divided into three separate bets - Front 9, Back 9, and Total 18 holes. This structure keeps the game exciting throughout the entire round, as you always have a chance to win even if you're down on the front nine.

How Nassau Works

In a Nassau game, you're competing for three separate wagers:

• Front 9: Winner of the first 9 holes
• Back 9: Winner of the second 9 holes
• Total 18: Winner of all 18 holes combined

Each bet is independent, meaning you can win one, two, or all three bets in a single round. This creates multiple opportunities to come out ahead!

GROSS vs NET Scoring

Nassau can be played two ways:

GROSS Nassau

Players compete using their actual scores with no handicap adjustments. Best for players of similar skill levels.

NET Nassau

Players use their USGA handicap to level the playing field. Each player receives strokes on the hardest holes based on their handicap difference. This is the most popular format as it allows golfers of different abilities to compete fairly.

Press Betting - Double or Nothing

The "press" is what makes Nassau truly exciting. When you're down by 2 or more holes, you can call a "press" to start a new bet for the remaining holes.

Example:

You're down 3 holes after the 5th hole on the front nine. You call a press, creating a second bet for holes 6-9. Now you're playing for two bets on the front nine: the original bet AND the press bet.

Presses can be called on the front 9, back 9, or the total 18. This creates a dynamic where you can always fight back and potentially win more than you're losing!

Nassau Strategy Tips

1. Know When to Press: Don't press too early. Wait until you're down 2-3 holes to maximize your comeback potential.
2. Focus on Each Nine Separately: Even if you lose the front nine badly, the back nine is a fresh start.
3. Use Your Strokes Wisely: In NET Nassau, your handicap strokes are precious on the hardest holes. Play smart on your stroke holes.
4. Stay Patient: You have three separate bets to win. One bad stretch doesn't mean you're out of the game.

Playing Nassau on Buddies on the Green

BOTG makes Nassau betting simple and automatic:

1. When creating a round, select "Nassau" from the Side Games options
2. Choose GROSS or NET scoring
3. Configure your bet amount (or just play for fun with $0)
4. Enable or disable press betting
5. BOTG automatically tracks all bets and calculates winners in real-time

No more scorekeeping errors or disputes - the app handles all the math for you, including handicap stroke allocation and press bets!

Why Nassau is Perfect for Any Golfer

Nassau works for everyone because:

• Multiple bets mean multiple chances to win
• Press betting keeps every round competitive
• NET scoring allows different skill levels to compete fairly
• Simple rules that anyone can understand
• Automatically calculated in BOTG - no manual scorekeeping needed

Ready to Play Nassau?

Nassau is the perfect side game for your next round. Whether you're playing with friends, in a league, or just want to add some friendly competition, Nassau delivers excitement from the first tee to the 18th green.

Try it out: Create a new round in Buddies on the Green, add Nassau as your side game, and experience golf's most popular betting format with automatic scoring and real-time updates!