Let’s be honest. Standard stroke play is great when you’re chasing a personal best or grinding through a tournament qualifier. But when it’s just you and three buddies on a Saturday morning, counting every single stroke can turn a fun day into a slow, frustrating slog. Nobody wants to watch their friend hack out of the woods for the fourth time while the rest of the group stands around checking their phones.

That’s where alternative golf formats come in. They shake things up, they keep everyone involved even after a rough hole, and honestly, they just make golf more fun. I’ve played most of these with my regular weekend foursome, and I can tell you firsthand which ones spark friendly trash talk and which ones end with someone throwing their glove in frustration (in a good way).

So grab your clubs, round up your crew, and let’s walk through ten golf formats that will breathe new life into your next round.

1. Scramble

Scramble is probably the most popular format for a reason. Everyone in the group tees off, you pick the best shot, and then everyone plays their next shot from that spot. It’s forgiving, fast, and perfect for mixed skill levels.

How It Works?

Each player hits a tee shot. The team chooses the best one, and every player then hits their second shot from that exact spot. This repeats until the ball is in the hole. It levels the playing field between beginners and low handicappers.

Why Friends Love It?

Nobody feels the pressure of a single bad shot ruining the hole. I’ve seen brand new golfers hit a great drive that carries the whole team, and that moment of pride is what keeps people coming back for more rounds.

2. Best Ball

Best Ball, sometimes called Four Ball, is similar to Scramble but each player plays their own ball throughout the hole. Only the lowest score among teammates counts toward the team total.

Team Setup

You typically play in pairs or small groups of three or four. Everyone plays their own ball from tee to green, and at the end of the hole, the best individual score becomes the team score.

A Real Round Example

My buddy once shot an 8 on a par 4 after finding the water twice, but his partner made a clean par. Because it’s Best Ball, the team still scored a solid par, and he laughed it off instead of stewing over his own mess.

3. Skins

Skins golf turns every single hole into its own mini competition. Whoever has the lowest score on a hole wins that hole’s “skin,” usually tied to a small wager or bragging rights.

Carryover Rules

If two or more players tie for the lowest score, nobody wins the skin. Instead, it carries over to the next hole, which raises the stakes and often leads to some genuinely tense putts on later holes.

Why It Keeps Everyone Engaged?

Even if you’re having a rough front nine, a single great hole can still net you a skin. That constant reset in momentum is what makes this format addictive, especially with a small side bet involved.

4. Wolf

Wolf rotates a “wolf” role among players each hole. After watching teammates tee off, the wolf decides whether to pick a partner for that hole or go it alone against everyone else.

Choosing a Partner or Going Lone Wolf

The wolf watches each tee shot before deciding. Pick a strong shot as a partner for safer points, or declare “lone wolf” for a shot at double or triple points if you win the hole solo.

Strategy Tips

Going lone wolf works best when you’re confident in your short game and the pin position favors an aggressive approach. I’ve watched a friend go lone wolf on a tight par 3 and stick it inside five feet, which is a moment nobody in the group will let him forget.

5. Nassau

Nassau splits an 18 hole round into three separate bets, the front nine, the back nine, and the overall 18. It’s a classic format among regular golf groups because it gives you three chances to turn things around.

Breaking Down the Bets

You can lose the front nine badly but still win the back nine and the overall match. This built in reset means a shaky start doesn’t have to define your whole day, which keeps the competitive energy alive until the final putt.

6. Bingo Bango Bongo

This format rewards more than just low scores. Points go to the first player on the green, the closest to the pin once everyone is on the green, and the first player to hole out.

The Three Points Explained

Bingo is first on the green, Bango is closest to the pin among those on the green, and Bongo is first to hole out. A weaker ball striker can rack up points just by being consistent and quick around the greens.

Best For Mixed Skill Groups

Because it rewards different skills, not just distance and accuracy, this format is fantastic for groups that include beginners, seniors, and low handicappers all playing together without anyone feeling outmatched.

7. Stableford

Stableford flips traditional scoring on its head by awarding points instead of counting strokes. Better scores earn more points, and disaster holes barely hurt you since there’s a cap on how few points you can lose.

Points System

A typical points scale gives 0 points for a double bogey or worse, 1 for bogey, 2 for par, 3 for birdie, and 4 or more for eagle. This system rewards aggressive play since a blow up hole costs you very little.

Why It Reduces Pressure?

Since one terrible hole can’t destroy your entire round, players tend to relax and swing more freely. I’ve noticed friends actually attempt riskier shots under Stableford scoring because the downside is so limited.

8. Alternate Shot

Also known as Foursomes, this format has two players share one ball and alternate hitting shots throughout the hole, including the tee shot which also alternates between holes.

How Turns Rotate?

If Player A tees off on hole one, Player B hits the second shot, and they keep alternating until the ball is holed. On hole two, Player B tees off instead. It demands real communication and trust.

Building Team Chemistry

This format tests patience more than any other on this list. My wife and I played Alternate Shot in a member guest event, and it taught us more about communicating under pressure than a dozen normal rounds together.

9. Vegas

Vegas is a high energy team format where two person team scores combine into a two digit number, and the lower score goes first. If a player scores an 9, it flips to 91 if their partner shoots higher.

Scoring Explained

Say Team A scores a 4 and a 6. That becomes 46. Team B scores a 5 and a 5, becoming 55. The difference between the two numbers determines points won or lost, which can swing wildly on a single bad hole.

Why It’s Thrilling?

Because the numbers can flip based on who scores worse, a single blow up hole from a teammate can be genuinely costly. This format keeps everyone locked in until the very last putt drops.

10. Six Six Six

This format divides an 18 hole round into three separate six hole segments, each played under a different format such as Best Ball, Scramble, and Alternate Shot.

Structuring the Segments

Groups usually agree on the three formats before teeing off. Playing Scramble for the first six, Best Ball for the middle six, and Alternate Shot for the final six keeps the entire round feeling fresh and varied.

Great for Golf Trips

I’ve used this format on golf trips with a rotating group of friends, and it prevents the round from feeling repetitive. Everyone gets a taste of different team dynamics without committing to just one format for 18 holes.

Tips for Choosing the Right Format

Not every format fits every group. Consider your friends’ skill levels, how competitive everyone actually is, and how much time you have. A quick weeknight nine works better with Skins, while a full day trip suits Six Six Six perfectly.

Matching Format to Group Size

Formats like Wolf and Vegas work best with exactly four players. Scramble and Best Ball are more flexible, comfortably handling groups of two to five without complicated adjustments to the rules.

Matching Format to Skill Level

Mixed skill groups benefit from Bingo Bango Bongo or Stableford since both reward more than just raw scoring ability. Groups of similar handicaps often prefer Skins or Nassau for straightforward, head to head competition.

Final Thoughts

Golf doesn’t always have to be about protecting your handicap or grinding out a personal best. Sometimes the best rounds are the ones where you’re laughing at a terrible shot instead of stressing over it. These ten formats each bring their own flavor of competition, teamwork, and friendly chaos to a normal Saturday round.

Next time you’re setting up a tee time with friends, skip the plain stroke play and try one of these instead. Rotate through a few of them over the season, and you’ll probably find one or two that become permanent fixtures in your group’s rotation. Golf is more fun when everyone stays engaged from the first tee to the eighteenth green, and that’s exactly what these formats deliver.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the easiest golf format for beginners?

Scramble is generally the easiest format for beginners since it removes the pressure of individual bad shots. New golfers can contribute a great shot occasionally while more experienced players carry the team through tougher holes.

2. Can these golf formats be played with just two people?

Yes, several formats work well with two players, including Alternate Shot, Nassau, and Best Ball if playing against another twosome. Scramble also works fine as a two person team competing against others.

3. Which format is best for a golf betting group?

Skins and Nassau are the most popular formats for friendly wagers since they create clear win and loss outcomes on individual holes or nine hole segments, making it easy to settle bets at the end.

4. How many players do you need for Wolf?

Wolf works best with exactly four players since the format relies on rotating the wolf role each hole and having three other players to either team up with or compete against as a group.

5. Do these formats work for golfers with different handicaps?

Absolutely. Formats like Best Ball, Stableford, and Bingo Bango Bongo are specifically designed to balance out skill differences, letting higher and lower handicap players compete fairly without one skill level dominating the round.

6. What is the most exciting format for a golf trip?

Six Six Six tends to be the most exciting choice for golf trips since it combines three different formats into a single round, keeping the day varied and preventing any one playing style from feeling repetitive.