Golf games: How to play Snake
Golf Culture

Golf games: How to play Snake



There are so many good golf games to play, most of which have rules that make betting easy, too.

One of those great games is one that's actually a typical add-on to other golf games, and it's called Snake.

The rules of Snake

Snake is a pretty easy golf game to understand. In this game, there is no such thing as a gimme. Players -- and you can play with as little as two, but ideally four -- must putt out on every hole. If a player three-putts or worse, that's when Snake really starts.

A player who three-putts is holding the snake, and a pre-determined amount per point (usually per player in the group that didn't three-putt) goes in the pot. If and when another player three-putts, they hold the snake and the pot grows -- sometimes by the same amount each every three-putt, sometimes by a multiplied factor. Whoever is left holding the snake after 18 holes has to pay each player the amount in the pot, or sometimes the money is paid out evenly to the players not holding the snake. It depends on the generosity of your playing partners. It can be pretty brutal.

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Sometimes, golfers play Snake with the idea that the player with the most three-putts is the one who pays out to the others for all of the three putts in the group.

All in all, the game is designed to create a single loser, but that loser could be determined even on the final hole. Players can't take their mind off the game and relax, thinking that they won't lose, as they're a simple three-putt away from potentially a very stressful, very expensive situation.

RELATED: The best golf games to play for twosomes, threesomes and foursomes

This isn't a game we recommend when pace of play is an issue, as putting everything out can cause problems with the marshal and other groups.

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

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