Nassau
Three matches in one round, on the front nine, the back nine and the full 18.
How it works
Each match is won hole by hole. The lower net score wins a hole; a tie halves it.
With three or four players, each player plays a Nassau against every other.
Presses are off unless you turn them on.
Good to know
- Presses: a press is a new match from the next hole to the end of its nine, or to the 18th for the total.
- Withdrawing: a player who withdraws loses every match still being played or still to come, from that hole. A match already decided stays as it was.
A worked round
Three matches in one round, the front nine, the back nine and the total, net, presses off. Ike D. plays Sam P., who gets four strokes.
The momentThe front nine was halved. Sam won the back nine 2 up, and with it the total, 2 up.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Sam | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ike | ||||||||||||||||||
| Won by | halved | Ike | Ike | Sam | Sam | Sam | halved | Ike | halved | Sam | Ike | Ike | Sam | halved | Ike | Sam | Sam | Sam |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Sam | |||||||||
| Ike | |||||||||
| Won by | halved | Ike | Ike | Sam | Sam | Sam | halved | Ike | halved |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Sam | |||||||||
| Ike | |||||||||
| Won by | Sam | Ike | Ike | Sam | halved | Ike | Sam | Sam | Sam |
| Hole | Par | Sam | Ike | Won by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | halved | ||
| 2 | 4 | Ike | ||
| 3 | 3 | Ike | ||
| 4 | 5 | Sam | ||
| 5 | 4 | Sam | ||
| 6 | 3 | Sam | ||
| 7 | 4 | halved | ||
| 8 | 5 | Ike | ||
| 9 | 4 | halved | ||
| 10 | 4 | Sam | ||
| 11 | 4 | Ike | ||
| 12 | 3 | Ike | ||
| 13 | 5 | Sam | ||
| 14 | 4 | halved | ||
| 15 | 4 | Ike | ||
| 16 | 3 | Sam | ||
| 17 | 4 | Sam | ||
| 18 | 5 | Sam |
Net scores, each player's handicap strokes already off. A circle marks a birdie and a square a bogey. A dot marks the hole's winner, and the Won by row shows who it was: S or I, or = when the hole was halved.
Handicaps
Players get 100% of their handicap. The lowest plays off zero and the others take the difference. The host can change the percentage when setting up.
Why that number? Each format has its own usual handicap allowance, set so a 20 and a 5 both have a fair shot.
House variations
Other ways to play it.
- Automatic presses at two down, or another number: choose Automatic under Nassau presses, then the number under Press when a side is down, in More options on the Game step. A new press starts each time a side goes that many down again in the same match.
- Pairwise for a group of three or four: every player plays a Nassau against every other, each pair's strokes counted from that pair's own lower handicap. Ask for it when you describe the round.