How To Bet On Golf: The Nassau
For most of us, golf is an individual -- not a team -- game. Each golfer in your group is playing against the course, and nothing that they do has any real impact on your own game. You can actually play your regular group without ever talking. But because of this, golfers always are looking for ways to add some interaction to the game. Best ball matches, alternate shot and scrambles are some popular formats. But for most golfers, the way to make things more interesting (and interactive) is to place a few side bets. The most popular bet in amateur golf is probably the $2 Nassau. It's a two-sided bet: player against player, or team against team. Nassaus lend themselves to a variety of team play formats. Scramble, four ball and alternate shot matches are common. Teams also can decide to play with, or without handicaps. The Nasssau gets its name from the Nassau Country Club on Long Island, where the format was invented in the early 1900s. The game also is known as "2-2-2", and "Best Nines." With awards for winning each side (front nine, back nine) and for all 18, the Nassau is essentially three separate bets. In a basic $2 Nassau, the player or team winning all three events would win $6. For those areas where betting cash is considered immoral, or illegal, Nassaus typically are played for two of something: golf balls, drinks, etc. Winners of all three bets could then win a half-a-dozen balls, or a six pack. Scoring Nassaus is something akin to that of match play golf. When a player or team has the low score on a hole, they score one point. A tie is a "push. The team or player with the most points at the end of each nine wins that side. The two nines are totaled for the 18 hole award. But if that's all there was to a Nassau, it is unlikely that it would be so popular among golfers. The real fun of a Nassau begins with the "press." Any time a team or individual is down by two or more points, they can "press" the bet. That means that an additional bet is placed for the remaining holes on the side. The original bet still stands, however. Players involved in a Nassau typically are obligated to accept a press. Here's an example of how it works: After six holes, Team A finds itself down by two points. They decide to press. Now, in addition to the original wager, a second bet has been placed for holes seven, eight and nine. If Team A wins two of the three, they still lose the original bet by one point. However, they break even because they won the press. If they lose two of the remaining holes, they end up paying off both wagers. In the best case scenario, they win all three remaining holes, and win both wagers. In some Nassau formats, the press is automatic when a player or team is down by two. One problem with Nassaus is that it can be difficult to keep track of the wagering. At the end of 18, it would not be unusual for players to have placed six or seven separate wagers. Nassaus also can become quite expensive -- even with the initial $2 limit. A Nasssau that has been pressed, double pressed, and triple pressed can quickly add up. Players usually avoid mass confusion and bank-breaking payouts by limiting the presses to no more than two per nine holes. Some matches also allow presses only on the last four holes of each nine. If the number of presses is controlled, Nassaus can be a very friendly betting format. The players who are down (presumably the less skilled players -- at least on that day) control the pace of the wagers. And because the bet is broken into two nines and a total, a bad nine won't ruin the whole day. The next time you're out on the course with your regular foursome, try a Nassau -- if only for a couple of sleeves of balls. A last couple of words of caution: Betting is not legal in all jurisdictions. Players should be aware of local regulations before placing a wager. And players should always remember to never bet more than they can afford to lose. Set a budget at the beginning of a match and stick to it. Read more about golf at Golf Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com John Retzer has worked as a professional journalist, photographer, editor, public relations professional and golf coach. He currently teaches economics, political science and history. In his "spare time" he runs several websites and blogs, including Golf Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com and Flash Drive Blog at http://www.flashdriveblog.com |
Other Golf Betting Articles
Why Golf Exercise Is The Key To The Correct Golf Swing Release A poor golf swing release has been one of the factors responsible for dozens of injuries that have kept many golfers off the course, some of them for good.Failure of applying the correct technique, apart from giving you poor results in your game can also result in all manner of injuries. Many of these injuries leave a golfer in great pain ...Client Eastwood – Mini Bio Go ahead, make his day!The perpetually squinting marine-core-drill-sergeant-tough Eastwood has defined what it means to be a hard-hitting, merciless but ultimately fair and honest enforcer of “justice,” starting way back with his Italian Spaghetti-Western movies like For a Fist Full of Dollars (1964).He was born in San Francisco, C ...A Brief History Of Golf The game of golf originated from a game played in Scotland in the 15th Century. In the first games that are related to golf, there were no holes. But eventually holes were added, and the fact that the game originated in Scotland can't be denied. In the 16th century golf's status and popularity grew due to the fact that it got royal endorsemen ...Golf Betting Gambling and betting in sports dates back to the age of Roman Empires and it has been blatantly and relentlessly used as a source of enjoyment in the sports . Betting in sports refreshes the spectator, puts a little life back in the game. And betters who win the bet have nothing but triumph that calls for celebration. Its luck that works but cle ...Tiger Woods, the Greatest Ever? -NOT! Tiger is great but still a long way from claiming the title of “Greatest That Ever Played The Game”. Although I do believe he is more then on his way to claiming that illustrious title, God willing. But until then, Slammin’ Sammy Snead is my pick. That’s right, not even Nicklaus.If you look at the 11 win gap between Jack’s 70 total victor ...Amarillo Slim Preston: The World's Greatest Gambler Never one to be modest when he could brag about himself, Amarillo Slim Preston has declared himself, “The World’s Greatest Gambler.” And then in his autobiography, Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, he goes on to prove it. Sonovagun!He took $300,000 from Willie Nelson at backgammon in a televised event. He beat Minnesota Fats at ...Odds On Tiger Las Vegas Hilton golf specialist and oddsmaker Jeff Sherman had one important duty to tackle Sunday before he could focus on Super Bowl chores: Adjusting Masters odds on Tiger Woods after golf's 29-year-old superstar boosted his record for the year to two-for-two by winning the Dubai Desert Classic."It's a smooth start of the year for him ...How to Read and Understand Money Lines A money line is used to equal out the favorite and underdog attractiveness of a sport for a person who will be placing a bet. Money lines are different from point spreads because they are often used in individual sports like boxing and auto racing where there is no way to measure a player’s wins and losses. The money line is often set so the mos ...Barclays Classic Preview We are a week away from the U.S. Open and while a watered down tournament would be expected, that is not the case for the Barclays Classic in Westchester. The tune up for Winged Foot features nine of the top ten players in the world with Tiger Woods being the only player not teeing it up this week. Of the top 15, 13 are playing making this the s ...New Coaches For NFL Teams There will be some new faces on the playing fields this season in the NFL. Ten new coaches will join teams across the country. While some are better than others, new coaches can serve many purposes. Giving a new perspective on how the game is played may help many players who are struggling a bit. New training exercises, schedules, and plays can ...Casinos and the Coushatta Reservation Karla Y. Phelps, "The Casino, the Coushatta, and the Community: Road to Riches or Road to Ruin?" Touchstone, vol. XIX (2000), 23-38.This article by Karla Phelps examines the socioeconomic and political impact the Grand Casino Coushatta has had on the Coushatta reservation and the surrounding community in Allen Parish. Phelps discus ...Understanding Information "Companies run on information, not data." - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONI have been doing a lot of reading lately regarding the latest fads in the industry, particularly in the area of "Agile Methodologies," "Business Rules," "Information Architecture," and "Enterprise Architecture." There is a considerable amount of mate ...What Does NASCAR Stand For? To the non-fan, NASCAR stands for "Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks"....it's real meaning is "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing". To corporate America it stands for "Big Business"NASCAR and their premier division "Nextel Cup" is the second most watched sport in America, only the NFL tops ...Bellsouth Classic Preview To play or not to play? The question pertains to this week’s Bellsouth Classic for those players who are scheduled to compete in The Masters next week. Fine tuning their game at Sugarloaf or at the range is the decision that needs to be made for the majority of the 103 players teeing it up at the season’s first major. It seems to be a split deci ...Internet Sportsbook Every day more and more people are finding out how convenient it is to do their sports betting on the internet. The key is finding the right internet sportsbook. On an internet sportsbook you can place bets quickly and easily from the comfort of your own home. You simply open an account and start betting. A good internet betting site will make s ...Inn and Out at Bay Harbor Islands Bay Harbor Island is one of the many curious communities in South Florida with an interesting history. Until 1945, Bay Harbor Island was just a sandbar in the middle of Biscayne Bay, providing no other service other than being headaches to boaters. This is when well-known tycoon Shepard Broad stepped in, purchasing the islands for development. ...Soccer Cleats Guide - General Tips on Soccer Cleats Soccer cleats are athletic shoes that are specially designed for soccer players. Soccer shoes have large studs or cleats on the bottom that assist players in gripping the surface. These studs help players to be easily moved in the desired position.Generally the cleats are made up of molded plastic because metal cleats are illegal as they ...Bingo! BINGO is one of the more social online gambling games, mostly because it involves a lot of interaction. Many times BINGO gambling sites include chat rooms and other ways for players to communicate with one another. The basics of the game are simple--most kids are familiar with it--but there may be some terms you've never heard before that can he ...Carlos Delgado: Model Ballplayer and Citizen In just his first season with the New York Mets, Carlos Delgado has immediately delivered for the Mets, providing solid offensive play for his team. Although he is in the middle of a 7 for 50 slump for the Mets, Carlos Delgado has still been providing the power numbers (15 HR’s) thus far. After hitting about .300 in the month of April, he has on ...Federer to the U.S. Open Final The US open final is coming to its end, having a long road to walk before getting to where they are two of the best tennis players in the world will have a hard job trying to stand against each other to become the champion.After defeating the Russian Mikhail Youzhny, Andy Roddick is ready to face Roger Federer for the US Open Title. ...Take a Wild Ride What can truly kill a spirit more than BOREDOM?For me, there is nothing else worse than being locked in a tiny, dingy jail cell with nothing to do. Most folks I know would rather slave at a high pressure job than rot in isolated boredom.What makes boredom so appalling? So hideous?First of all, it's the way it’s worded as if ...Tiger Woods Wins Again Tiger Woods today strolled to his second British Open Golf title finishing fourteen shots under par, five shots ahead of the veteran, the Scot Colin Montgomerie. It was Tiger’s tenth success in major tournaments and now only Walter Hagen’s eleven majors, and Jack Nicklaus’s total of eighteen lie ahead of him.Earlier in the week on the Fri ...NFL Week 6 Power Rankings New England at Denver (-3) Both of these teams are coming off last-second wins. Denver earned a push against the Falcons in Atlanta (31-28) and the Broncos didn’t cover at home against Washington (21-19). In a bit of a scheduling quirk, this is Denver’s third straight home game. They’ve won the first two.The Pats injury report ...Six Advantages of Online Sports Betting Today millions of people log online to conduct their sports betting. Billions of dollars are wagered each year. There are many benefits to sports betting that can only be found online. The following are six of the top advantages to sbetting online.One of the greatest advantages is convenience. Using the internet, you can place a bet any t ...Buick Open Preview Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, Michigan“The tournament within a tournament” is what the Buick Open is being called by many. While the winner will receive $864,000, something that is more important to some is the amount of points awarded toward the Ryder Cup. Under the new system for picking the Ryder Cup team, one that re ...Golf Is Better When Stars Make Cuts I can't believe there's a debate over whether it's good or bad for the PGA Tour when top players like Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh miss the cut, like they did last week at Disney. What this boils down to is this: who would you rather see play, Tiger or Wes Short, Jr.?If there's any hesitation in that answer you are decidedly in the "it's g ...Yankees Midseason Report Card At the halfway point of the 2006 regular season, the New York Yankees stand at 46-35, four games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are on pace for a 92-70 season, which probably won’t be enough for a Wild Card birth or a divisional title. Things have not panned out exactly as they may have liked, but with all things considered, ...How To Bet On Golf: The Nassau For most of us, golf is an individual -- not a team -- game. Each golfer in your group is playing against the course, and nothing that they do has any real impact on your own game. You can actually play your regular group without ever talking.But because of this, golfers always are looking for ways to add some interaction to the game. Bes ...Achieving Inner Harmony In the ever changing and often turbulent days of the 21st Century, we are so busy trying to get ahead that we frequently forget to take care of our personal needs. However, it’s impossible to get ahead today if we ignore them.In these stressful days, successful people know that the key to staying on top of their careers is being in touch ...Football Injuries Injuries on the playing field are common. But for those like Bennie Joppru, who has not played a game in three seasons due to an injury, this season may be his last. When a player is considered ‘injury prone’, they run the risk of being cut from the team. Injuries will happen, but players are expected to make a full recovery and quickly. Many in ...
|