The best golf games for a threesome are Nines (5-3-1), which splits 9 points on every hole between the three players, Wolf, where one player picks a partner or goes alone each hole, and Skins, where the lone low score wins each hole. All three work without fixed teams, which is what makes an odd number awkward.
Golf games
Best golf games for a threesome
Three players is an odd number for team games, but some of golf’s best games are built for it. Nines, Wolf and Skins for a threesome, and how to choose.
Jim CampbellUpdated 2 min read
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For more ideas, see the full guide to golf betting games.
The picks at a glance
Game | How it works | Swings | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Nines (5-3-1) | 5, 3 and 1 points every hole | Low | Every round, every group |
Wolf | Pick a partner or go alone | Medium | Groups who like a decision on every tee |
Skins | Lone low score wins, ties carry | Medium | Groups close in ability |
1. Nines (5-3-1)
Every hole is worth 9 points. The best score gets 5, the middle 3 and the worst 1. Ties share: two tied for low get 4 each, two tied for high get 2 each, and a three-way tie is 3 each. Money settles on the gaps in points.
A sample hole: Jim makes 4, Mike 5 and Dana 5. Jim takes 5 points; Mike and Dana share 3 and 1, so 2 each.
Nines suits a threesome because it keeps all three players in every hole, even the one having a bad day. How to play Nines.
2. Wolf
The Wolf rotates through the group. The Wolf tees off first, watches the other two drive, and can take either one as a partner right after their drive, for a two against one. Or the Wolf passes on both and plays alone against the pair for double points. Best ball on each side wins the hole.
A sample hole: Dana is the Wolf. She likes Mike’s drive and takes him. Jim plays alone against them. Dana and Mike’s best ball is a 4 and Jim makes 5, so Dana and Mike each score a point.
With three, being the Wolf comes round every third hole, so everyone gets plenty of chances to go alone. How to play Wolf.
3. Skins
Each hole is worth a skin, won by the lone lowest score. If two of the three tie for low, the skin carries to the next hole. Each other player pays the winner per skin, so in a threesome each skin is worth twice the stake.
A sample hole: Holes 1 and 2 tie, so three skins ride on hole 3. Mike makes the only par and takes all three.
Skins plays best when the three are close in ability, or played net with strokes. How to play skins.
How to choose
- For the most even game every round: Nines.
- For decisions and swings: Wolf.
- For a few big holes: Skins, or skins on top of Nines.
- For very different abilities: any of the three played net, or Quota, which builds the strokes into each player’s points target.
Picnic scores all three for a threesome, net or gross, and shows who owes whom at the end.
Questions
What is the best golf game for 3 players?
Nines, also called 5-3-1, was made for a threesome: 9 points on every hole, split 5, 3 and 1. Wolf and Skins also work well with three.
Can you play Wolf with three players?
Yes. The Wolf rotates through the three, and on each hole picks the other two players’ drives one at a time: take one as a partner for a two against one, or go alone against both for double points.
Can you play a team game with three players?
Not evenly. A two against one with strokes can work, but most threesomes play games where each player plays for themselves, or Wolf, where the teams change every hole.
Related reading
- Nines3 playersNines is a threesome game where every hole is worth 9 points: 5 for the best score, 3 for the middle and 1 for the worst. Rules, ties, a scored nine and the money.
- Wolf3 to 5 playersWolf is a rotating partners game: the Wolf picks a partner after each drive or goes it alone for double. Rules, lone and blind Wolf, a scored nine and the money.
- Skins2 or more playersSkins puts a prize on every hole: the lone low score wins it, and a tie carries it to the next hole. The rules, carryovers, a scored nine and the money.
Built Picnic
Jim built Picnic after too many rounds where someone got the math wrong by the turn. He writes up the games his group plays, and the ones they want to try next.