Page type: Group-size game guide
Free tool: Open the calculator →
Best first choice
Skins, run as two five-player pots, is the clearest first choice for ten golfers. It keeps the scoring unit simple and lets each tee group settle its own carry-overs without forcing a ten-person match or an uneven partner rotation. A single shared pot can be used only if the group agrees how scores from separate tee times will be checked.
What to agree before play
Ten golfers should not be treated as one tee group; plan separate tee times and a clear score-reporting method. Do not assume a casual betting game has a national rule set; write down whether ties carry, whether handicaps apply, and when money is settled. Wolf and Sixes are built around small rotating groups, so applying them to ten without sub-groups creates uneven turns or undefined pairings.
Table
| Game or arrangement | Why it fits |
|---|---|
| Skins | Split ten golfers into two five-player tee groups and run a separate skins pot in each group, or agree a centralised result process if everyone can compare scores. |
| Nassau | Use five two-player match-ups, with each pair agreeing front-nine, back-nine and overall stakes before teeing off. |
| Wolf | Run two five-player Wolf games, accepting that five holes do not give every player an equal number of Wolf turns over 18 holes. |
| Bingo Bango Bongo | Run two five-player groups and award pre-agreed points for first on the green, closest once all are on, and first to hole out. |
| Garbage (junk or dots) | Use two tee groups with a written list of positive and negative achievements, then settle the agreed point value at the end. |
| Sixes (6-6-6) | Use it within four-player sub-groups rather than pretending all ten form one equal sixes rotation; the remaining players can run a parallel game. |
Worked example
For two five-player $2 skins pots, each group has 18 × 4 × $2 = $144 at stake if every hole is paid by the other four players. In one group, Alex is the sole winner on hole 1 and receives $8; holes 2 and 3 are tied, so the three carried skins are worth $24 when Ben wins hole 4. This is an illustrative house settlement, not a historical result.
Sources: www.linksmagazine.com , www.usga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
Can ten golfers play skins together?
Yes, but two five-player tee groups are more practical than one ten-player group. Run a pot in each group, or agree in advance how scores from separate groups will be compared and how tied holes carry.
What is the simplest betting game for ten players?
Skins is usually the easiest to explain: a hole has a set value, a sole low score wins, and a tie can carry the value forward. The dollar amount, handicap treatment and carry-over rule are house decisions and should be written down before play.
Can ten golfers play Wolf?
They can run two five-player Wolf games, but the rotation is not perfectly even over 18 holes: an 18-hole five-player order gives three players four Wolf turns and two players three. Treat that imbalance as an agreed arrangement, or rotate the starting order between rounds.
Should handicaps be used in a ten-player betting game?
Only if the group agrees the calculation before play. WHS Appendix C recommends 100% for individual match play and 90% for four-ball, but it does not create one universal allowance for every casual betting game; do not automatically transplant either percentage to skins, dots or another non-standard game.
How should money be settled when ten golfers tee off separately?
Name one scorekeeper, record the agreed scores and side-game events for each tee group, and settle only after everyone has checked the results. Keep stakes modest and state whether the game is a friendly wager or points-only activity before starting.
Is Sixes a good single game for all ten golfers?
Not as one ten-player rotation. Sixes is a three-leg, six-hole partner rotation designed for four players, so use it in a four-player sub-group and give the other golfers a parallel game instead of inventing unequal teams.