Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose Hammer when two players (or two sides) want head-to-head holes with a negotiated, capped stake and enjoy making risk decisions during the round. Choose skins when three or four players want an individual hole-by-hole contest with optional carryovers and no official net-handicap method.
Hammer in brief
A match-play side game where players can call a hammer to double the current hole’s agreed stake.
skins in brief
A hole-by-hole game where the player with the best agreed score wins that hole’s skin or carryover.
Table
| Comparison | Hammer | skins |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A match-play side game where players can call a hammer to double the current hole’s agreed stake. | A hole-by-hole game where the player with the best agreed score wins that hole’s skin or carryover. |
| Players | Minimum 2; ideal 2 head-to-head or 4 as two sides. A three-player version is a house arrangement, not covered here. | Minimum 2; ideal 3–4 players in one group. It is an individual field game, not automatically a head-to-head match. |
| Scoring unit | The hole, with a dollar stake attached; the hole winner receives the agreed current stake. A halved hole and carryover treatment must be agreed before play. | Holes and skins. A skin is awarded only under the group’s agreed tie and carryover rules; scores may be gross or use an agreed net method. |
| Handicap method | Hammer has no separate WHS allowance. If the underlying game is individual match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of each player’s unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap; the lowest Playing Handicap normally plays off zero and others receive the difference. For four-ball match play, Appendix C recommends 90%. Confirm the Committee or group’s Terms because Hammer is an informal overlay. | No WHS handicap allowance or stroke-allocation recommendation exists for net skins. For a casual game, agree in advance whether it is gross or net and document any house method; do not present individual match-play’s 100% allowance as a skins rule. |
| Money settles how | Set a base stake before teeing off, such as $1 per hole. A valid hammer doubles the current stake; agree whether it is automatic or may be declined, whether halved-hole stakes carry forward, and whether the stake resets after a won hole. Settle net amounts at the end, not by treating a casual side game as an official Rules competition. | Per hole, with the value of an outright skin and any carryover agreed before play; settle the total after the round. Money is optional and only applies where stakes are agreed. |
| Pace | Usually the same as match play or slower than ordinary stroke play, as each hole still uses match-play scoring but calling, accepting and recording doubles adds decisions. This is an editorial tendency, not a measured timing claim. | Usually similar to stroke play, but it can be slower when players wait to confirm the lowest score, resolve ties or calculate net scores; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured claim. |
| Best for | Two golfers who want head-to-head match play with a negotiated money side game, or four golfers already comfortable with two-sided match play and clear pre-round limits. It suits players who enjoy risk decisions and can keep the stake modest. | Friends wanting a simple hole-by-hole contest with optional carryovers and a result that keeps interest alive across the round. |
| Weakness | The stake can escalate quickly, and unclear choices about acceptance, carryovers, timing, concessions or four-ball sides can create arguments. The group must agree a cap or stop rule if players do not want an unexpected liability. | Tie, carryover and handicap arrangements can become contentious because skins has no single WHS method for net play; the group must write its house rules first. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. For an accepted single hammer on an agreed $2 hole stake, the stake becomes $4. If Alex wins the hole, Ben pays Alex $4 under that expressly chosen house rule. Under a chosen pooled skins rule, four players each contribute $2 to a hole. Alex's outright low 4 against 5, 5 and 6 wins the $8 pool: net +$6 for Alex and −$2 for each other player.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf Rule 3.2 applies to underlying match play only; WHS Appendix C lists recognised-format recommendations and does not create a Hammer or skins allowance.
Sources: www.golfdigest.com , www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
How do Hammer and skins score differently?
For Hammer: The hole, with a dollar stake attached; the hole winner receives the agreed current stake. A halved hole and carryover treatment must be agreed before play. For skins: Holes and skins. A skin is awarded only under the group’s agreed tie and carryover rules; scores may be gross or use an agreed net method.
How do handicaps apply in Hammer vs skins?
Hammer: Hammer has no separate WHS allowance. If the underlying game is individual match play, WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of each player’s unrounded Course Handicap when calculating Playing Handicap; the lowest Playing Handicap normally plays off zero and others receive the difference. For four-ball match play, Appendix C recommends 90%. Confirm the Committee or group’s Terms because Hammer is an informal overlay. skins: No WHS handicap allowance or stroke-allocation recommendation exists for net skins. For a casual game, agree in advance whether it is gross or net and document any house method; do not present individual match-play’s 100% allowance as a skins rule.
When should I choose Hammer instead of skins?
Choose Hammer when two players (or two sides) want head-to-head holes with a negotiated, capped stake and enjoy making risk decisions during the round. Choose skins when three or four players want an individual hole-by-hole contest with optional carryovers and no official net-handicap method.