Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose round robin when a small field wants everyone to meet several opponents in scheduled match-play fixtures and can provide multiple match slots. Choose Snake when three or four players want a casual putting side bet alongside their round, with stakes and house rules agreed first.
round robin in brief
A schedule where each player or side meets the others in separate head-to-head matches.
Snake in brief
A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot.
Table
| Comparison | round robin | Snake |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A schedule where each player or side meets the others in separate head-to-head matches. | A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot. |
| Players | Minimum 3 competitors or sides for a meaningful schedule; ideal 4-8, with each participant playing the others in turn. This is an individual field or a field of sides, not one group playing every hole together. | Minimum 2 players; ideal 3-4 players in an individual field. It can run alongside a head-to-head match, but Snake itself is not a match-play competition. |
| Scoring unit | Each match is scored hole by hole as match play; the overall table uses agreed match points, wins, halves or another competition countback. | Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser. |
| Handicap method | For individual handicap match play, use the competition's stated allowance; WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of the unrounded Course Handicap for individual match play. After Playing Handicaps are calculated, the lowest plays off zero and each opponent receives the difference. A round robin involving teams or another form must not automatically inherit this allowance: the Committee should state the allowance and stroke-index method in the Terms of Competition. | No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage. |
| Money settles how | Only if stakes are agreed: settle after the round-robin table, using the announced value for each match point, win or final placing. The Rules of Golf do not set a round-robin payout or betting convention. | Agree a fixed dollar amount per three-putt before play. Add that amount to the pot each time, then have the final snake holder pay the pot to the other players; agree in advance whether the amount doubles, how unfinished rounds are handled and how any tie is resolved. |
| Pace | Slower overall than one stroke-play round for the same field is the usual tendency, because a round robin requires multiple head-to-head matches and scheduling; this is an editorial planning judgement, not a measured statistic. | Usually the same as ordinary stroke play when everyone holes out in turn, but it can be slower if players debate whether a putt counts or add a separate token-and-settlement routine. |
| Best for | Club leagues, social groups and small competitions that want everyone to meet several opponents rather than be eliminated after one loss. | Three or four players who want a simple putting-focused side bet alongside their normal round or another agreed game, with clear stakes and no gimmes unless the group agrees otherwise. |
| Weakness | It needs more match slots than a knockout and can create tie-break disputes or uneven schedules when players withdraw, so the Committee must publish the draw, points and tie procedure. | The final loss can depend on one late three-putt rather than overall scoring, and informal conventions differ on putts from the fringe, conceded putts, doubling and the payout. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. Four entrants Alex, Ben, Chris and Dana in an all-play-all schedule need 6 pairings. That schedule is different from the rotating six-hole partner game sometimes given the same name. Under a chosen last-three-putt Snake rule, Alex holds the Snake at the end and pays $2 to each of Ben, Chris and Dana: net −$6 for Alex and +$2 for each other player. Agree the trigger before play.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf 2023, Rule 3.2 (match play); WHS Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C
Sources: www.golf.org.au , www.randa.org , www.golfdigest.com , www.usga.org
Common questions
How do round robin and Snake score differently?
For round robin: Each match is scored hole by hole as match play; the overall table uses agreed match points, wins, halves or another competition countback. For Snake: Three-putts on completed holes. The first three-putt starts the snake, each later three-putt transfers it, and the player holding it after the agreed round is the loser.
How do handicaps apply in round robin vs Snake?
round robin: For individual handicap match play, use the competition's stated allowance; WHS Appendix C recommends 100% of the unrounded Course Handicap for individual match play. After Playing Handicaps are calculated, the lowest plays off zero and each opponent receives the difference. A round robin involving teams or another form must not automatically inherit this allowance: the Committee should state the allowance and stroke-index method in the Terms of Competition. Snake: No standard WHS handicap allowance applies to Snake because it is an informal putting side bet, not a WHS competition format. If it accompanies an underlying handicap competition, use that competition's Committee-specified allowance; do not invent a Snake percentage.
When should I choose round robin instead of Snake?
Choose round robin when a small field wants everyone to meet several opponents in scheduled match-play fixtures and can provide multiple match slots. Choose Snake when three or four players want a casual putting side bet alongside their round, with stakes and house rules agreed first.