Page type: Format comparison (two named formats)
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When each fits
Choose Snake when three or four players want a putting side bet alongside a normal round, with a fixed per-three-putt stake and agreed fringe and concession rules. Choose Vegas when four players want two teams, paired-score point betting, and advance decisions on handicaps, flips, presses and large score swings.
Snake in brief
A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot.
Vegas in brief
A two-team game pairing each side's hole scores into a two-digit number.
Table
| Comparison | Snake | Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| One line | A putting side bet where the last player to three-putt loses the pot. | A two-team game pairing each side's hole scores into a two-digit number. |
| Players | 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. | Minimum 4: two teams of two; ideal 4 in one foursome. It is a head-to-head team game, not an individual field format. |
| Scoring unit | 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. | Points per hole, calculated as the difference between the two teams' paired two-digit scores; the agreed dollar value per point converts the running total to money. |
| Handicap method | 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. | Vegas has no demonstrated Vegas-specific WHS allowance. If the group uses net hole scores, state that house rule before play. A defensible option for a structured two-team match is the WHS four-ball match-play recommendation: apply 90% to the difference between each player's unrounded Course Handicap and the lowest player's unrounded Course Handicap, then round to Playing Handicaps. This is an adopted four-ball benchmark, not an official rule for the casual Vegas game. |
| Money settles how | 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. | Agree a value per point before teeing off. Add each hole's point difference to a running team total and settle the final difference at the end; presses, birdie or eagle multipliers and payment splits are optional house rules and must be agreed first. |
| Pace | 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. | Slower than ordinary stroke play in practice because each hole requires two-digit pairing, possible score flips and point arithmetic; this is an editorial tendency, not a measured statistic. |
| Best for | 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. | A balanced foursome that enjoys a volatile team betting game, accepts large swings and is willing to write down house rules before starting. |
| Weakness | 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. | A single birdie flip or high score can create a very large swing, and different groups use different rules for handicaps, 10-plus scores, eagles and presses. |
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and selected terms, not historical results. 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. Under a selected no-flip Vegas rule, Alex 4 and Ben 5 form 45; Chris 5 and Dana 6 form 56. At $1 per point per side, the 11-point difference pays $11 from the second side to the first. Agree caps and multi-digit-score handling.
Rule reference: R&A Rules of Golf Rule 23 (four-ball context only) and Rule 3 (official match/stroke-play framework); WHS Appendix C (named-format allowances only, not an automatic Snake or Vegas allowance).
Sources: www.golfdigest.com , www.golfmonthly.com , golf.com , www.thefriedegg.com , www.randa.org , www.usga.org , www.usga.org , www.randa.org
Common questions
How do Snake and Vegas score differently?
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. For Vegas: Points per hole, calculated as the difference between the two teams' paired two-digit scores; the agreed dollar value per point converts the running total to money.
How do handicaps apply in Snake vs Vegas?
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. Vegas: Vegas has no demonstrated Vegas-specific WHS allowance. If the group uses net hole scores, state that house rule before play. A defensible option for a structured two-team match is the WHS four-ball match-play recommendation: apply 90% to the difference between each player's unrounded Course Handicap and the lowest player's unrounded Course Handicap, then round to Playing Handicaps. This is an adopted four-ball benchmark, not an official rule for the casual Vegas game.
When should I choose Snake instead of Vegas?
Choose Snake when three or four players want a putting side bet alongside a normal round, with a fixed per-three-putt stake and agreed fringe and concession rules. Choose Vegas when four players want two teams, paired-score point betting, and advance decisions on handicaps, flips, presses and large score swings.