Keep It Fun! Golf Games Explained: 36 Golf Games to Play on the Course, Plus a Quick Guide to International Competitions, the Ryder Cup, and the Solheim Cup

By Rhonda Goodson, host of Live It. Love It. Play Golf. A LinksCoach Golf book.

So what are we playing today?

Every group asks it on the first tee. This book answers it with 36 games for every group size and skill level, from Skins and Nassau to Wolf, Vegas, Bingo Bango Bongo, and the Chip Game.

Every game comes with the Setup, how it actually works, and the Fun Rule: a simpler version that strips out the math and keeps everyone moving. Play for money or play for points: $1 = 1 point.

Inside you'll find

• 36 games for every group size, from two players to a whole outing
• The First Tee Agreement: set the Unit, the Max Loss, and handicaps in 60 seconds
• Side games like Garbage, the Snake, Closest to the Pin, and the Chip Game
• Team formats: scramble, shamble, best ball, alternate shot, Chapman, and more
• Settle-up tables, so nobody needs a calculator at the 19th hole
• How match play scoring works: up, down, dormie, and 3 and 2
• How the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Presidents Cup, Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, and Olympic golf are played
• Everything you need to run your own cup with friends

The 36 games

Stroke Play, Match Play, Nassau, Stableford, Quota, Skins, Rabbit, Hammer, Banker, Aces and Deuces, Bingo Bango Bongo, Nines, Split Sixes, Wolf, Vegas, Scramble, Rotating Scramble, Best Ball (Four-Ball), Shamble, Alternate Shot (Foursomes), Chapman / Pinehurst, Greensomes, Gruesomes, Lone Ranger / Yellow Ball, Sixes / Round Robin, Reds vs. Blues, The Chip Game, The Snake, Garbage (Dots), Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive, Criers and Whiners, Best 11, Bisque, Low Ball / High Ball, Hammer Nine.

Sample page: The Chip Game

The Setup: A token game where good golf steals the Chip and bad holes lose it. Perfect for groups of three or four who want drama on every hole.

How it works: Lose the Chip with a double bogey or worse, a penalty stroke, or a three-putt. Steal it with a birdie or better, or a sandy par; the best score wins the steal. Hold the Chip after the last hole and take the Pot.

The Fun Rule: Steals Only. The Chip only moves when someone steals it. Track the Chip Game in LinksCoach.

Buy the digital edition for $7.99, get all three books for $14.99, or read it with Golfer Premium

The digital edition is $7.99 plus applicable sales tax. Bundle it with Keep It Fun! Keep It Moving, the golf rules book, and the Beginners Guide to the Course for $14.99. Paid Golfer Premium members can read all three books in the app and download personalized PDFs while their subscription is active. See Premium plans.

About the author

Rhonda Goodson is the founder of LinksCoach Golf, a golf coaching and playing-partner marketplace, and the host of Live It. Love It. Play Golf. She is also the driving force behind the Live it. Love it. Play it. Golf Foundation, Kids Growing Through Golf.

Common questions

Who is this book for?

Any group that wants more fun on the course: weekend foursomes, couples, leagues, golf trips, and charity outings. Every game works for mixed skill levels, and beginners can win plenty of them.

Do we have to play for money?

No. Every game works with points. The book's Golden Rule is $1 = 1 point, so you can play any game for bragging rights, a round of drinks, or a season-long points ledger.

How do I buy the digital edition?

Tap Buy the Digital Edition for $7.99. No account needed: check out with your email and we send your personalized PDF right away. If you have a free LinksCoach account (or create one later with the same email), the book also appears in My Golf. A purchase is yours to keep.

Is there a bundle?

Yes. Get all three Keep It Fun! books, Golf Games Explained, Keep It Fun! Keep It Moving (the golf rules book), and the Beginners Guide to the Course, for $14.99.

Can LinksCoach keep score for these games?

Yes. Many of the games, including Skins, Nassau, Wolf, Vegas, Nines, Bingo Bango Bongo, and the Chip Game, are built into Play a Game. Everyone enters scores on their phone and the app does the math.

Is it included with Golfer Premium?

Yes. Paid Golfer Premium members can read all three books in My Golf and download personalized PDFs while their subscription is active. To keep a book after Premium ends, buy it.

An independent guide, not affiliated with the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, the LPGA, or any event named in it.